Vietnam protests after Thailand shows wrong flag again at SEA Games
Vietnam reportedly lodged a formal complaint today, December 11, after Thailand once again displayed the wrong national flag during a 2025 SEA Games event, marking the third flag error since the competition began.
The first mistake surfaced when the official SEA Games Facebook page posted graphics for football and futsal fixtures, showing Laos’ flag in place of Indonesia’s and Vietnam’s flag in place of Thailand’s.
Another blunder occurred during the opening ceremony at the Rajamangala National Stadium on December 9, when the host highlighted Indonesia’s role as the host nation in 1997 but mistakenly displayed the Singaporean flag.
Thana Chaiprasit, head of the Thai athletes’ delegation, confirmed that Vietnam raised the issue during a meeting with all participating countries earlier today. The Vietnamese representative pointed out that an incorrect flag appeared again during the 3×3 basketball event.
The country stressed that they had already notified the organiser and urged Thailand to conduct a full system check to prevent further errors.
Laos, which also experienced flag-related mistakes, supported Vietnam’s complaint and pressed the host nation to resolve the problem urgently.
Beyond the flag issues, Malaysia raised several concerns during the meeting. The delegation reported limited halal food options, only chicken and fish were available, and highlighted transport problems, including delays in getting athletes to the airport. Malaysia also noted accommodation mix-ups affecting its men’s football team in Chiang Mai.
The 2025 SEA Games in Thailand has faced several controversies since the early stages of preparation. These included the use of AI-generated graphics, incorrect gold medal counts displayed during the opening ceremony’s drone show, and a lip-sync mishap that forced Thai-Belgian singer Violette Wautier to publicly defend herself.
The event was further overshadowed by a dispute over the ceremony’s visual and lighting design after a Thai designer accused the government of scrapping his work a month before the games, despite him spending seven months developing the concept.
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