The 2025 SEA Games (, , ), officially called the 33rd SEA Games ( , , ) and commonly known as Thailand 2025, is an upcoming international

multi-sport event A multi-sport event is an organized sporting event, often held over multiple days, featuring competition in many different sports among organized teams of athletes from (mostly) nation-states. The first major, modern, multi-sport event of intern ...

sanctioned by the

Southeast Asian Games Federation The Southeast Asian Games, commonly known as SEA Games is a biennial multi-sport event involving participants from the current 11 countries of Southeast Asia. The games are under the regulation of the Southeast Asian Games Federation with supe ...

(SEAGF). The event is scheduled to take place from 9 to 20 December 2025 across the

Bangkok Metropolitan Region The Bangkok Metropolitan Region (BMR) (; ; ), may refer to a government-defined "political definition" of the urban region surrounding the metropolis of Bangkok, or the built-up area, i.e., urban agglomeration of Bangkok, Thailand, which varies in ...

, as well as the provinces of

Chonburi Chonburi (, , IAST: , ) is the capital of Chonburi Province and, as part of the district Mueang Chonburi District, Mueang Chonburi, the List of municipalities in Thailand, seventh-largest city in Thailand. It is about 100 km southeast of Ba ...

and

Songkhla Songkhla (, ), also known as Singgora or Singora (Kelantan-Pattani Malay, Pattani Malay: ซิงกอรอ, Singoro), is a city (''thesaban nakhon'') in Songkhla Province of southern Thailand, near the border with Malaysia. Songkhla lies ...

, Thailand. The joint bid from the three provinces was awarded the Games on 13 January 2023, after Thailand was confirmed as the host country by the Southeast Asian Games Federation (SEAGF). This marks the first time that host cities were selected through a new bidding and election process for the SEA Games. The 2025 SEA Games will be the seventh time Thailand has hosted the event, with Bangkok having previously hosted in

1959 Events January * January 1 – Cuba: Fulgencio Batista flees Havana when the forces of Fidel Castro advance. * January 2 – Soviet lunar probe Luna 1 is the first human-made object to attain escape velocity from Earth. It reaches the ...

1967 Events January * January 1 – Canada begins a year-long celebration of the 100th anniversary of Canadian Confederation, Confederation, featuring the Expo 67 World's Fair. * January 6 – Vietnam War: United States Marine Corps and Army of ...

1975 It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe. Events January * January 1 – Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...

, and

1985 The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** The Internet's Domain Name System is created. ** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a n ...

. It will also be the first time Chonburi and Songkhla have served as the main host cities.

Host selection

As per the traditions of the SEA Games, hosting duties are rotated among the member countries of the SEA Games Federation (SEAGF). Each member country is assigned a specific year to host the event, but they have the option to withdraw or opt out of hosting in that particular edition.

2019 disruption

On 21 July 2017, the

Philippine Sports Commission The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC; ) is an agency of the Philippine government that tackles matters concerning sports in the country. The sports agency is independent from the Philippine Olympic Committee, a privately-ran organization that e ...

(PSC) announced its decision to withdraw support for the country's hosting of the

2019 SEA Games The 2019 Southeast Asian Games, officially known as the 30th Southeast Asian Games, or the 30th SEA Games, and commonly known as Philippines 2019, were the 30th edition of the SEA Games, Southeast Asian Games, a biennial regional multi-sport ...

. The government chose to reallocate funds originally intended for the event to support the rehabilitation of

Marawi Marawi, officially the Islamic City of Marawi (Maranao language, Maranao: ''Bandar a Marawi''; ; Jawi script, Jawi ''(Batang Arab)'': ), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, component city and capital of the Provinces of the ...

, which had been devastated by the

Marawi crisis The siege of Marawi (), also known as the Marawi crisis () and the Battle of Marawi (), was a five-month-long armed conflict in Marawi, Philippines, that started on May 23, 2017, between Philippine government security forces against militants ...

. Additionally, it was later reported that the Philippine Olympic Committee's (POC) insistence on handling all aspects of the hosting—including finances, security, and the organization of the Games, similar to how it managed the

2005 SEA Games The 2005 Southeast Asian Games, officially known as the 23rd Southeast Asian Games, were a Southeast Asian multi-sport event held in Manila, Philippines. This was the third time the Philippines hosted the games and its first time since 1991. ...

—contributed to the PSC's decision to withdraw its support. On 10 August 2017, Charouck Arirachakaran, the Vice President and Secretary General of the

National Olympic Committee of Thailand The National Olympic Committee of Thailand under the Royal Patronage of His Majesty the King () is the national Olympic committee in Thailand for the Olympic Games movement, based in Ampawan House, Bangkok, Thailand. It is a nonprofit organisat ...

