Thailand Sends 19 to BWF World Championships 2026 in New Delhi, Eyes 2+ Medals

Thailand's national badminton team has sent 19 athletes to compete across all five events at the BWF World Championships 2026 in New Delhi, India, running August 17-23, 2026. "View" Kunlavut Vitidsarn and "May" Ratchanok Intanon lead the medal hopes, with the Badminton Association of Thailand setting a target of at least 2 medals.

Badminton's biggest event returns to India after 17 years

The 2026 BWF World Championships is the 30th edition of the tournament and the first time it has been held in New Delhi — India's first time hosting the event in 17 years. More than 380 athletes from 64 countries are competing across five categories: men's singles, women's singles, men's doubles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles, all at Indira Gandhi Arena, a major indoor stadium in the heart of the Indian capital.

Thailand's squad arrived in New Delhi on August 14, with the Badminton Association of Thailand's president traveling to encourage the athletes at their practice courts before competition began. This year's team spans every category, mixing rising talents with world-class veterans.

"View" Kunlavut hunts for the title he lost last year

Thailand's top gold-medal hope remains "View" Kunlavut Vitidsarn, the 25-year-old men's singles player who made history in 2023 as Thailand's first-ever men's singles world champion, beating Japan's Kodai Naraoka in the final. He went on to become Thailand's first-ever world No. 1 in June 2025, and later won Olympic silver in Paris.

Last year, Kunlavut reached the world championship final again but lost to China's Shi Yu Qi, settling for runner-up. This year he returns as the tournament's No. 2 seed (he currently sits at world No. 2), opening his campaign against a Sri Lankan opponent ranked world No. 91 — a manageable draw before tougher tests await in the later rounds.

Ahead of the tournament, Kunlavut said his physical condition was "fairly complete" and that he had focused his training on speed and agility, acknowledging he would face several high-ranked opponents throughout the week but vowing to give his best in every round. Fellow men's singles player "Ikkyu" Panichpol Teerarattanasukul, ranked world No. 17 and coming off a career-high ranking climb in May, is also competing.

"May" Ratchanok on a mission to end China's 13-year reign

Photo: Pierre-Yves Beaudouin — CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

In women's singles, "May" Ratchanok Intanon, 31, the 2013 world champion who beat China's world No. 1 Li Xuerui in Guangzhou at just 18 years old — becoming the youngest singles world champion in history — returns to the tournament as the No. 8 seed. She's on a mission to end China's 13-year dominance of the women's singles world title, and has drawn a manageable opponent in the first round.

Also flying the flag in women's singles is "Miw" Pornpawee Chochuwong, a rising talent from Rayong who has climbed to world No. 6 and recently finished runner-up at the 2026 Australian Open; she is this year's No. 10 seed. She's joined by "Mae" Supanida Katethong, another rising player who claimed her first career World Tour title in early 2026 in Switzerland.

Mixed doubles pair "Bas-Fame" carry the doubles hopes

Photo: Griff88 — CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

In the doubles events, Thailand's main medal hope rests with mixed doubles pair "Bas" Dechapol Puavaranukroh and "Fame" Supissara Paewsampran, seeded No. 4 at the tournament and ranked world No. 4, who received a bye straight through to the second round. The pair recently reached the semifinals at the China Open and finished runner-up at the 2026 Badminton Asia Championships. Despite an up-and-down season, they remain capable of springing upsets when their form peaks.

Thailand has also entered pairs in men's doubles and women's doubles, facing fierce competition from badminton powerhouses China, Japan, South Korea, Denmark, Indonesia, and Malaysia, all of whom have sent their strongest squads.

Why this matters to Thai sports fans

Badminton is one of the most closely followed sports in Thailand, and the recent success of Kunlavut and Ratchanok has driven growing interest in the sport, both among spectators and the next generation of young players taking it up. Thailand's performance at this tournament also feeds into preparations for the 2026 Asian Games, where Kunlavut himself has set a goal of finishing in the top three.

What to watch next

Illustrative: India Gate, a landmark of host city New Delhi (not the tournament venue) — Photo: Subeesh Balan സുഭീഷ് ബാലൻ — CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

First-round matches in several categories are already underway today (August 17) and will run through to the final on August 23, 2026. Thailand's squad will need to get past players from the sport's traditional powerhouses in the later rounds to reach its 2-medal target — particularly Kunlavut, who has reached the final of major tournaments in four straight appearances, and Ratchanok, who is looking for one more memorable result in the later stage of her career.

Fans following Thai sport this week may also be interested in Kunlavut's Malaysia Open 2026 title, where he became the first Thai player in 68 years to win that tournament, or the Thai women's volleyball team's run at the SEA V Cup, being played around the same time.

Key facts:

• Event: BWF World Championships 2026 (30th edition)
• Dates: August 17-23, 2026
• Venue: Indira Gandhi Arena, New Delhi, India
• Participants: 380+ athletes from 64 nations
• Thailand's squad: 19 athletes across all 5 events, targeting at least 2 medals
• Top hopes: Kunlavut Vitidsarn (men's singles, No. 2 seed), Ratchanok Intanon (women's singles, No. 8 seed), Dechapol-Supissara (mixed doubles, No. 4 seed)