Thailand officially announces the decision regarding the postponement of SEA Games 33

Thailand’s Minister of Sports, Mr. Atthakorn Sirilathayakorn, assured that SEA Games 2025 will proceed as scheduled and highlighted that the opening and closing ceremonies will be modified to fit the circumstances.

On October 24th, Thailand received the sad news of Queen Sirikit’s passing at the age of 93. Subsequently, King Maha Vajiralongkorn ordered a royal funeral and declared a one-year mourning period for the royal family and court officials starting from October 24th.

Following this news, the media in the Land of Smiles speculated that the 33rd Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) might be postponed to 2026, canceled, or possibly not held at all.

However, recently, Thailand’s Minister of Sports, Mr. Atthakorn Sirilathayakorn, spoke out to confirm that SEA Games 2025 will not be delayed and stressed that the opening and closing ceremonies will be adapted appropriately.

“SEA Games, scheduled for December, must continue following the established standards,”said Mr. Atthakorn Sirilathayakorn, as reported by Thairath.

Nevertheless, according to the Minister of Sports, the organizers will make some minor adjustments to the opening and closing ceremonies to suit the situation: “Following the government’s resolution to reduce and cancel entertainment activities during this period, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports will modify the format of the opening and closing ceremonies accordingly.”

The Minister of Tourism and Sports also added that current sporting events, such as the Thai League, will not be canceled or postponed. However, the event formats will be adjusted to include mourning procedures and reduce entertainment-related activities to align with the current situation.

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