(NOCT), stated that Thai Prime Minister

Prayut Chan-o-cha Prayut Chan-o-cha (sometimes spelled Prayuth Chan-ocha; , ; born 21 March 1954) is a former Thai politician, army officer and dictator who became the 29th prime minister of Thailand after seizing power in the 2014 Thai coup d'état, 2014 coup ...

had agreed to a replacement plan for the 2019 SEA Games following the Philippines' withdrawal. The potential host provinces for the event were

Chiang Mai Chiang Mai, sometimes written as Chiengmai or Chiangmai, is the largest city in northern Thailand, the capital of Chiang Mai province and the List of municipalities in Thailand#Largest cities by urban population, second largest city in Thailan ...

, and

. However, six days later, the Philippines, through

Philippine Olympic Committee The Philippine Olympic Committee Inc. (POC) is the National Olympic Committee of the Philippines. The POC is a private, non-governmental organization composed of and serve as the mother organization of all National Sports Associations (NSAs) in ...

(POC) President

Peping Cojuangco José "Peping" Sumulong Cojuangco Jr. (born September 19, 1934) is a Filipino politician, sports administrator, and businessman. He served as the 9th president of the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) from 2004 to 2018. He previously served a ...

, confirmed that it would host the 2019 SEA Games. This decision came after Cojuangco wrote to Philippine President

Rodrigo Duterte Rodrigo Roa Duterte (, ; born March 28, 1945) is a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the 16th president of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022. He is the first Philippine president from Mindanao, and is the oldest person to assum ...

, appealing for reconsideration of the country's earlier withdrawal.

2025 confirmation

In December 2021, Thailand was nominated as the host country for the 2025 SEA Games during the SEAGF Council and Executive Board Meetings held in

Hanoi Hanoi ( ; ; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Vietnam, second-most populous city of Vietnam. The name "Hanoi" translates to "inside the river" (Hanoi is bordered by the Red River (Asia), Red and Black River (Asia), Black Riv ...

Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...

. Five months later, the SEAGF Council and executive board officially confirmed Thailand as the host for the 2025 Games, with

Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estim ...

initially nominated as the host city. Additionally,

Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...

and

Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...

were confirmed as the host countries for the

2027 Predicted and scheduled events * May – The 2027 Eurovision Song Contest is scheduled; the location is typically determined by the previous year's winner. * May 15– August 15 – Expo 2027 is scheduled to be held in Belgrade, Serbia. * ...

and 2029 editions of the SEA Games, respectively. After the confirmation, this marked the seventh time that Thailand had hosted the SEA Games. The capital city, Bangkok, hosted the inaugural SEAP Games in

, and subsequently in

, and

, after the event had become known as the SEA Games. However, the

1995 1995 was designated as: * United Nations Year for Tolerance * World Year of Peoples' Commemoration of the Victims of the Second World War This was the first year that the Internet was entirely privatized, with the United States government ...

and

2007 2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year. Events January * January 1 **Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...

editions were held in the Thai provinces of

and

Nakhon Ratchasima Nakhon Ratchasima (, ) is the capital of Nakhon Ratchasima province, the largest city in Isan, Northeastern Thailand and the List of municipalities in Thailand#Largest cities by urban population, third-largest city in Thailand. It is 250 km (1 ...

, respectively.

Bidding and election

On October 11, 2022, Chaipak Siriwat, the Vice President of the

(NOCT), revealed the framework for the bidding process for the 2025 SEA Games. He emphasized that the host cities or provinces should aim to organize the Games at a budget-friendly cost and that there would be no requirement to build new venues. Unlike the

2019 This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year. Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...

and 2021 editions, where competition venues were spread across 23 and 12 cities respectively, the number of host cities for the 2025 Games would be limited to 3 or 4. In October 2022, Prachum Boontiem, the Vice Governor of the

Sports Authority of Thailand The Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT; ) is Thailand's national sports governing body. It operates as a state enterprise under the oversight of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, and was established in 1985, replacing the Sports Promotion Organi ...

(SAT), nominated eight bidding parties from twelve cities or provinces interested in hosting the 2025 SEA Games. The city

as well as the provinces of

, and

submitted sole bids, while Bangkok,

, Songkhla,

Krabi Krabi (, ) is the capital of and main town in Krabi Province (''thesaban mueang''), on the west coast of southern Thailand, where the Krabi River flows into Phang Nga Bay. The town lies south of Bangkok, and as of 2020, has a population of 32, ...

Phuket Phuket (; , , or ''Tongkah'') is one of the Southern Thailand, southern Provinces of Thailand, provinces (''changwat'') of Thailand. It consists of the island of Phuket, List of islands of Thailand, the country's largest island, and another 3 ...

Trat Trat (, ), also spelt Trad, is a town in Thailand, capital of Trat province and the Mueang Trat district. The town is in the east of Thailand, at the mouth of the Trat River, near the border with Cambodia. Etymology ''Trat'' is believed to d ...

Amnat Charoen Amnat Charoen (, ) is a town in Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. Wi ...

Sisaket Sisaket (, , ; Northern Khmer dialect, Northern Khmer: ) is a Thesaban#Town municipality, town municipality in Isan, northeast Thailand, incorporating Mueang Nuea and Mueang Tai Subdistricts and parts of Cham, Nong Khrok, Pho, Phon kha, and Ya P ...

