Bangkok, 3 December 2025 – The SEA Games 33 organizing committee issued an official apology after technical issues prevented the national anthems of Vietnam and Laos from being played before their opening Group B match.
SEA Games 33 Organizing Committee (THASOC) issued a formal apology shortly after Vietnam’s 2–1 victory over Laos in their opening Group B match on 3 December. A technical malfunction during the pre-match ceremony caused the sound system to fail, preventing the national anthems from being played as planned. Players of both teams were forced to sing their national anthems without music, creating an awkward and unexpected start to the competition.
Approximately two hours after the match ended, THASOC delivered an official letter to the Olympic Committees of Vietnam and Laos, acknowledging their responsibility for the incident. The Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT) and the Football Association of Thailand (FAT), which oversee the football events at SEA Games 33, were directly involved in handling the situation. SAT Director Gongsak Yodmani wrote: “We extend our deepest apologies to all parties involved for the technical difficulties that resulted in the inability to perform the national anthems of both countries as scheduled.” The Vietnam Olympic Committee later confirmed that they had received the apology.
This is not the first organizational error committed by the host nation. Earlier, Thailand mistakenly used incorrect national flags for the women’s football match between Thailand and Indonesia scheduled for 4 December, accidentally placing the flags of Laos and Vietnam instead. The graphic was quickly removed from social media after being posted.
A similar incident occurred in late October, when Thailand mistakenly displayed China’s flag instead of Vietnam’s during the group draw ceremony for the 2025 AFF U19 Futsal Championship. The error appeared in a live broadcast lasting around 10 minutes before the videos were taken down across social media platforms. Following the mistake, the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) sent an urgent letter to both the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) and FAT, demanding clarification. FAT President Nualphan Lamsam immediately issued a formal apology, sent a delegation to Hanoi to deliver the message in person, and later visited the Vietnamese Embassy in Thailand to apologise directly.
Despite these repeated errors, Thailand has pledged to tighten its procedures to ensure the smooth organisation of SEA Games 33 events. For athletes and supporters, the hope remains that such missteps will not overshadow the spirit of competition and sportsmanship at the region’s biggest sporting festival.
Thanh Tung
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