Since making their World Championship debut in 1998, Thailand have taken part in two more tournaments with a best finish of 13th in both 1998 and 2010. Last time out they qualified from their first round pool with wins against Kazakhstan and Croatia. Victories over the Netherlands and Czech Republic in the second group stage were not enough to secure a semifinal spot though.
Between their two Asian Championship wins in 2009 and 2013, they also triumphed in the Asian Cup in 2012. The Thai team have totted up 11 victories at the South East Asian Games, where they have taken gold in each of the last nine tournaments. On top of that, they have competed at the Grand Champions Cup twice and the World Cup once.
In Thailand there is a tradition of successful sports teams presenting a member of the country's royal family with a memento of their victories. In May 2013 the women's volleyball team upheld this ritual when they gave a 2013 Asian Championship gold medal to Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn.
Wins at Asian Championships have not translated into medals in the World Grand Prix arena though, their best result being a fourth place at the 2012 edition. They come to Italy following an unimpressive campaign in the 2014 edition, finishing 11th in Group 1.