Bangkok, December 9th 2025– His Royal Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn Phra Vajiraklaochaoyuhua and Her Royal Majesty Queen Suthida Bajrasudhabimalalakshana officially opened the 33rd Southeast Asian Games on Monday evening, marking the start of the region’s largest sporting event at a ceremony held at Rajamangala National Stadium.
Under the theme “We Are One – Connected by the Sea” theme, the ceremony celebrated Southeast Asian unity while showcasing Thailand’s rich cultural heritage and modern creative capabilities. The event drew approximately 30,000 spectators, with free admission distributed through an online lottery system and limited walk-up tickets.
The ceremony began with a grand parade of athletes from the 11 participating nations, presented in alphabetical order according to their official country names. Thailand, as host, entered last, led by Her Royal Majesty the Queen, who will personally compete in the SSL47 mixed keelboat sailing event scheduled for 15–18 December in Jomtien!
Cultural performances highlighted the diversity of the region, featuring traditional and contemporary acts from all member countries. Notable segments included an underwater ballet, high-energy flyboard and jet-ski displays, a traditional Muay Thai wai kru performance by Buakaw Banchamek, and musical contributions from regional artists, including a live appearance by Thai-born K-pop star BamBam of GOT7.
The torch relay culminated in the lighting of the SEA Games cauldron, with the flame passed from teenage skateboarder Vareeraya “Sunny” Sukasem to Olympic gold medallists Somjit Jongjohor (boxing, Beijing 2008) and Panipak Wongpattanakit (taekwondo, Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024). The lighting was accompanied by a large-scale drone display and laser projection mapping across the stadium.
In his address, His Royal Majesty the King formally declared the 33rd SEA Games open, signalling the official commencement of competition across 47 sports at 65 venues in Bangkok and Chonburi, mainly Jomtien. The Games will run until 20 December 2025.
Thailand last hosted the SEA Games in 2007. This year’s edition is expected to feature more than 5,400 athletes competing for 1,363 medals.
For the original version of this article, please visit The Pattaya News.
