The 33rd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games concluded with a colourful closing ceremony on Saturday night at Bangkok’s Rajamangala National Stadium, attended by athletes and officials from Asean nations, with Cambodia absent.
Before handing over the Games flag to 2027 hosts Malaysia, Thailand capped their home campaign by winning the women’s sepak takraw title, lifting their record gold medal tally to 233. The hosts also collected 154 silver and 112 bronze medals, finishing with an overall haul of 499.
Indonesia finished second with 91 gold medals, while Vietnam placed third with 87.
Thailand’s women’s sepak takraw team delivered the final gold medal of the Games just hours before the closing ceremony.
They defeated rivals Vietnam 2-0 (15-10, 15-6) at Nakhon Pathum Gymnasium, avenging an earlier loss suffered by the men’s team against the same opponents.
The men’s campaign ended with a semi-final defeat to Vietnam, 1-2 (13-15, 15-6, 9-15), marking the first time in 32 years that Thailand failed to reach a SEA Games men’s sepak takraw gold medal match since Singapore 1993.
Earlier, Malaysia upset Thailand in the men’s regu final, ending the hosts’ 34-year dominance of the event.
Overall, the takraw squad secured six gold medals — four from the women’s events (hoop, team regu, quadrant and regu), one from the men’s hoop and one from the mixed quadrant — along with three silvers and two bronzes.
Bronze in Jomtien Waters
Thailand claimed bronze in marathon swimming as Kittinun Chotistayanggoon, Kamonchanok Kwanmuang, Thitirat Charoensup and Ratthawat Thammananthachote clocked 1:14.27 hours in Jomtien.
Vietnam won gold in 1:12.18, with Singapore taking silver in 1:12.53.
Thailand completed a golden double in indoor volleyball after the men’s team won their first SEA Games title since 2017 — and ninth overall — at Huamark Indoor Stadium on Friday night.
Coached by Park Ki-Won of South Korea, Thailand defeated three-time defending champions Indonesia 3-2 (25-20, 16-25, 25-23, 23-25, 15-12) in a closely contested final, joining the women’s team as champions.
Napadet Bhinijdee led Thailand with 29 points, while Chaiwat Thungkham added 18. Indonesia’s Rivan Nurmulki finished as the match’s top scorer with 32 points.
The victory secured Thailand qualification for the 2026 Asian Volleyball Championship.
The Philippines defeated Vietnam 3-2 (23-25, 23-25, 25-18, 25-22, 16-14) to take bronze.
Table tennis player Suthasini Sawettabut completed a golden treble after winning the women’s singles title on Friday.
The 31-year-old came back from 1-3 down to defeat doubles partner Orawan Paranang 4-3 (14-12, 5-11, 2-11, 7-11, 11-6, 13-11, 11-8), repeating the 2021 final in Vietnam, which Orawan had won.
The singles title added to Suthasini’s team and doubles gold medals, matching Orawan’s three-gold achievement at the Hanoi Games three years ago.
“There were tears after I won because at 1-3 down I didn’t think I had a chance,” said Suthasini. “This is my second SEA Games singles gold, 10 years after the first in Singapore. It’s for my family who supported me from day one.”
Thailand’s boxing team finished the Games with 14 gold medals, two silvers and one bronze.
Sarawut Sukthet (57kg), Sakda Ruamtham (60kg), Khunatip Pidnuch (63.5kg), Bunjong Sinsiri (69kg) and Weeraphon Jongjoho (75kg) won gold in the men’s events, joining Thitiwat Phlongaurai (48kg) and Thanarat Saengphet (54kg). Thitisan Panmot was the only Thai finalist to lose.
The women’s boxing team, led by Paris Olympics bronze medallist Janjaem Suwannapheng along with Olympians Chuthamat Raksat and Baison Manikon, added seven more gold medals.
Thailand secured two gold medals in rowing, with Siripong Chaiwichitchonkul winning the men’s solo (CW1X) in 2:46.65 and Parisa Chaempudsa claiming the women’s title in 2:55.61.
The hosts also swept the floorball team events, with the men beating the Philippines 6-2 and the women edging Singapore 2-1, and won women’s indoor hockey gold after a 4-3 victory over Malaysia.
Doiporn Pridasittinan added gold in the women’s modern pentathlon obstacle laser run.
Thailand’s women’s water polo team claimed gold, while the men settled for bronze.
Thailand’s men’s ice hockey team missed out on gold after losing 3-2 to Indonesia in the final.
Earlier, the women’s team made history by defeating the Philippines 13-4 to win the first-ever SEA Games gold medal in ice hockey.
Both Thai basketball teams suffered defeats in their finals against the Philippines.
Vietnam defeated Thailand 4-2 in the men’s Arena of Valor esports final, while Malaysia beat the Thai polo team 10-6.5 in the mixed handicap event.
Thai shooters earned silver in the men’s 50m rifle three-position team event and bronze in the men’s 25m rapid fire pistol team.
The Chamnanjan brothers contributed medals in wrestling, with Chiranuwat winning silver in the 86kg freestyle and Parinya taking bronze in the 74kg.
In bowling, Thailand’s men’s team secured silver in the team-of-four event, while the women claimed bronze.
Thailand’s men’s futsal team finished with silver after losing 6-1 to Indonesia in their final group match at Nonthaburi Stadium.
Having beaten Malaysia, Myanmar and Vietnam earlier, Thailand needed only a draw to secure gold.
Indonesia, however, produced a dominant performance to clinch the title.
Head coach Miguel Rodrigo resigned on Sunday, vowing to “return home to Spain and never coach again”.