Ubon Ratchathani Ubon Ratchathani (, ) is one of the four main cities in Thailand's Isan region, alongside Nakhon Ratchasima (Khorat), Udon Thani, and Khon Kaen, collectively known as the "big four of Isan." Located on the Mun River in the southeastern Isan, ...

, and

Yasothon Yasothon (, ) is a town on the Chi River in the north-eastern region of Thailand. It is the capital and administrative center of Yasothon province and seat of its city district. In this district, subdistrict Nai Mueang ( 'in town') incorporates ...

were proposed as potential bidding provinces. Although the official bidding process began in October 2022, some regions had already revealed their bidding campaigns earlier: Ubon Ratchathani in April 2016, Chonburi in January 2019, and Krabi, Phuket, and Trang in February 2021. On January 13, 2023, the Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT) selected three provinces—

, Chonburi province, and Songkhla province—to host the 33rd SEA Games, while Nakhon Ratchasima province was chosen to host the 13th ASEAN Para Games. This decision was approved by the

Cabinet of Thailand The cabinet of Thailand (formally, the Council of Ministers of Thailand; ; is a body composed of thirty-five of the most senior members of the government of the Kingdom of Thailand. The Cabinet (government), cabinet is the primary organ of the ...

in February 2023. These four cities were the first in SEA Games and ASEAN Para Games history to be chosen through a bidding process.

Host city contract

During the first SEAGF council meeting for the 2025 SEA Games in June 2024, the host city contract was signed by

Chadchart Sittipunt Chadchart Sittipunt (, , ; born 24 May 1966) is a Thai politician, engineer, and professor who is the incumbent Governor of Bangkok. He previously was Minister of Transport from 2012 to 2014. Early life and education Chadchart is the third s ...

, the Governor of

, Thawatchai Srithong, the Governor of Chonburi province, and Somnuek Promkhieo, the Governor of Songkhla province. The ceremony followed the model of the

Olympic Olympic or Olympics may refer to Sports Competitions * Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896 ** Summer Olympic Games ** Winter Olympic Games * Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece bet ...

and

Asian Games The Asian Games, also known as Asiad, is a continental multi-sport event held every four years for athletes of Asia. The Games were regulated by Asian Games Federation from the 1951 Asian Games, first Games in New Delhi, India in 1951, until ...

host city agreements, marking the first time a SEA Games host city contract has been signed.

Handover ceremony

As per tradition, the handover ceremony of the SEAGF flag and the artistic performance for the 2025 SEA Games took place during the closing ceremony of the

2023 SEA Games The 2023 Southeast Asian Games (, UNGEGN: ''Kar Brâkuŏt Keila Brâchéachéatĕ Asi Aknéy 2023''), also known as the 32nd Southeast Asian Games, or the 32nd SEA Games, and commonly known as Cambodia 2023, were the 32nd edition of the Southe ...

Phnom Penh Phnom Penh is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Cambodia, most populous city of Cambodia. It has been the national capital since 1865 and has grown to become the nation's primate city and its political, economic, industr ...

Cambodia Cambodia, officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. It is bordered by Thailand to the northwest, Laos to the north, and Vietnam to the east, and has a coastline ...

, on 17 May 2023 at the

Morodok Techo National Stadium The Morodok Techo National Stadium (, UNGEGN: , ALA-LC: ) is a multi-purpose stadium in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. It is the main venue of the larger Morodok Techo National Sports Complex. The stadium has a capacity of 60,000. Construction The Morod ...

. First, the SEAGF flag was passed from Vath Chamroeun, the Secretary General of the Cambodia SEA Games Organizing Committee (CAMSOC),

Thong Khon Thong Khon (; born 23 November 1951) is a Cambodian politician. He is a member of the Cambodian People's Party and was elected to represent Kampong Thom Province in the National Assembly in 2003. Thong Khon used to serve the country as Minister ...

, the President of the

National Olympic Committee of Cambodia National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, ce ...

(NOCC), and Tea Banh, the Chairman of CAMSOC, to

Prawit Wongsuwan Prawit Wongsuwon (, , ; born 11 August 1945) is a Thai politician and retired army officer who served as the First deputy prime minister from 2014 to 2023, Minister of Defence from 2008 to 2011 during the government of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejj ...

, the President of the

(NOCT), and Gongsak Yodmani, the Governor of the

(SAT). Other delegates at the handover ceremony included Chaiyapak Siriwat, the Vice President of the NOCT; Cherdkiat Atthakor, the Thai Ambassador to Cambodia;

, the Governor of

; Niti Wiwatwanich, the Deputy Governor of Chonburi province; Jesada Jitrat, the Governor of Songkhla province; Natt Intracharoen, the Vice Secretary General of the NOCT; and Prachum Boonthiam, the Deputy Governor of SAT. This was followed by the raising of the Thai flag and the playing of its national anthem. The artistic performance for this segment, titled ''Sawasdee SEA Games'', meaning ''Hello SEA Games'' in Thai, was performed by Kid Buaksib, a contemporary Thai dancer and artist. They were a finalist in seasons 1 and 2 of

Thailand's Got Talent ''Thailand's Got Talent'' ไทยแลนด์ก็อตทาเลนต์ (also known as ''TGT''), is a Thai reality television series on the television network, and part of the global British ''Got Talent ''Got Talent'' is a Brit ...

