Pimol Srivikorn, one of the candidates for the national Olympic chief, has vowed to solve challenging issues for Thai sports as the presidential election looms.
Pimol, who is the president of the Taekwondo Association of Thailand, said he had a discussion with Tourism and Sports Minister Sorawong Thienthong, focusing on financial issues related to athletes' preparations.
"I met Sorawong Thienthong along with one of my team members, Nattavuth Ruengves, president of the Table Tennis Association of Thailand, to discuss financial issues for national athletes," he said.
"It has always been a problem when it comes to getting budget approval for sport associations as they prepare for international tournaments. The money is there but the approval process takes too long.
"Nattavuth was formerly a manager of the National Sports Development Fund [NSDF], so he understands where the problems lie. He explained to the minister what needs to be done to speed up the process.
"The minister understands athletes and is ready to push for their development. We've already proposed necessary changes and the matter will be considered by the executive board of the Sports Authority of Thailand [SAT] soon."
The election for a new president of the National Olympic Committee of Thailand (NOCT) will take place next Tuesday.
Suchai Pornchaisakudom, president of the Lawn Tennis Association of Thailand, is the other candidate for Thai sports' top job.
Khunying Patama Leeswadtrakul, president of the Badminton Association of Thailand and a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), is reportedly set to be nominated by several sports associations for the position.