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Thailand cannot guarantee the safety of Singapore football fans travelling to Bangkok this Sunday for the second leg of the Asean Football Championship Final, said its tourism and sports minister, Dr Suvit Yodmani, yesterday.
He said that while officials will try their best to ensure that the match goes smoothly, fans should take the necessary precautions.
Emotions are at a high, he noted, since the Thais lost 2-1 to Singapore in Wednesday's match at the National Stadium, following a controversial late penalty awarded to the Lions. The second leg will be played at Bangkok's Supachalasai Stadium.
Speaking to reporters at the five-day Asean Tourism Forum here, he said: "You never know when something could be started. So, let us lean more on the cautious side than on the complacent side.
"We will do our best to ensure safety ... but I cannot say please come cheer for your side because I really don't know what's going to happen."
The minister said that the Thai football players and their fans were angry because the team was booed during the match.
"The players resented the fact that when the game ended, they were booed. When they got hurt, carried out on a stretcher, they were booed. This is something not done in this part of the world," he said, adding that this could fuel more tension during Sunday's match.
Wednesday's match ended in controversy after the Malaysian referee awarded the Lions a penalty in the 82nd minute, which the Thai players furiously disputed.
They threatened to abandon the match, stalling the game for 15 minutes before Mustafic Fahruddin converted the penalty to give Singapore its first competitive win over Thailand since 1977.
Some Singaporean fans are in two minds now about travelling to Bangkok to catch the final, said 73-year-old William Lee, who is trying to organise a group trip.
"What was written in the papers has frightened a lot of people ... I've been organising such trips for a long time, but this is the first time I've seen football fans being scared off," Mr Lee said.
Meanwhile, Mr John Koh, the general secretary of the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) advised Singapore fans to move around in groups. "I don't think things will get out of hand ... but for those Singaporean fans going up, our advice is to be a little bit more cautious. In the stadium, they will have to group together," he told 938Live.
For those still raring to go, some 2,000 grandstand tickets, priced at $14 each, will go on sale today from 1pm to 7pm at FAS' office in Jalan Besar Stadium. - TODAY/st
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