NS defaulter Ben Davis called up by Thailand for Asean Cup
Thailand has called up Ben Davis for the ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup, potentially setting up a showdown with the Lions next month.
The 24-year-old defaulted on his National Service (NS) commitments back in 2019 and was reportedly staying overseas without a valid exit permit.
Offences under the Enlistment Act come with a fine of up to S$10,000 and up to three years’ jail.
Ben Davis included in 26-man Thai football squad
On Wednesday (27 Nov), defending champions Thailand revealed their 26-man squad for the tournament — happening from 8 Dec 2024 to 5 Jan 2025
Teams can register up to 26 players for the tournament, but only 23 players can be selected for each match-day squad.
Singapore will host Thailand in their Group A match on 17 Dec but it’s unclear at the time of this article if the 24-year-old is flying to Singapore for the match.
Moved to Singapore at 5 years old
Davis was born in Phuket, Thailand, and moved to Singapore with his family at the age of five.
The second-youngest of four children, his mother is Thai while his father is English.
Davis represented Singapore up to the Under-19 level and joined the senior Lions squad in 2018, though he did not earn a cap.
Source: @changsuek on Instagram
In 2018, he became the first Singaporean to sign professional terms with an English Premier League club — Fulham Football Club.
He then applied for an NS deferment, which was rejected.
Davis made his professional debut for Fulham in a League Cup match against Southampton Football Club in Aug 2019.
Switched nationality
Later in 2019, he switched national allegiance to represent Thailand after being included in the provisional squad for the 2019 SEA Games.
He now plies his trade with Uthai Thani Football Club, which is currently 10th in the Thai Premier League.
It remains unclear if Davis will be travelling to Singapore for the tournament.
MS News has reached out to the Football Association of Thailand for comments.
Also read: Ex-Youth Footballer Ben Davis Scores Opening Goal For Thailand In SEA Games Match Against S’pore
Ex-Youth Footballer Ben Davis Scores Opening Goal For Thailand In SEA Games Match Against S’pore
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Featured image adapted from @changsuek on Instagram
