Thailand, who have claimed the title on a record seven occasions and lost to Vietnam in the 2024 final, will headline Group B, where they will take on 2010 winners Malaysia, the Philippines, Myanmar and Laos.
"There will be no easy games, all the teams are very competitive, but we're really pleased with the draw," said Thailand coach Anthony Hudson.
"We're in a group where all the games will be complicated and tough, but if we had to pick a group, this is what we would pick."
Timor-Leste and Brunei will face off in a home-and-away playoff in June to determine the final qualifier for the group phase, which will kick off on July 24th.
Teams will play one another on a home-or-away basis until August 8th, with the first two finishers in each group progressing to the semi-finals.
The first legs of the semi-finals will be played on August 15th and 16th, with the return legs on August 18th and 19th. The final will be played over two legs on August 23rd and 26th.