Thailand women begin VNL 2026 campaign versus Serbia in Nanjing
The Thai women begin their week-one opener at 2pm Thai time, with Serbia missing Tijana Boskovic and FIVB rule trials in focus.
- Thailand's women's volleyball team will begin its 2026 Volleyball Nations League (VNL) campaign against Serbia in Nanjing, China, on June 3, 2026.
- The Thai squad enters the tournament without several key players for the first week, including Chatchu-On Moksri, who is recovering from a shoulder injury.
- Serbia, ranked 9th in the world, will also be competing with a weakened team, notably missing star player Tijana Boskovic and their head coach.
- This year's tournament features increased pressure with a new relegation rule for the last-place team and a trial of 12 new rules to speed up play.
Live broadcast programme: Thailand will open their first match against Serbia in the 2026 Women’s Volleyball Nations League (VNL 2026) preliminary round, week one, at Nanjing Olympic Youth Sports Park Gymnasium in Nanjing, China, on Wednesday (June 3, 2026), at 2pm Thai time.
Thailand, currently 18th in the world, will begin their campaign with an important match against Serbia, the world No. 9.
The match is being seen as a key test under tougher new conditions, as this year’s tournament has expanded to 18 teams.
The pressure is increased by a strict condition: the team finishing last in the overall standings will be “relegated” and immediately lose the right to compete in 2027.
Analysing Thailand’s readiness: the “Coach Aod” era and the absence of key players
This Thai women’s squad is led by “Coach Aod” or Kiattipong Radchatagriengkai, who is focusing on a blend of experienced players and emerging talent.
The expected line-up is led by captain Pornpun Guedpard, Pimpichaya Kokram, Ajcharaporn Kongyot and Thatdao Nuekjang.
However, Thailand have been hit by bad news after “Bumbim” or Chatchu-On Moksri suffered a shoulder injury and needs to recover.
Wipawee Srithong and Hattaya Bamrungsuk are also not listed for week one.
Coach Aod must therefore place his hopes in teamwork and fast-tempo play to counter the height and size of the opposition.
New-look Serbia without “Boskovic”: a golden opportunity for the Thai women
For Serbia, the two-time former world champions made headlines after deciding not to send world-class opposite spiker “Tijana Boskovic” to take part in week one, in order to keep her for the 2026 European Championship and maintain her physical condition.
In addition, head coach Zoran Terzic has not travelled to take charge of the team himself in the opening phase.
Serbia’s recent form in warm-up matches is considered a concern after they lost 0-3 sets to Poland in a one-sided contest, leading Serbian media to view this rebuilding effort as a “challenge from hell”.
Head-to-head record and ranking points conditions
Looking back over 16 meetings, Serbia have won 10 times and Thailand six.
In the last five matches alone, Serbia have won four.
However, Thailand’s most recent victory over Serbia, a 3-2-set win in VNL 2022, remains a reminder that Thailand can defeat this powerhouse if they find their best form.
Key 12 new FIVB rules to watch: a volleyball revolution
In VNL 2026, 12 new rules will be trialled to make play faster and more continuous, including:
- Increased substitution quota: from six to eight substitutions per set to provide greater tactical flexibility.
- More lenient “double contact”: a spinning set will be permitted if the ball remains on the team’s own side.
- Ball touching the ceiling not penalised: if the ball touches the ceiling on the first or second contact and lands back on the team’s own side, play may continue.
- Bookmarked Challenge: teams can “mark” a disputed moment during play without stopping the game, before it is reviewed after the point ends.
Viewing channels and live stream links
Volleyball fans can follow the action and support the team through live broadcasts on the following channels:
- Live on free TV: MONO29
- Online live stream links: MONOMAX and MONOMAX SPORTS (live broadcasts of every match involving Thailand)
- Watch every live match worldwide: Volleyball World TV (VBTV)
Do not miss the live broadcast of the Thai women’s opening match today at 2pm, with the team aiming to collect important points for the world rankings and the road to the final round in Macau.
