Thai government accused of scrapping SEA Games ceremony design with no warning
A Thai designer accused the government for cancelling his designs for the SEA Games 2025 opening and closing ceremonies just one month before the event, despite him and his team working on the project for more than seven months.
Rueangrith “Ton” Suntisuk, a visual and lighting designer and owner of the art and design studio DuckUnit, shared his frustration on Facebook yesterday, December 2. Ton wrote that he had worked on the ceremonies for seven months before learning that the project was handed over to a new team in mid-October.
Ton said he almost rejected the job because he had no experience working with the government and worried about possible obstacles. However, he and his four team members did not want to miss the opportunity and accepted the offer in March.
He explained that his plans and preliminary designs were approved by several relevant officials, and the project appeared to progress smoothly despite the limited budget.
Ton noted that the budget was even smaller than what he had received previously for smaller-scale events, citing his work designing the Songkran Festival at Sanam Luang.
In July, Ton was informed that the government had changed the venue, even though many designs were already completed. His team decided to continue working and adapted all the designs to fit the new location.
After receiving approval for the revised plans, Ton began coordinating with performance and production teams for the ceremonies.
However, after the appointment of the new Cabinet in late September, Ton noticed unusual changes. He and his team later learned that another design team had taken over the project. Ton said he repeatedly contacted the government officials who are responsible for the project, but none could give him a clear explanation.
By October, he decided to stop working and cancel the contracted performance teams. He said he and his team still have not received any official clarification from the authorities.
Ton said the experience left the team disappointed, especially after investing months of effort into a project they believed would highlight Thailand’s creativity on the international stage. He added…
“We haven’t lost anything in terms of business, but in terms of creativity and the will to fight for this country, it’s stagnant. There is no way out.”
Ton also questioned how the new team would complete the large-scale opening and closing ceremonies within a month. He said he hoped the final work would not be “shameful, pretentious, or outdated,” as the SEA Games represent Thailand’s progress in sports, arts, and culture.
Ton stated that he chose to speak out because he wanted to share the reality of trying to work honestly with the government, hoping his story could lead to improvements in state working processes.
Many designers and creatives reshared Ton’s post, expressing disappointment with the treatment he received and criticising the government’s handling of the project. Relevant officials have not yet commented on the issue.
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