Thailand faces drama ahead of SEA Games 2025 opening ceremony

The 33rd SEA Games, set to kick off in Thailand on December 9, marks the country’s return as host after 18 years. 

Despite organisers assuring that everything is "100% ready," public and social media backlash has focused on the country's perceived "unpreparedness" and "lack of excitement." 

Four key issues have sparked significant controversy ahead of the event:

Weak promotion: SEA Games most unnoticed

Despite the event’s proximity, this SEA Games has been dubbed the "quietest in history," with many Thai people unaware of the competition schedule, venues, or even the event’s existence. This contrasts sharply with past games, like the 1995 SEA Games, where the theme song "Win It In Your Heart" resonated across the nation.

Tourism and Sports Minister Atthakorn Sirilatthayakorn denied claims of unpreparedness but admitted that promotion efforts must be ramped up, with hopes of generating 15 billion baht in economic activity if promotional plans succeed.

 

Venue relocation: Delays and natural disasters

Originally planned to be held across three provinces—Bangkok, Chonburi, and Songkhla—flooding in the southern regions prompted the relocation of 10 sports events to Bangkok and Chonburi for safety reasons.

Additional complications surfaced as construction on several venues, including the swimming pool at the Sports Authority of Thailand, faced delays, raising concerns over inflated equipment costs.

These issues have drawn comparisons to past international event failures in Thailand, such as the cancelled Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games last year.

Athlete allowance drama

The most controversial issue is the reduction of athlete allowances and delayed payments, causing widespread frustration and undermining morale. Thai badminton star Pornpawee Chochuwong initially withdrew from the SEA Games but was later persuaded to return.

The Thai boxing team's manager revealed that athletes felt "demotivated" due to the lack of transparency and delayed payments from the sports federation, leaving many athletes unpaid for months.

 

Sports politics: Cambodia withdraws and delays in scheduling

Cambodia unexpectedly withdrew from several sports competitions, citing "safety concerns" following border clashes with Thailand. Many speculated that this was linked to geopolitical tensions, directly impacting the ASEAN sports event.

Cambodia’s withdrawal prompted delays in the official competition schedule, with some events still without confirmed dates. This has been used to criticise the "unpreparedness" of the hosts.

Despite the controversies, Thailand is sending 1,531 athletes, aiming to secure a record seventh gold medal win as the host. The event will be broadcasted on multiple free TV channels, including NBT, T-Sport, One31, PPTV, and TrueVisions.

SEA Games 2025 artistic director speaks out after team’s work cancelled

Artistic director Rueangrith Suntisuk has publicly disclosed the collapse of the opening and closing ceremony plans for SEA Games 2025 — a project he and his small team had spent seven months developing, only for a new team to take over in mid-October.

He revealed that the team took on the role in March, despite having no prior experience working with the government, and invested their own funds to design the ceremonies from scratch. Over several months, they developed stage mock-ups, show concepts, and secured initial approval.

Preparations progressed smoothly at first, but by July, budget constraints and security concerns following the Cambodia-Thailand border clashes prompted the decision to relocate the venue from Sanam Luang to Rajamangala Stadium. Despite this setback, the team remained committed to delivering a unique event, redesigning the ceremonies to meet the new challenges.

However, in September, following a change of government, communication issues began to surface. The team faced delays in receiving approvals and struggled to get clear answers from the authorities.

In early October, Rueangrith received a call notifying him that a new SEA Games team had arrived to inspect Rajamangala Stadium, and they had begun meetings with the same senior officials. After waiting another two weeks without confirmation, the team made the difficult decision to halt work, as they could no longer bear the uncertainty.

Rueangrith expressed his frustration over the missed opportunity to create something meaningful. Despite the setback, he remains determined to challenge a system that stifles creativity and progress, hoping this experience will lead to improvements in future national projects.

He concluded, "Although I am no longer part of this project, I support those still working on the SEA Games. Despite the challenges, I wish you success in delivering a safe and proud event for our country."