Six years later, Alas Pilipinas Men meet Thailand again with history and reality colliding

Time has a way of circling back in Southeast Asian volleyball, and for Alas Pilipinas Men, Bangkok has become the setting for a familiar reckoning.

Six years after Philippine men’s volleyball shook the region with a stunning semifinal breakthrough in Pasig, the same opponent now stands in the way once more.

 On Thursday, the Philippines faces Thailand again in the semifinals of the 33rd Southeast Asian Games — with a ticket to the gold medal match hanging in the balance, just as it was in 2019.

Back then, the matchup changed everything. Led by Bryan Bagunas, Marck Espejo, Owa Retamar, and Kim Malabunga, the Filipinos toppled the defending champions in a five-set epic that ended with Bagunas’ thunderous kill and a nation suddenly believing in its men’s volleyball program.

Those four names return to the stage this week, now veterans rather than upstarts, carrying not only experience but the weight of expectation. 

Thailand, too, brings its own reminders of that night — Amorntep Konhan, Kissada Nilsawai, Anuchit Pakdeekaew, and Boonyarid Wongtorn are back, older, sharper, and eager to erase a painful chapter.

But if 2019 was about shock and surprise, 2025 is about context — and momentum favors Thailand.

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ALAS PILIPINAS ends the #AlasPilipinasInvitationals tournament undefeated after winning against the Thailand Men’s National Team in 5 sets (21-25, 25-21, 25-22, 21-25, 15-12).

This is their first win versus Thailand since SEA GAMES 2019.

Congrats, ALAS! pic.twitter.com/Hv0PJ1sV8F

— 𝐕𝐓 (@volleytiger) June 12, 2025

The two teams have already crossed paths four times this year, a rarity that has stripped this rivalry of mystery. Thailand claimed three of those meetings, asserting control through consistency and depth, while the Philippines managed just one breakthrough.

That lone win, however, showed why the rematch still carries intrigue. On Philippine Independence Day last June, Alas Men stunned the Thais at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in a gripping five-set battle during the Alas Pilipinas Invitationals. 

Espejo erupted for 31 points, outgunning Konhan and reminding everyone that, at their peak, the Filipinos can still trade blows with the region’s elite.

Thailand responded swiftly — and decisively. A week later, they swept the Philippines in the AVC Men’s Volleyball Nations Cup, then followed it up with two more victories in the SEA V.League, including a punishing reverse sweep in Jakarta that exposed the gap in composure and depth when matches stretch long.

That trend has carried into the SEA Games group stage. Thailand stormed through Group A unbeaten, conceding just one set. The Philippines, meanwhile, showed flashes of promise but settled for second in Group B after falling to Indonesia.

So while the names and stakes echo 2019, the narrative has shifted. This is no longer a story of underdogs crashing the party. 

It is about whether the Philippines can summon the same resolve against a Thai side that has since grown more disciplined, more physical, and more accustomed to winning these moments.

Six years ago, history was made in Pasig. On Thursday in Bangkok, Alas Pilipinas Men are chasing something harder — not surprise, but belief that lightning can strike twice, even when the odds are clearer and the margin for error is thinner.

Once again, the prize is the same. The question is whether the ending can be, too.

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