Kick-off ceremony

The kick-off ceremony for the 2025 SEA Games and the 2025 ASEAN Para Games was held at the

Hua Mak Sports Complex The Rajamangala National Stadium (; , ) is the national stadium of Thailand national football team. It is part of the Hua Mak Sports Complex, and is located in Hua Mak Subdistrict, Bang Kapi, Bangkok. Its official opening on 6 December 1998 coi ...

on December 7, 2024. The event was attended by Sorawong Thienthong, Chairman of the Organizing Committee and Minister of Tourism and Sports (MOTS), along with Gongsak Yodmani, Governor of the

(SAT), representatives from the

(NOCT), the

Paralympic Committee of Thailand The Paralympic Games or Paralympics is a periodic series of international multisport events involving athletes with a range of disabilities. There are Winter and Summer Paralympic Games, which since the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Kore ...

(PCT), and various national sports associations. The event also featured renowned athletes, including

Vareeraya Sukasem Vareeraya Sukasem () is a goofy-stance Thai skateboarder. She became the first Thai skateboarder to compete in the Olympics Games. She is also one of the youngest athletes in the 2024 Olympics The 2024 Summer Olympics (), officially the ...

, an Olympic

skateboarder Skateboarding is an action sport that involves riding and performing tricks using a skateboard, as well as a recreational activity, an art form, an entertainment industry job, and a method of transportation. Originating in the United Stat ...

, and Saysunee Jana, a five-time Paralympic gold medalist in

wheelchair fencing Wheelchair fencing (also called Parafencing) is a version of fencing for athletes with a disability. Wheelchair fencing is governed by the International Wheelchair and Amputee Sports Federation that is a federation of the International Paralymp ...

. Additionally, several celebrities joined the occasion, such as Matthew Deane, Khemanit Jamikorn, James Fagerlund, and Nakorn Silachai. Sorawong announced that the 2025 SEA Games and the 2025 ASEAN Para Games will be held under the themes of ''Green SEA Games'' and ''Sustainable Paralympics''. The games aim to achieve

net-zero emissions Global net-zero emissions is reached when greenhouse gas emissions and removals due to human activities are in balance. It is often called simply net zero. ''Emissions'' can refer to all greenhouse gases or only carbon dioxide (). Reaching net ze ...

by promoting eco-friendly transportation, utilizing

sustainable products Sustainable products are products either sustainably sourced, manufactured or processed and provide environmental, social, and economic benefits while protecting public health and the environment throughout their whole life cycle, from the extra ...

, and selecting venues that prioritize

environmental protection Environmental protection, or environment protection, refers to the taking of measures to protecting the natural environment, prevent pollution and maintain ecological balance. Action may be taken by individuals, advocacy groups and governments. ...

. This

environmentally friendly Environment friendly processes, or environmental-friendly processes (also referred to as eco-friendly, nature-friendly, and green), are sustainability and marketing terms referring to goods and services, laws, guidelines and policies that c ...

vision will also be implemented in the

2025 FIVB Women's Volleyball World Championship The 2025 FIVB Women's Volleyball World Championship is the planned 20th tournament of the FIVB Women's Volleyball World Championship for women's national volleyball teams, organized by the Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB). The tou ...

, scheduled for August earlier in the year.

Development and preparations

Venues

The 2025 SEA Games will utilize existing venues across

, Chonburi province, and Songkhla province, including those used by the

1985 SEA Games The 1985 Southeast Asian Games (), officially known as the 13th Southeast Asian Games, were a Southeast Asian multi-sport event held in Bangkok, Thailand from 8 to 17 December 1985. This was the fourth time Thailand hosted the games and its fi ...

, the

1998 Asian Games The 1998 Asian Games (), officially known as the 13th Asian Games () and the XIII Asiad,, or simply Bangkok 1998 (), were an Asian multi-sport event celebrated in Bangkok, Thailand from December 6 to 20, 1998, with 377 events in 36 sports and di ...

, and the

2007 Summer Universiade The 2007 Summer Universiade officially known as the XXIV Summer Universiade and commonly known as Bangkok Universiade, was an international multi-sport for university athletes that took place from 8 to 18 August 2007 in Bangkok, Thailand, with pr ...

previously held in Bangkok Metropolitan Region. Bangkok Metropolitan Region, which includes

and the neighbouring provinces of

Nakhon Pathom Nakhon Pathom (, ) is a city (''thesaban nakhon'') in central Thailand, the former capital of Nakhon Pathom province. One of the most important landmarks is the giant Phra Pathommachedi. The city is also home to Thailand's only Bhikkhuni temple W ...

