Bangkok: Thailand lost to Ukraine 2-3 in the VNL 2026. The Thai women's volleyball team, ranked 24th in the world, faced a challenging match against Ukraine, ranked 16th, in the 2026 Women's Volleyball Nations League. The match, which was the first of the second week of the tournament, took place at the Indoor Stadium Hua Mak. It attracted a large number of volleyball fans eager to support the Thai team. According to Thai News Agency, the Thai team was coming off a difficult first leg in Nanjing, China, where they lost all four matches, earning only 2 points and dropping to 17th place. Ukraine, participating in the VNL for the first time, was ranked 15th with a record of 1 win and 3 losses. Thailand's head coach, Kiattipong Ratchatagriengkrai, fielded a strong lineup, including setter Pornpun Guedparach as captain, along with key players like Ajcharaporn Kongyot, Sasipaporn Chantavisut, and Pimpichaya Kokram. The match was closely contested, with both teams battling intensely through four sets, resulting in a 2-2 tie. In the decisive fifth set, Ukraine's height advantage and powerful spikes allowed them to secure a 3-2 victory with scores of 25-23, 19-25, 28-26, 22-25, and 15-10. Pimpichaya Kokram stood out as the top scorer with 21 points, while Ukraine's Valeria Nudha contributed 18 points to her team's triumph. In the aftermath, Thai players Sasiporn Chantavisut and Thaddao Nuekjaeng expressed their disappointment in not being able to overcome Ukraine, despite putting up a strong fight. They acknowledged minor mistakes that impacted their performance. With this result, Thailand gained one point, bringing their total to 3, and remained in 17th place. Ukraine, on the other hand, moved up to 11th with 5 points.
