Thai fans unexpectedly boycott their team at SEA Games 33

(Dan Tri) - The group of enthusiastic Thai football fans (Ultras Thailand) announced that they will not enter the field during football matches at the 33rd SEA Games, to protest the regulations of the organizing committee.

In a statement posted on social media yesterday (December 1), the Ultras Thailand group said they viewed the requirement to register with identification documents as an “infringement on the basic freedoms of sports fans.”

Thai fans boycott and refuse to cheer for their team ahead of SEA Games 33 (Photo: Anh Khoa).

According to this group, the organizers' forcing fans to declare their personal data poses a risk of information disclosure, "not for safety reasons, but for injustice." They also believe that the organizers' arrangement of the cheering area is unreasonable, placing away fans behind the goal, a position that is considered to create an advantage in pressure for the home team.

“We stand with the national team, but we will not accept the way the Sports Authority of Thailand is handling this football event,” the Ultras Thailand group said in a statement. The group said it would still travel to all competition venues, but would refuse to enter the stadium until the issues were resolved.

AFP news agency said it had contacted the Sports Authority of Thailand and the Football Association of Thailand but had not received a response.

U22 Thailand determined to win the 33rd SEA Games gold medal (Photo: FAT).

Thai media is concerned that the boycott of fans and their refusal to enter the stadium will greatly affect the players’ morale. This will cause the U22 Thailand team to lose their home field advantage in this year’s SEA Games.

SEA Games 33 takes place in Thailand from December 9 to December 20. In particular, U22 Thailand will play the opening match against U22 Timor Leste at 7:00 p.m. on December 3.

Last week, organizers were forced to change the venues of 11 events, including men's football, due to severe flooding in southern Thailand that has killed more than 170 people. Meanwhile, Cambodia also announced its withdrawal from nine events due to safety concerns for athletes and officials participating in the tournament.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/cdv-thai-lan-bat-ngo-tay-chay-doi-nha-o-sea-games-33-20251202103834182.htm