Five of the 12 Cambodian sporting delegations that are set to compete in the 33rd SEA Games 2025 in Thailand will arrive in the neighbouring Kingdom today, even as Thai military forces launched new attacks on Cambodian troops yesterday and early this morning.
According to an announcement from the National Olympic Committee of Cambodia (NOCC), three teams — taekwondo (WT), jujitsu and swimming — departed from Techo International Airport at 8.20am.
Two other teams — foosball and gymnastics — are scheduled to depart at 12.55pm. The remaining seven sports — athletics, equestrian, Kun Lbokator, kickboxing, triathlon, jet ski and esports — will depart according to their competition schedule. Altogether, 137 officials and athletes are attending the December 9 to 20 games.
The team’s departures have caused renewed concerns among the public following the latest Thai military attacks on Cambodian forces on Sunday and early this morning.
According to Mali Sochheta, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defence, at around 2pm on December 7, Thai forces fired on Cambodian troops at Phnom Trapeang Thmor in Choam Ksant district, Preah Vihear province, using rifles, machine guns, B-40 rocket launchers and 60mm mortars.
The attack stopped at 2.32pm, with Cambodian forces not returning fire, but instead contacting the Thai side to demand an immediate halt to the shooting.
However, early this morning, December 8, Thailand again launched attacks, beginning at approximately 5am in the An Ses area of Preah Vihear province. They later opened fire at Ta Mone Thom Temple, reportedly using armoured vehicles.
Sochheta added that Thai troops also fired in the areas of Preah Vihear Temple, 5 Makara and Chamkar Chek. These attacks followed numerous Thai provocations over the past several days, especially the December 7 incident at Phnom Trapeang Thmor, which she believed was carried out with the intention of provocation and escalating tensions.
“Standing on the spirit of respecting all mutually agreed treaties and resolving conflicts peacefully in accordance with international law, Cambodian forces did not return fire during this second incident. We continue to monitor the situation closely and with maximum caution,” she said.
Regarding Cambodia’s decision to send sports delegations to the 33rd SEA Games in Thailand, Minister of Education, Youth and Sport Hang Chuon Naron, as well as NOCC secretary-general Vath Chamroeun, have already clarified that participation is based on athletic regulations, as Cambodia is a member of the Southeast Asian Games Federation (SEAGF).
If Cambodia does not participate, it risks losing international prestige — especially within ASEAN — since the SEA Games is an ASEAN regional event overseen by the ASEAN Sports Committee. However, Thailand, as the host, must guarantee the security and safety of the Cambodian delegation, and ensure transparency and fairness in the competitions. Should Thailand violate any of these obligations, it will suffer serious reputational damage.
“If we refuse to send our athletes or boycott the event, the consequences would be more severe, as we would be seen as damaging ASEAN’s prestige. This is not just a matter between us and the host country. Thailand has no authority to prevent Cambodia from joining. But if we refuse to participate, we would be seen as embarrassing ASEAN itself, not just Thailand,” explained the education minister.
“We discussed and evaluated the matter thoroughly before making a decision. The decision was made for national interest and national honour. We believe that Thailand, as host, is responsible for ensuring the safety of our sports delegations. Conversely, if anything happens to our athletes, it will damage Thailand’s reputation,” he added.
Separately, Senate president Hun Sen maintains his position that Cambodian sports delegations should participate in the SEA Games in Thailand as normal.
“We wish all Cambodian athletes who are competing in the 33rd SEA Games in Thailand to participate as usual,” he said via social media, this morning.
