The 33rd Southeast Asian Games opened on the evening of December 9 at Bangkok’s Rajamangala National Stadium, with Thailand formally welcoming athletes, officials and spectators from across the region.

The ceremony was presided over by King Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida, marking Thailand’s return as host after eighteen years.

Attended by some 30,000 people, the event featured a dramatic water-based spectacle, the lighting of the “First Green Flame,” hundreds of synchronised drones, and a celebratory sequence titled “Back to the Origin” that symbolised unity among the eleven participating member countries.

The Games come amid enhanced security measures, due to regional border tensions — but organisers emphasised their commitment to ensuring a safe yet vibrant environment.

The 2025 edition will run from December 9 to 20, with competitions across Bangkok, Chonburi and other venues.

Originally planned events in Songkhla were relocated following flood damage, underscoring logistical challenges overcome ahead of the launch.

As host, Thailand fields a delegation of over 1,800 athletes competing in fifty sports.

The event programme spans hundreds of medal events — the largest number in SEA Games history — reflecting organisers’ ambition to deliver a major regional sporting festival and to restore Thailand’s standing as a dominant force in Southeast Asian sport.

Spectators were offered free tickets for the opening ceremony, and both the government and the national sports authority invited the public to welcome guests and show support for Team Thailand.

The atmosphere blended pageantry, national pride and regional camaraderie — underlining the Games’ motto of “Ever Forward.”

In the coming days, as competition begins in earnest, all eyes will be on the host nation’s performance, the operational smoothness of events across multiple provinces, and the Games’ ability to bring together Southeast Asia in a spirit of friendship, sport and shared aspiration.