Kritsada Kasemsant, President of the Ice Hockey Association of Thailand, together with Janista Liwchalermwong, Team Manager of the Amazing Thailand Ice Hockey Under-16 Youth Development Program under the Youth Sports Tourism initiative, and Tewin Chatsuwan, Head Coach of Thailand's U16 National Team, jointly announced Thailand's participation in the Pan Pacific Series 2026.
The tournament will be held in Queenstown, New Zealand, from October 29 to November 2, 2026. During the event, Thailand's U16 athletes also had the opportunity to hear inspirational remarks from Jonas Siegenthaler, a Swiss-Thai professional ice hockey player who competes for the New Jersey Devils in the National Hockey League.
The Pan Pacific Series is a collaborative youth ice hockey tournament involving four countries: New Zealand, Thailand, Hong Kong, and Australia. The competition aims to jointly develop youth ice hockey across the region. This year's edition will be hosted by New Zealand and marks the first official international competition for Thailand's U16 development program, representing a significant milestone in preparing the country's next generation of athletes for elite-level competition.
The Thailand U16 team is also part of the Amazing Thailand Ice Hockey Team initiative under the concept of Youth Sports Tourism—an innovative program that combines youth sports with tourism promotion. The initiative seeks to use international ice hockey as a platform to introduce Thailand to a global audience while creating valuable opportunities for young athletes through cultural exchange, international friendships, and world-class sporting experiences.
Janista Liwchalermwong revealed that last year she led a group of 12 Thai youth players to compete in Australia, where they returned home as champions. Building on that success, the association is committed to supporting the U16 program as a continuous development pathway, enabling young players to progress to the U18, U20, and senior national teams. She added that the Pan Pacific Series 2026 in New Zealand will be the U16 team's major international competition later this year and an excellent opportunity to further develop Thailand's next generation of players.
"Of course, our primary goal is to win. But beyond the results, this tournament provides an important platform for our young athletes to demonstrate their abilities, gain inspiration, and continue developing both as players and as individuals. At the same time, Team Thailand also serves as a cultural ambassador, proudly sharing Thai culture with the international community through the sport of ice hockey."
