After arriving in Hanoi, Thailand's coach, Masatada Ishii, surprised many by not heading straight to Viet Tri, but instead staying at the airport to enjoy coffee and wait for the second group of players on a late flight.

At 8:00 PM on December 31st, the first group of Thailand's team members, mainly coaching staff and logistics team, landed at Noi Bai Airport in Hanoi to prepare for the first leg of the ASEAN Cup final against host team Vietnam. The second group, consisting of players, arrived at 8:55 PM.

Despite arriving earlier, Coach Ishii and his assistants did not immediately head to Viet Tri (Phu Tho) but decided to stay at the airport to wait for the second group. During this time, the Japanese coach took the opportunity to go shopping and enjoy a cup of coffee.

The team was not expected to reach Viet Tri until after midnight, where they would have just one training session before the match against Vietnam in the ASEAN Cup final.

Speaking to the media, Coach Ishii assessed the upcoming game in Viet Tri: "Vietnam is a strong team. They are solid in both attack and defense. The advantage for Vietnam is that their domestic league has paused, allowing them to focus on the ASEAN Cup.

The Vietnam national team roster includes dangerous naturalized striker Nguyen Xuan Son. However, we have analyzed his play and have a plan to neutralize him."

In the meantime, Thailand's squad is dealing with multiple injuries after two physically demanding semi-final matches against the Philippines. Additionally, striker Suphanat Mueanta is suffering from a high fever after the return leg on December 30th. It has been confirmed that he will travel to Vietnam on January 1st, not with the rest of the team.

"We have several players dealing with injuries and health issues. The most important thing now is to help them recover as quickly as possible. I hope there won’t be any more injuries," the Japanese coach added.