Their Majesties the King and Queen open 33rd SEA Games at Rajamangala Stadium
Their Majesties the King and Queen preside over the opening of the 33rd SEA Games in Bangkok, launching 11 nations into competition.
- Their Majesties the King and Queen presided over the opening ceremony for the 33rd SEA Games at Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok.
- His Majesty the King delivered a royal address to officially declare the Games open.
- Her Majesty the Queen accompanied the Thai national athletes in a royal vehicle as they marched into the stadium.
- Their Majesties watched the parade of athletes from 11 nations and the lighting of the cauldron, which used a sacred flame previously bestowed by the King.
On Tuesday (December 9) at 7.50pm, Their Majesties the King and Queen travelled by royal motorcade to preside over the opening of the 33rd SEA Games, hosted by Thailand at Rajamangala Stadium in Bang Kapi district, Bangkok.
Upon their arrival, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, in his capacity as chairman of the organising committee for the 33rd SEA Games, together with Deputy Prime Minister Thamanat Prompow, who chairs the Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT), cabinet members, organising committee members and SAT executives, were granted a royal audience to pay their respects.
Their Majesties then proceeded to the reception room on the second floor, where His Majesty the King and Her Majesty the Queen signed the commemorative book. Afterwards, They moved to the royal box in front of the grandstand.
His Majesty graciously granted a royal audience to Tourism and Sports Minister Atthakorn Sirilatthayakorn, who presented the official programme and a commemorative gift to His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn.
Kongsak Yodmanee, governor of the Sports Authority of Thailand, then presented the official programme and a commemorative gift to Her Majesty Queen Suthida.
Their Majesties watched a video presentation paying homage to the boundless kindness of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit the Queen Mother and expressing condolences, before viewing the opening ceremony performances.
These included a mixed-media dance performance of light, colour and sound with a water-sports show titled “WE ARE ONE – WE ARE CONNECTED BY THE SEA”; a mixed-media Muay Thai performance titled “ONE SPIRIT – the spirit of being one”; and a show featuring the blossoming of flowers representing the 11 participating nations, accompanied by songs performed by artists and a multimedia light and sound display titled “BLOOMING OF ONE VICTORY”.
During the ceremony, Her Majesty the Queen proceeded to the royal electric vehicle to accompany Thai national athletes as they marched into the stadium. Their Majesties then viewed the parade of the national flag and the delegations of athletes from the 11 participating countries entering the arena.
His Majesty the King later granted a royal audience to Prime Minister Anutin in his capacity as chairman of the 33rd SEA Games organising committee, who delivered a report on the organisation of the Games in 2025.
After the report, His Majesty delivered a royal address to officially open the 33rd SEA Games. The Thai national flag was then raised, followed by the flags of the Southeast Asian Games Federation and the SEA Games.
Representatives of the athletes and referees took the oath of fair play. This was followed by the entrance of the flame bearers – Vareeraya Sukasem, Somjit Jongjohor and Panipak Wongpattanakit – who carried the sacred flame to light the cauldron, signalling the official start of the 33rd SEA Games.
Their Majesties then watched a drone display forming words and images in the night sky. At the conclusion of the ceremony, They departed the royal box and returned by royal motorcade.
Her Majesty the Queen will also compete for Thailand in the sailing competition at the 33rd SEA Games, representing the national team in the keelboat SSL47 event. The sailing races are scheduled from December 15–18 at the Ocean Marina Yacht Club in Sattahip district, Chonburi province.
Thailand has been entrusted by the Southeast Asian Games Federation (SEAGF) to host the 33rd SEA Games in 2025. The Games emphasise solidarity and friendship among the nations of Southeast Asia.
Athletes from 11 countries – Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Timor-Leste, Vietnam and Thailand – are taking part, with 8,266 competitors across 50 sports.
The Games are being held from December 9–20 in Bangkok and Chonburi, both selected for their readiness and capacity to serve as hubs for international-standard sport, tourism, education, innovation and services.
Previously, on November 6, Their Majesties granted a royal audience to Prime Minister Anutin, in his capacity as chairman of the 33rd SEA Games organising committee, and members of the organising committee at Amphorn Sathan Residential Hall in Dusit Palace.
On that occasion, His Majesty bestowed the sacred flame for the Games, which was brought to light the cauldron during this evening’s opening ceremony.