Nonthaburi Nonthaburi (, ) is the principal city of the district and province of the same name in Thailand. On 15 February 1936, Nonthaburi town municipality ('' thesaban mueang'') was established, which only covered Suan Yai subdistrict (''tambon''), j ...

Pathum Thani Pathum Thani (, ) is a town ('' thesaban mueang'') in central Thailand, directly north of Bangkok. It is the capital of the Pathum Thani province, Thailand as well as the Mueang Pathum Thani district. As of 2005, it has a population of 18,320, c ...

Samut Prakan Samut Prakan (, ) officially the City of Samut Prakan (, ) is the capital of Samut Prakan province in Thailand. It is located south from Bangkok. The city established in 1999. Transport Roads *Sukhumvit Road *Srinagarindra Road Railway * ...

, and

Samut Sakhon Samut Sakhon (, , is a city in Thailand; it is the capital of Samut Sakhon province. It is also part of the Bangkok Metropolitan Region. Toponymy Samut Sakhon was formerly called Tha Chin (Chinese Pier) probably because, in the old days, it had ...

, will host the majority of the 31 sports. Meanwhile, Chonburi and Songkhla will host 15 and 10 sports, respectively. Only two events— men's football and

skeet shooting Skeet shooting is a recreational and competitive activity whose participants use shotguns to attempt to break clay targets which two fixed stations mechanically fling into the air at high speed and at a variety of angles. Skeet is one of the ...

—will take place in outlying venues, with men's football preliminaries held in

and skeet shooting in

Ratchaburi Ratchaburi (, ) or Rajburi, Rat Buri) is a town ('' thesaban mueang'') in western Thailand, capital of Ratchaburi Province. Ratchaburi town covers the entire ''tambon'' Na Mueang (หน้าเมือง) of Mueang Ratchaburi District. As o ...

Bangkok cluster

Chulalongkorn University Auditorium High View

Khao Khiao Open Zoo relief and writing outside 2009

Chonburi cluster

Songkhla cluster

Outlying venues

Non-competitive venues

Coordination Committee of the SEAGF

During the second SEAGF council meeting for the 2025 SEA Games in October 2024, the Coordination Committee of the SEAGF has been appointed to monitor the progress of organizing the 2025 SEA Games. The committee is composed of Chaipak Siriwat, the Vice President of the

(NOCT), along with the Presidents of the other four

National Olympic Committees A National Olympic Committee (NOC) is a national constituent of the worldwide Olympic movement. Subject to the controls of the International Olympic Committee, NOCs are responsible for organizing their people's participation in the Olympic Games ...

Steering and Organizing Committees for the Games

Similar to the

2007 SEA Games The 2007 Southeast Asian Games (), officially known as the 24th Southeast Asian Games, were a Southeast Asian multi-sport event held in Nakhon Ratchasima province, Nakhon Ratchasima (Korat), Thailand. This was the sixth time Thailand hosted the ...

and the

2008 ASEAN Para Games The 2008 ASEAN Para Games, officially known as the 4th ASEAN Para Games, was a Southeast Asian disabled multi-sport event held in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand from 20 to 26 January 2008, one month after the 2007 Southeast Asian Games. This was t ...

, the committees for the competition are divided into two main bodies. The

Steering Committee A committee or commission is a body of one or more persons subordinate to a deliberative assembly or other form of organization. A committee may not itself be considered to be a form of assembly or a decision-making body. Usually, an assembly o ...

, chaired by the

Prime Minister of Thailand The prime minister of Thailand (, , ; literally 'chief minister of state') is the head of government of Thailand. The prime minister is also the chair of the cabinet of Thailand. The post has existed since the Siamese Revolution of 1932, when ...

, is responsible for setting policies, providing recommendations, and allocating budgets to the Organizing Committee. Meanwhile, the

Organizing Committee A union organizer (or union organiser in Commonwealth spelling) is a specific type of trade union member (often elected) or an appointed union official. In some unions, the organizer's role is to recruit groups of workers under the organizing ...

, chaired by the Minister of Tourism and Sports, is tasked with managing the operations of the competition, coordinating with various subcommittees, and overseeing the budget allocated by the Steering Committee. In December 2024, the Steering Committee recognized the organizational structure of the Organizing Committee for the Games. Unlike the previous games, the chairpersons of the subcommittees are all from the Ministry of Tourism and Sports (MOTS) and the

(SAT), with no representatives from the

(NOCT).

Budget

The initial estimated budget for the 2025 SEA Games and the 2025 ASEAN Para Games is ฿2.055 billion. The funding for the events will come from several sources: ฿1.683 billion is being requested from the

government budget A government budget is a projection of the government's revenues and expenditure for a particular period, often referred to as a financial or fiscal year, which may or may not correspond with the calendar year. Government revenues mostly incl ...

