Iran proved much stronger than Thailand to win the first two sets 25-19, 25-20, but Thailand staged a successful comeback in the third and beat Iran 25-22.
In the fourth set, Iran entered the court with a winning attitude and recovered to beat Thailand 25-19 for an eventual 3-1 win.
“We were not familiar with our opponent as we were both new to each other finding no opportunity to have analysis. I am sure these young players will increase their capacity in every match. Experience can help the young players reduce their mistakes,” Iran coach Reza Vakili said.
Iran will play Chinese Taipei in Pool B on Saturday.
The 12th Asian Men’s U-18 Volleyball Championship serves as the Asian qualification tournament for the 2019 FIVB Men’s U-19 Volleyball World Championship.
Only top four teams will secure their berths for the next year’s world meet in Egypt.