Cambodia, through the National Olympic Committee of Cambodia (NOCC), has announced the recall of its athletes from the 33rd SEA Games 2025 in Thailand, citing serious safety concerns that made continued participation impossible.
Vath Chamroeun, NOCC secretary-general, informed Dato’ Seri Chaiyapak Siriwat, CEO of the Southeast Asian Games Federation, of Cambodia’s immediate withdrawal from the games, in a December 10 letter.
“On behalf of the National Olympic Committee of Cambodia, I regret to inform you that due to grave concerns and requests from the families of our athletes for their loved ones to return home immediately, NOCC must withdraw our entire delegation and arrange for their urgent return to Cambodia for safety reasons,” he wrote.
“This decision was not made lightly. We deeply appreciate the hospitality, warmth and sportsmanship provided to our athletes by the Thai SEA Games Organizing Committee (THASOC) and the National Olympic Committee of Thailand (NOCT) throughout their stay,” he added.
Chamroeun apologised for any inconvenience caused by Cambodia’s early departure and expressed gratitude for the understanding and support of Dato’ Seri Chaiyapak Siriwat and all involved parties.
“We will coordinate with your office regarding departure arrangements and any necessary procedures. Thank you for your understanding and assistance,” he said.
Seven Cambodian sports teams were already present in Thailand: Swimming, jujitsu, taekwondo (WT), table tennis, gymnastics, athletics and jet-ski. Six other sports — kickboxing, esports, equestrian, Kun Lbokator, triathlon and gymnastics — had not yet departed for the neighbouring kingdom.
Cambodia’s delegation arrived in Thailand on December 8 and 9 and had already fulfilled their official duties per international sporting regulations by participating in the flag-raising ceremony on December 8 and the opening ceremony on the night of December 9.
However, rising pressure on Cambodian athletes during their stay in Thailand led to the urgent decision to withdraw on December 10, despite increased security measures by THASOC at hotels, training venues, competition sites and during travel.
The families of the Cambodian athletes in Thailand expressed increasing concerns after learning that the Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT) had launched an investigation into the uniforms worn by the Cambodian delegation and national teams during the SEA Games, examining whether they violated Thai laws or restrictions.
The issue arose after Thai social media users noticed that the Cambodian national team uniforms featured the NagaWorld logo on the right chest area — the name of a well-known Cambodian casino company.
Thai media outlet Khaosod English quoted SAT Governor Kongsak Yodmanee, who stated on December 9 that Thai authorities would immediately investigate the matter in cooperation with provincial administrative departments and the Ministry of Interior.
“They must review Thai laws first to determine whether this constitutes advertising, consulting with legal authorities before taking further action. Casinos are strictly prohibited in Thailand,” he was quoted as saying.
Cambodia’s Chef de Mission Nhean Sophanith addressed the issue briefly.
“We have used Naga-branded uniforms for years, all the way up to the Olympic level,” he said.
The NagaWorld logo has been used many times on Cambodian national team uniforms, including at the SEA Games and even the Olympic Games, without violating sporting regulations.
The incident has led the Cambodian public to view Thailand’s actions as ill-intentioned, seemingly attempting to find fault with Cambodia and politicise sports to undermine Cambodia’s image on the international stage — despite SEA Games regulations clearly outlining such matters and Cambodia’s full compliance with all Southeast Asian Games Federation rules.
Additionally, during the opening ceremony of the 33rd SEA Games on Tuesday night, Thailand made two errors which negatively affected Cambodia.
The Khmer word “ជម្រាបសួរ” (Hello) on a giant LED screen was misspelled as “ជាំរាបសួរ”, and among 11 LED lightboxes which represented the ASEAN participants, only Cambodia’s light failed to illuminate, viewed by many as intentional rather than accidental.
There were numerous other mistakes during the opening ceremony. Vietnam, Indonesia and Singapore were also affected by Thailand’s poor event management. The failure of the main cauldron flame — which only produced smoke instead of fire — was particularly embarrassing for the Thai hosts, who even abandoned the usual fireworks celebration. The entire ceremony concluded awkwardly and quietly.