. Additional revenue includes ฿20 million from

sponsorships Sponsoring something (or someone) is the act of supporting an event, activity, person, or organization financially or through the provision of products or services. The individual or group that provides the support, similar to a benefactor, is k ...

and ฿180 million from

goods and services Goods are items that are usually (but not always) tangible, such as pens or Apple, apples. Services are activities provided by other people, such as teachers or barbers. Taken together, it is the Production (economics), production, distributio ...

, such as

sports equipment Sports equipment, also called sporting goods, are the tools, materials, apparel, and gear, which varies in shapes, size, and usage in a particular sport. It includes balls, nets, rackets, protective gears like helmets, goggles, etc. Since th ...

and

beverages A drink or beverage is a liquid intended for human consumption. In addition to their basic function of satisfying thirst, drinks play important roles in human culture. Common types of drinks include plain drinking water, milk, juice, smoothie ...

. Ticket sales are expected to generate ฿20 million. Registration fees for the SEA Games will contribute ฿134.40 million, while registration fees for the ASEAN Para Games will bring in ฿16.80 million. The budget for these events is lower than the cost of the

, which was ฿2.372 billion, but higher than the

, which amounted to ฿1.843 billion. Meanwhile, the costs for the

and the

were ฿1.463 billion.

The Games

Opening ceremony

The opening ceremony of the 2025 SEA Games is scheduled to held on 9 December 2025 at

Sanam Luang Sanam Luang (, ; ), officially Thong Sanam Luang (), is a open field and public square in front of Wat Phra Kaew and the Grand Palace, Bangkok, Thailand. Sanam Luang is in the Phra Nakhon District, the historic center of Bangkok. In the ''Roy ...

, Bangkok. Inspired from the

opening Opening may refer to: Types of openings * Hole * A title sequence or opening credits * Grand opening of a business or other institution * Inauguration * Keynote * Opening sentence * Opening sequence * Opening statement, a beginning statemen ...

ceremony A ceremony (, ) is a unified ritualistic event with a purpose, usually consisting of a number of artistic components, performed on a special occasion. The word may be of Etruscan language, Etruscan origin, via the Latin . Religious and civil ...

of the

2024 Summer Olympics The 2024 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad () and branded as Paris 2024, were an international multi-sport event held in France from 26 July to 11 August 2024, with several events started from 24 July. P ...

and

Paralympics The Paralympic Games or Paralympics is a periodic series of international multisport events involving athletes with a range of disabilities. There are Winter and Summer Paralympic Games, which since the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Kore ...

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

, Sorawong Thienthong, Minister of Tourism and Sports (MOTS) revealed plans to hold part of the ceremony outside traditional stadium settings, utilizing venues designed to accommodate large public gatherings. Gongsak Yodmani, the governor of the

(SAT), further disclosed that Sanam Luang, set against the backdrop of the

Grand Palace The Grand Palace (, Royal Institute of Thailand. (2011). ''How to read and how to write.'' (20th Edition). Bangkok: Royal Institute of Thailand. . ) is a complex of buildings at the heart of Bangkok, Thailand. The palace has been the officia ...

, will serve as the main venue for the opening ceremony, with Chonburi and Songkhla still playing significant roles in the event. This will be the second time in SEA Games history that the opening ceremony will be held in outside of a traditional stadium following the

at the

Quirino Grandstand The Quirino Grandstand, formerly known as the Independence Grandstand, is a grandstand located at Rizal Park, Manila, Philippines. History Contrary to popular belief, the first Independence Grandstand was not originally located on the pres ...

in the

Rizal Park Rizal Park (), also known as Luneta Park or simply Luneta, is a historic urban park located in Ermita, Manila. It is considered one of the largest urban parks in the Philippines, covering an area of . The site on where the park is situated was ...

, Manila, Philippines. Sanam Luang has been used for various royal ceremonies, national events, and public gatherings. In the past, the public square also usually served as a venue for kite flying and hosting the national club sepak takraw championships.

Sports

Charter and Rules amendment

Over the years, the SEA Games programme have faced criticized for being a "gold-medal mine" for host countries. Hosts have had the freedom to exclude

and

Asian Games sports This is a list of sports played in the Asian Games and other major affiliated games organized by the Olympic Council of Asia. On 29 June 2009, the OCA announced major changes to the event lists in the five major events, in particular aiming to rest ...

that are disadvantageous to them while including non-Olympic sports or events that increase their medal chances. In some extreme cases, obscure sports have been selected to give the host country an advantage. This practice highlights the vulnerability of the Southeast Asian Games Federation (SEAGF) and its Charter and Rules, which grant excessive power to the host nations. To avoid the bizarre situations seen in recent editions of the SEA Games, Thailand proposed a series of amendments to the SEAGF Charter and Rules in Section 34 during the 2013 edition. Although the Charter and Rules have been amended multiple times since then, host countries were still allowed to allocate their optional sports programs without oversight from the SEAGF. However, following the controversy surrounding the sports program in recent editions, the host countries for the three editions between 2025 and 2029—Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore—agreed to propose further amendments to the Charter and Rules. The new amendments were unanimously approved by SEAGF members at the SEAGF Council meeting during the 2023 SEA Games. This upcoming edition will be the first to implement the new rules. Section 34 of the amended SEAGF Charter and Rules stipulates that starting with the 2025 edition, the SEA Games program will include a minimum of 41 sports. This will consist of 12 compulsory sports under Category I, which are included in both the Olympic and Asian Games, a minimum of 25 Olympic and Asian Games sports under Category II, and a maximum of 4 additional sports under Category III. The medal events in Categories I and II must align with the Olympic and Asian Games programs, while events in Category III sports cannot exceed eight and must be selected from a pre-established list, which is determined a few years in advance.

