With just a few days left before the 33rd SEA Games kicks off in Thailand (December 9-20, 2025), a series of unexpected mistakes have left the country's sports and media in disarray. On December 2, while all attention was focused on the opening events on December 3 and the opening ceremony at Rajamangala Stadium on December 9, the SEA Games Organizing Committee suddenly became the focus of criticism after two serious incidents occurred consecutively during the day.
The flags of Vietnam and Laos were mistakenly attached to those of Thailand and Indonesia.
According to Matichon (Thailand), the first incident arose from the official Facebook page of the 33rd SEA Games, which is supposed to provide absolutely accurate information. When posting the match schedule on December 4, 2025, the graphics of some sports such as horse polo still displayed the correct national flags of the teams. However, when it came to the futsal match schedule, the match between Indonesia and Thailand at 6:30 p.m. at Chonburi Stadium was shocking: the Thai team had the Vietnamese national flag, while the Indonesian team had the Lao flag replaced.
The image of the national flags of Laos and Vietnam but with the names of Indonesia and Thailand attached, this image has now been deleted from the Facebook of SEA Games 33
SCREENSHOT
This mistake immediately shocked Thai fans and the press, and sparked a wave of fierce criticism towards those in charge of the SEA Games' media work, which was invested with a large budget but made basic mistakes before the tournament began.
Fierce debate: Press banned from using SEA Games 33 logo
Many reporters were surprised to receive a notice from the SEA Games Rights Protection Office stating that media agencies are absolutely not allowed to use the 33rd SEA Games logo in their reporting, as it is considered copyright infringement and could result in lawsuits. This notice immediately caused confusion in the Thai press, from major stations, traditional newspapers to sports websites and fanpages. They asked: whose copyright is being infringed, and why is reporting - an act of promoting the tournament - considered an illegal commercial activity.
As the outrage spread, the Governor of the Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT) and the Minister of Tourism and Sports immediately stepped in. Not long after, SAT announced that it had resolved the issue and allowed the media to use the SEA Games logo in their coverage. Matichon expressed its discontent by asking: “What is SAT doing? Why did it behave in a way that caused the 33rd SEA Games – the event returning to Thailand after 18 years – to become chaotic right from the start of preparations?”
Delayed operations and internal conflicts
Not only that, according to Matichon, the issuance of ED cards for reporters was also delayed due to power conflicts between interest groups within Thai sports. The extension of the approval time meant that many press agencies could only receive the cards on the morning of December 3, while the first event was to be played on the same day. This was seen as a manifestation of a "fire-fighting" style of work, lacking professionalism right before a regional event.
Late in the evening of December 2, Thanh Nien reporter received his press card.
PHOTO: Kha Hoa
According to Thanh Nien reporters, late on December 2 at the SEA Games 33 Press Center located at the Thai National Television Station, Thanh Nien reporters were the first to receive their press cards after a difficult journey and tiring wait.
In conclusion, Matichon newspaper believes that a series of incidents from hanging the wrong flag, banning the use of logos to the delay in issuing press passes have created a chaotic image of the 33rd SEA Games right before the G-hour. The newspaper can only hope that the 33rd SEA Games in Thailand will not fall into further chaos, and at the same time consider this a warning to the Organizing Committee about the importance of serious preparation and effective coordination.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/btc-sea-games-sai-sot-nghiem-trong-nham-co-thai-lan-thanh-viet-nam-lieu-co-loi-xin-loi-185251202224330459.htm
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