BANGKOK (AFP): Thai football fans pledged Monday to skip cheering for their home team from stadium stands during upcoming South-East Asian (SEA) Games matches over ticket rules requiring registration with ID.
Members of the Ultras Thailand supporters group said they also took issue with national team fans not being seated behind a goal, according to a statement posted on social media.
The group vowed to travel to every match during the SEA Games hosted by Thailand this month -- but said they would not set foot inside a stadium until the Sports Authority addressed their complaints.
"Forcing people to register their personal information before entering a stadium is a violation of the basic freedoms of sports spectators," the Ultras Thailand said.
The group voiced concern about the ID requirement putting them at risk of being hacked, calling the condition "not safety, but an injustice".
They also rejected how stadium cheering zones were being managed.
"The arrangement of the away team zone behind the goal provides an advantage to the visiting team and reduces the pressure behind the goal for the Ultras Thailand fans," the statement said.
"We stand side by side with the national team, but we will not surrender to the Sport Authority of Thailand's management of this football event."
AFP could not immediately reach the Sports Authority or national football association for comment on Monday evening.
Thailand is hosting the regional sports extravaganza from December 9-20, with a preliminary football match between Thailand and East Timor scheduled for Wednesday in the capital, Bangkok.
Organisers said last week they were changing venues for 11 sports, including men's football, because of severe flooding in Thailand's south which has killed more than 170 people.
Neighbour Cambodia also announced its withdrawal from eight sports, citing safety concerns, as a border row with Thailand simmers. - AFP