Sports selection

Following the selection of the host cities, the

(SAT) initially announced that the 2025 SEA Games would feature forty-three sports, in accordance with the Games' charter. All of these sports are included in the

Thailand National Games The Thailand National Games () is a national multi-sport event held every two years among athletes from all over Thailand. The Games were regulated by the Organization of the Sport of Thailand (OST) from the first games in Bangkok, Thailand, f ...

, and the host cities and provinces are equipped to provide the necessary venues and facilities to accommodate these events.

Artistic swimming Synchronized swimming (in British English, synchronised swimming), also known as artistic swimming, is a sport where swimmers perform a synchronized choreographed routine, accompanied by music. The sport is governed internationally by World Aq ...

and

equestrian The word equestrian is a reference to equestrianism, or horseback riding, derived from Latin ' and ', "horse". Horseback riding (or riding in British English) Examples of this are: *Equestrian sports *Equestrian order, one of the upper classes in ...

will make their return, having last been included in 2017.

Marathon swimming Marathon swimming is a class of open water swimming defined by long distances, with being the unofficially held minimum distance. Routes are typically geographically based or buoy based. Geographical routes include crossings of channels an ...

Muay Thai Muay Thai or Muaythai (, , ), sometimes referred to as Thai boxing, the Art of Eight Limbs or the Science of Eight Limbs, is a Thai martial art and full-contact combat sport that uses stand-up striking, sweeps, and various clinch fighting, cl ...

(muaythai),

netball Netball is a ball sport played on a rectangular court by two teams of seven players. The primary objective is to shoot a ball through the defender's goal ring while preventing the opposing team from shooting through their own. It is one of a ...

, and winter sports—including

figure skating Figure skating is a sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform on figure skates on ice. It was the first winter sport to be included in the Olympic Games, with its introduction occurring at the Figure skating at the 1908 Summer Olympi ...

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...

, and

short track speed skating Short-track speed skating is a form of competitive ice skating, ice speed skating. In competitions, multiple skaters (typically between four and six) skate on an oval ice track with a length of . The rink itself is long by wide, which is the s ...

—will also return, having last been featured in 2019.

Archery Archery is the sport, practice, or skill of using a Bow and arrow, bow to shooting, shoot arrows.Paterson ''Encyclopaedia of Archery'' p. 17 The word comes from the Latin ''arcus'', meaning bow. Historically, archery has been used for hunting ...

rowing Rowing is the act of propelling a human-powered watercraft using the sweeping motions of oars to displace water and generate reactional propulsion. Rowing is functionally similar to paddling, but rowing requires oars to be mechanically a ...

, and

shooting Shooting is the act or process of discharging a projectile from a ranged weapon (such as a gun, bow, crossbow, slingshot, or blowpipe). Even the acts of launching flame, artillery, darts, harpoons, grenades, rockets, and guided missile ...

will return as well, having last been included in 2021.

Teqball Teqball is a ball sport that is played on a curved table, combining elements of football and table tennis. Back and forth, the players hit a ball with any part of the body except arms and hands. Teqball can be played between two players as a sin ...

will make its debut at the 2025 SEA Games. During the first SEAGF council meeting for the 2025 SEA Games in June 2024, the organizing committee proposed hosting forty sports, and the member countries agreed to finalize a second shortlist for the sports programme.

Dancesport Dancesport is competitive ballroom dancing, as contrasted to social or exhibition dancing. In the case of Para dancesport, at least one of the dancers is in a wheelchair. Dancesport events are sanctioned and regulated by dancesport organizat ...

ju-jitsu Jujutsu ( , or ), also known as jiu-jitsu and ju-jitsu (both ), is a Japanese martial art and a system of close combat that can be used in a defensive or offensive manner to kill or subdue one or more weaponless or armed and armored opponent ...

karate (; ; Okinawan language, Okinawan pronunciation: ), also , is a martial arts, martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the Okinawan martial arts, indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called , "hand"; ''tī'' in Okinawan) un ...

kurash Köräş (also kuresh, koresh, küreş, güreş and similar variants) refers to a number of folk wrestling styles practiced in Central Asia. Köräş wrestlers (Turkish:Güreş, ''köräşçelär''; , ''küreščiler'') use towels to hold t ...

soft tennis Soft tennis, in which a hollow, soft rubber ball is hit over a net with a racket, is a ball game that diverged and developed not long after the emergence of modern tennis (lawn tennis) (estimated to have been around 1884). It uses courts of the s ...

