SEA Games 33 Volunteers: Truly worthy of the land of smiles.

(Dan Tri Newspaper) - There is a silent but indispensable team at any sporting event: the volunteer team. At the 33rd SEA Games in Thailand, they clearly demonstrated their value.

It can be said that, compared to many other countries that have hosted the SEA Games, Thailand's volunteer team is among the most dynamic, professional, and enthusiastic.

Thailand has a significant advantage in that it has previously hosted six SEA Games (1959, 1967, 1975, 1985, 1995, and 2007). Furthermore, Thailand has hosted much larger events than the SEA Games, such as the Asian Games (Asiad) and world championships in several individual sports, so its team of sports volunteers has extensive experience working with international delegations.

Another advantage for Thailand is that it has a thriving tourism industry, so young Thais currently possess good foreign language skills. This is where Thai volunteers are far superior to the volunteer teams from some countries that have previously hosted the SEA Games.

The 33rd SEA Games could not have gone smoothly without the volunteers (Photo: Hai Long).

An indispensable team

According to statistics from the SEA Games 33 Organizing Committee, the host country welcomed and served tens of thousands of athletes, coaches, and officials from various delegations. To serve this large number of people, in addition to technicians, referees, and supervisors, Thailand recruited nearly 3,000 volunteers for logistical support, both inside and outside the competition areas, and to care for the participating sports teams.

Most of these volunteers are students from universities and colleges in Thailand. They are young, enthusiastic, and very likeable. Without them, the 33rd SEA Games could not have run smoothly, as the Organizing Committee could not have managed all the tasks. Especially for foreign journalists, the volunteers are a "lifesaver."

When international reporters arrive in Thailand these days, besides the athletes, coaches, and officials of their delegations, the people we interact with the most are the volunteers.

A unique aspect of the 33rd SEA Games was that the event spanned dozens of different provinces and cities across Thailand. Bangkok hosted the most sports and events, but it wasn't the only venue for top-level competitions.

The contributions of volunteers are quiet but essential (Photo: Hai Long).

Vietnamese athletes competed for gold medals both inside and outside Bangkok, so reporters had to spread out to different locations to capture the most beautiful moments and convey the best quotes from the athletes on the podium to readers nationwide.

And the most convenient way for us to get around is through the guidance of the volunteers. Of course, in today's digital age, navigation apps make it easy for everyone to locate their starting point and the distance to their destination.

But these apps can't predict the terrible traffic congestion in Bangkok. Only the local volunteers know the most convenient and economical transportation options for reporters.

At the athletics track inside the Supachalasai sports complex, I asked a volunteer named Fresh (Thai people often have a shorter English name besides their native name. One of the most famous examples is Madam Pang, whose real name is Nualphan Lamsam), for directions to the Bangkok Thonburi University Arena, the venue for both men's and women's futsal competitions in football.

Fresh said, "It's called Bangkok University, but it's actually located outside Bangkok, more than 20km from the city center. I can't tell you exactly how long it will take to get there, as it depends on traffic conditions."

TNV guides Dan Tri reporters on the best way to get around Bangkok, avoiding traffic jams and saving money (Photo: Hai Long).

Then Fresh showed me three different transportation options that were both economical and avoided Bangkok's terrible traffic jams. She emphasized the second option: "You can start your journey from the BTS (skytrain) station in the city center, then travel down to the MRT (subway) station."

“At the last station of this subway line, you can change transportation, transfer to bus number 84, to go straight to Bangkok Thonburi University. From the last subway station, you'll be heading towards the outskirts of the city. From there, taking the bus will save you from traffic jams,” Fresh enthusiastically instructed.

Perhaps, for most people who aren't in Thailand or Bangkok these days, the above advice isn't very valuable. However, for the team directly involved in covering the SEA Games, advice like Fresh's helps us avoid wasting time and energy sitting in cars for hours on the way there and back due to traffic jams, while also saving a significant amount of money.

Because, in any megacity in the world, traveling by train is always the most economical option, and we have to stay here for many weeks, traveling many times on the same routes.

Land of Smiles

On another occasion, I asked a female volunteer at the Rajamangala Stadium: "Sitting here every day, doing the same job, don't you feel bored?"

Thailand's tourism slogan: "Land of Smiles" (Photo: TV).

The girl replied almost immediately: "We feel sad and bored when you and your colleagues don't come here every day. The other day there were football matches (December 11th, Vietnam U22 vs. Malaysia U22 and Thailand U22 vs. Singapore U22), the stadium was very crowded, many of you came, the atmosphere was really lively."

"Today there's no football, everyone's so quiet (the Rajamangala Stadium is one of the locations for the SPC's secondary press center for the 33rd SEA Games), that's what's really sad and boring," she added.

My friend Atom, who works at the main International Broadcasting Center (IBC) and Media Center (MPC) of the Games, located at the National Broadcasting Centre of Thailand (NBT), was very enthusiastic in helping us complete the procedures to be able to cover the SEA Games this time.

When I arrived at the press center just before the opening ceremony, I offered to receive the press pass and bib (the outer jacket worn by photojournalists) on behalf of a colleague who was unable to be present in person due to work commitments. Atom enthusiastically replied, "No problem, as long as your friend sends you their passport or passport photo for us to verify."

A constant smile on the faces of the volunteers at the SEA Games 33 press center (Photo: TV).

"I know you're all very busy, and not everyone can be here. Besides, the journey here is long, so helping your friend out is no problem at all."

"By the way, you can have lunch at the Press Center before returning to work. You can rest assured about our menu; there will be no pork on the menu, as we know there will be Muslim reporters from Muslim countries attending the congress," Atom said gently.

A simple statement, yet it conveys the thoughtfulness of the hosts and the professionalism of the volunteers at the SEA Games 33. They seem to possess the qualities of professional service providers, befitting a country renowned for tourism.

They give the impression that they are always trying to maintain the image within the overall message of the Thai tourism industry when referring to their country: "The Land of Smiles"!

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/tinh-nguyen-vien-sea-games-33-xung-danh-xu-so-cua-nhung-nu-cuoi-20251213025754420.htm