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Thailand Requests Cambodia to Reduce Athlete Delegation for 33rd SEA Games Amid Safety Concerns

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Thailand, host of the 33rd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, requested Cambodia to limit its athlete delegation to no more than 200 due to safety concerns.

On 21 August, during the Chefs de Mission Seminar in Bangkok, a preparatory meeting for the Games, Chaiyapak Siriwat, CEO of the SEA Games Federation and Vice President of Thailand’s National Olympic Committee, explained that the measure aims to safeguard Cambodian athletes amid ongoing border tensions and uncertainties.

According to Chaiyapak, Cambodia had originally submitted a delegation of 600 athletes and more than 100 officials. 

Moreover, prior to the recent clashes on 24 July, Cambodia’s preliminary entry listed 1,515 athletes, highlighting the significant reduction requested.

Thailand is set to host the 33rd SEA Games from 9 to 20 December across three provinces: Bangkok, Chonburi, and Songkhla.

The deadline for submitting the named entry list of SEA Games athletes is 15 September.

The border tensions between Thailand and Cambodia escalated on 24 July, resulting in at least 43 deaths and displacing over 300,000 civilians on both sides. This followed an earlier skirmish on 28 May, which killed a Cambodian soldier

Consequently, a ceasefire was brokered on 28 July after pressure from the United States, which warned that continued hostilities could affect future trade agreements.

On 7 August, both countries agreed to a ceasefire covering all types of weapons and prohibiting attacks on civilians, civilian objects, and military targets. 

The agreement was reached at the General Border Committee (GBC) meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, facilitated by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim as ASEAN chair 2025.

Therefore, for security reasons, the opening and closing ceremonies have been relocated from Sanam Luang (Royal Plaza) to Rajamangala National Stadium. Nevertheless, Sanam Luang will still host the SEA Games torch-lighting ceremony and other supplementary activities.

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