Thai newspaper comments on serious errors on Vietnam map

(Dan Tri) - Some Thai newspapers confirmed that the host of SEA Games 33 made a serious mistake regarding the map of Vietnam in the opening ceremony on the evening of December 9.

The opening ceremony of the 33rd SEA Games was marred by several incidents, most notably an error in displaying the map of Vietnam. Specifically, host country Thailand omitted the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos, as well as Phu Quoc Island, which are under Vietnam's sovereignty .

The map of Vietnam displayed was incorrect, omitting the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos and Phu Quoc island, which are under Vietnam's sovereignty (Screenshot).

Commenting on the issue, Thairath newspaper acknowledged it as a "serious mistake." The Thai newspaper wrote: "The opening ceremony of the 33rd SEA Games became the focus of attention because of a serious mistake."

During the opening ceremony, when the artists were performing traditional dances, the organizers projected maps of various countries onto the Rajamangala Stadium. However, when the map of Vietnam appeared, many viewers immediately noticed that the map was missing the Spratly and Paracel Islands and some islands under Vietnam's sovereignty.

Vietnamese sports leaders will send an official letter to the SEA Games 33 organizing committee requesting an explanation and corrective measures. This move aims to ensure respect among member nations and maintain the proper image of a regional sporting event.

Vietnamese sports fans expressed their hope that the Organizing Committee would apologize for this unfortunate incident.

The Daily News emphasized: “The wave of controversy related to the 33rd SEA Games hosted by Thailand continues to erupt. The tournament's organizing committee has been criticized for serious mistakes. The graphic showing the map of Vietnam during the opening ceremony performance at Rajamangala Stadium on the evening of December 9 has created controversy.

Thai newspaper admits that displaying the wrong map of Vietnam is a serious mistake (Photo: Daily News).

Many viewers immediately noticed that the map of Vietnam was missing the Truong Sa and Hoang Sa archipelagos and some islands under Vietnam's sovereignty. Vietnamese fans strongly condemned this image. Senior leaders of the Vietnamese sports industry have learned of the incident and will send a request for an explanation to the 33rd SEA Games Organizing Committee.

The Press commented: “The graphic displaying the map of Vietnam at the SEA Games opening ceremony omitted the Truong Sa and Hoang Sa archipelagos and Phu Quoc Island. This has sparked intense controversy. Vietnamese sports fans are awaiting an explanation from the organizing committee.”

It should be added that this was not the only mistake in the SEA Games opening ceremony. The Indonesian flag was mistakenly displayed as the Singapore flag during the introduction of previous host countries. In addition, in the drone presentation, the organizers also mistakenly displayed the number of gold medals from 574 to 547.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/bao-thai-lan-binh-luan-sai-sot-nghiem-trong-ve-ban-do-viet-nam-20251210085945062.htm