Thailand's 5th futsal league season has end and saw GH Bank RBAC successfully retaining the tile and, moreover, winning the double. But the leagues future is in doubt.

The end of the national championship marked the end of a rather chaotically run season. In contrast to the football leagues, it was not about league management, which during last 2 years was in the hands of USM (Universal Sports Management). At first the start had to be postponed several months, because one major sponsor was affected by the earthquake in Japan and thereby money was blocked. Afterwards the flood in Thailand hit two of the main venues and causing several match days to be shifted.

Dutchman Vic Hermans is Thailand's new Futsal head coach. He follows Jose Mendez and his job will be to prepare Thailand for the FIFA™ Futsal World Championships in November.

When it comes to Futsal, fans in Thailand are quite spoilt. Because differently to the footballing counterpart, the Futsal National team is considered one of the best in the world. Achieved by "Mr. Futsal" Adisak Benjasiriwan in close collaboration with Vic Hermans predecessor Jose Mendez. Adisak, got shown the door by the federation last year, and just a few weeks later Pulpis stepped down from his charge. In search for a successor the Thai FA made a find in Vic Hermans who last was responsible for Malta, at current stage ranking 99 in the world.

With a three month delay, contingent on the floods in Thailand last year, ASEAN-Zone qualification for the AFC Futsal Championship 2012 are due to kick off this week.

Hosting city for the ASEAN qualifiers this week is Bangkok, which means a home right for the Thais is guaranteed. Even if hardly any foreign fans are expected, nevertheless, this is a good opportunity to rehearse the case of emergency for the Futsal World Championship later this year. The tournament is played in two groups. Thailand is favored to win group A facing relatively easy tasks with Indonesia, the Philippines and Myanmar. In Group B Australia, Vietnam, Malaysia and Cambodia are fighting for two places in the semis.

Since a few weeks Thailand national Futsal League is underway. Recently we have met with Utchen Udomdejwatana, the manager of Universal Sports Management, USM, and talking about the new season.

The company, is not only the name giver for the national Futsal league. USM also holds the marketing rights for the competition and at the same time is responsible for organizing the league. Serious changes could bee seen since the Sports Management company become in charge last year. Match days are now stretched over two days on a weekend, league is extended and a national cup competition is introduced. Moreover, for the first time, since this season, matches are not played only in Bangkok. Unsurprisingly right at the beginning of our conversation the name of "Mr. Futsal" Adisak Benjasiriwan was an issue. From Khun Chen we could here that Khun Adisak, despite of his dismissal from the football association by FAT president Worawi Makudi, still acts for Futsal in Thailand in advisory function.

Finally last weekend Thailand Futsal league season kicked off. Originally the season was scheduled to start in April/May but had to be postponed because financial difficulties. The new season at the same time marks the countdown for the Futsal world championship taking place next year in Thailand.

With great weather for indoor activities, to speak with an all-day rain, the 5th USM Thai Futsal Championship started into its new season last weekend. Originally it was scheduled to launched the season in May, but as one of the sponsors was freezing all the money, the season had to be postponed. To make the league and the national team more competitive for international matches the number of participating teams increased from 12 to 16. In adition, a newly founded Regional League was introduced, divided into five regional groups.