Rebranding Thailand through football - food for thought?

The purpose of this exploratory study is to highlight the potential of sports and especially football as nation branding tool. Taking the particular case of a developing Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) country, Thailand, which has been embroiled in a catalogue of negative brand perceptions, the study highlights a potential avenue for rebranding. The study is primarily documentary analysis driven, drawing upon a mixture of official statistics, contingent literature and personal observation-especially the on-pitch performance of the War Elephants (Thai national football team) at the Suzuki Cup organised by the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF). Overall the study advances a potential avenue for a perception change of global observers (including potential investors) of a country with a historically entrenched negative brand image.