Southeast Asian newspapers react when Thailand misuses Vietnam's national flag

(Dan Tri) - Many Southeast Asian newspapers have spoken out when the organizing committee of the 2025 Southeast Asian U19 and U16 futsal tournament in Thailand incorrectly used the Vietnamese national flag during the drawing ceremony.

The draw for the 2025 Southeast Asian U19 and U16 futsal tournament took place on the afternoon of October 28 in Nonthaburi (Thailand). Accordingly, during the draw, the organizing committee used the wrong Vietnamese flag, replacing it with the Chinese flag.

In a document sent to the AFF, the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) clearly stated its view that this serious incident could have consequences affecting Vietnam's image and negatively impact the solidarity of the ASEAN community.

Madam Pang sent a representative to Vietnam to apologize in person this afternoon (Photo: FAT).

Many Southeast Asian newspapers have spoken out after this serious incident. CNN Indonesia wrote: “The President of the Football Association of Thailand, Madam Pang, sent a representative to Vietnam to apologize for the misuse of the Vietnamese national flag by the organizers of the U19 and U16 Southeast Asian futsal tournament. The head of the Thai delegation to Vietnam was Mr. Adisak Benjasiriwan, Vice President of the Football Association of Thailand in charge of futsal and beach soccer.

This was a serious mistake by Thailand when they mistook the Vietnamese flag for the Chinese flag during the live broadcast of the lottery draw. The Vietnamese online community expressed outrage over this issue.

The Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) has sent a protest letter to the Southeast Asian Football Federation (AFF) requesting clarification of the cause of the incident. That same evening, FAT officially apologized to the VFF and the Vietnamese people. Madam Pang emphasized that they will investigate and prosecute the responsibilities of individuals and organizations involved.

Bola Sport (Indonesia) emphasized: “The incident where Thailand mistook the Vietnamese flag for the Chinese flag is unacceptable. The VFF is extremely angry about this serious incident. This affects the image of Vietnamese football.”

Another newspaper of the archipelago, Kompas, wrote: “The organizing committee of the 2025 Southeast Asian U19 futsal tournament draw made a serious mistake when it mistook the Vietnamese national flag for the Chinese national flag. Even more shamefully, the event was broadcast live on YouTube. The Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) has sent a protest letter to the AFF.”

Malaysia's Stadium Astro wrote: "After the serious incident, Thailand removed the video related to the draw on all platforms and at the same time apologized to Vietnam. VFF emphasized that this serious mistake not only damaged the image of Vietnamese football but also negatively impacted solidarity in the Southeast Asian community. VFF has asked AFF to investigate the cause and take strict measures to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future."

The Manka Bola newspaper (Malaysia) said that FAT understood the seriousness of the problem. They immediately apologized to VFF and the Vietnamese people. Madam Pang directed the establishment of an independent committee to investigate the incident. At the same time, on the afternoon of October 29, she also sent a representative to Vietnam to directly apologize.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/phan-ung-cua-bao-dong-nam-a-khi-thai-lan-dung-sai-quoc-ky-viet-nam-20251029161001315.htm