Thai football fans face 5,999 baht bill to watch full World Cup
Thai fans face 5,999 baht bill to watch full World Cup
Football fans in Thailand face paying thousands of baht to watch every match of World Cup 2026 Thailand, after a last-minute broadcast deal left most of the tournament behind a paywall.
JAS and MONO confirmed their package on Thursday (11 June), less than 24 hours before the tournament begins at 2am Thai time on Friday, when co-hosts Mexico play South Africa in the opening match.
The full package, sold through Monomax Sports Premium, has been announced at 5,999 baht for all 104 matches, including live coverage, highlights and replays. However, when Hua Hin Today checked the iOS App Store, the total cost shown was 6,490 baht.
For many fans, that is a significant amount to pay, particularly for a tournament where many matches will kick off late at night or in the early hours in Thailand.
World Cup 2026 Thailand package criticised
JAS and MONO said more than 40 matches will be broadcast free-to-air through Mono 29, including the opening match and the final.
But that still leaves the majority of the tournament available only to paying subscribers. With 104 matches in total, around 60 games are expected to be unavailable on free TV.
The companies have not yet clearly announced the full list of matches that will be shown for free, leaving fans unsure whether key group games, knockout matches or fixtures involving major teams will be available without a subscription.
The decision also contrasts with arrangements in several other countries, where broadcast coverage of the FIFA World Cup, or at least the most important matches, is protected so it remains available on free-to-air television. Such rules are designed to ensure major national and global sporting events are not placed entirely out of reach of ordinary viewers.
JAS has presented the deal as a major step for its sports broadcasting business and said the agreement with FIFA also covers major tournaments through to 2030, including the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 and the World Cup 2030.
The company said the package would allow Thai viewers to watch every match through Monomax, while also providing what it described as one of the largest free World Cup broadcasts.
For fans, however, the timing and pricing are likely to be the main issues. The deal was confirmed only days before the tournament and the paid package will be out of reach for many households.
The risk for broadcasters is that a high price point may push some viewers towards unauthorised streams, rather than official platforms.
With the World Cup starting in a matter of hours, many football fans in Thailand now face a simple choice: pay for the full tournament, settle for the limited free-to-air coverage, or miss most of it altogether.