, and

weightlifting Weightlifting or weight lifting generally refers to physical exercises and sports in which people lift weights, often in the form of dumbbells, barbells or machines. People engage in weightlifting for a variety of different reasons. These can ...

were removed from the second shortlist.

Kabaddi Kabaddi (, ) is a contact team sport played between two teams of seven players. It is one of the traditional games of South Asia. In this game, a raider enters the opposing half of the court to touch defenders and attempt to return within 30 ...

and

roller skiing Roller skiing is an off-snow equivalent to cross-country skiing. Roller skis have wheels on their ends and are used on a hard surface to emulate .Bryhn, Rolf and Knut Are Tvedt (eds.): ''Kunnskapsforlagets idrettsleksikon''. (Norwegian Encyclopedi ...

were initially expected to debut but were also removed from the second shortlist.

Polo Polo is a stick and ball game that is played on horseback as a traditional field sport. It is one of the world's oldest known team sports, having been adopted in the Western world from the game of Chovgan (), which originated in ancient ...

(grouped with equestrian) and

rugby sevens Rugby sevens (commonly known simply as sevens, and originally seven-a-side rugby) is a variant of rugby union in which teams are made up of seven players playing seven-minute halves, instead of the usual 15 players playing 40-minute halves. R ...

will make their return, having last been included in 2017.

Baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

as well as

softball Softball is a Variations of baseball, variation of baseball, the difference being that it is played with a larger ball, on a smaller field, and with only underhand pitches (where the ball is released while the hand is primarily below the ball) ...

canoeing Canoeing is an activity which involves paddling a canoe with a single-bladed paddle. In some parts of Europe, canoeing refers to both canoeing and kayaking, with a canoe being called an 'open canoe' or Canadian. A few of the recreational ...

, and

modern pentathlon The modern pentathlon is an Summer Olympics, Olympic multisport that consists of five events: fencing (one-touch épée followed by direct elimination), freestyle swimming, obstacle course racing, Laser pistol (sport), laser pistol shooting, and ...

will also return, having last been featured in 2019.

Handball Handball (also known as team handball, European handball, Olympic handball or indoor handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of thr ...

will return as well, having last been included in 2021. Additionally,

3x3 basketball 3x3 basketball (stylized as ''ƐX3'', pronounced ''three-ex-three'') is a Variations of basketball, variation of basketball played three-a-side, with one Backboard (basketball), backboard and in a basketball court, half-court setup. This basketba ...

(grouped with basketball),

kickboxing Kickboxing ( ) is a full-contact hybrid Martial arts, martial art and Boxing (disambiguation), boxing type based on punch (combat), punching and kicking. Kickboxing originated in the 1950s to 1970s. The fight takes place in a boxing ring, norma ...

snooker Snooker (pronounced , ) is a cue sport played on a rectangular Billiard table#Snooker and English billiards tables, billiards table covered with a green cloth called baize, with six Billiard table#Pockets 2, pockets: one at each corner and ...

(grouped with billiards), and

triathlon A triathlon is an endurance multisport race consisting of Swimming (sport), swimming, Cycle sport, cycling, and running over various distances. Triathletes compete for fastest overall completion time, racing each segment sequentially with the ...

have been reinstated, having last been part of previous games. Furthermore, figure skating and short-track speed skating have been combined into a single ice skating group. After the

2021 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games The 2021 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games, officially known as the 6th Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games and also known as Bangkok–Chonburi 2021, was a planned pan-Asian multi-sport event in indoor and martial arts sports that was supposed ...

and

were cancelled on 20 August 2024 due to the organizers' failure to meet obligations, local athletes affected by the cancellation were given the chance to compete in other international tournaments, including the 2025 SEA Games. In September 2024, the sports programme was confirmed to include nine additional sports: ju-jitsu, karate, weightlifting, and wushu, all of which will be reinstated. Other sports added include

bowling Bowling is a Throwing sports#Target sports, target sport and recreational activity in which a player rolls a bowling ball, ball toward Bowling pin, pins (in pin bowling) or another target (in target bowling). Most references to ''bowling'' are ...

chess Chess is a board game for two players. It is an abstract strategy game that involves Perfect information, no hidden information and no elements of game of chance, chance. It is played on a square chessboard, board consisting of 64 squares arran ...

(including

makruk Makruk (; ; ), or Thai chess (; ; ), is a Strategy game, strategy board game that is descended from the 6th-century Indian game of chaturanga or a close relative thereof, and is therefore related to chess. It is part of the family of chess varian ...

cricket Cricket is a Bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball game played between two Sports team, teams of eleven players on a cricket field, field, at the centre of which is a cricket pitch, pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two Bail (cr ...

extreme sports Action sports, adventure sports or extreme sports are activities perceived as involving a high degree of risk of injury or death. These activities often involve speed, height, a high level of physical exertion and highly specialized gear. Extre ...

, and

squash Squash most often refers to: * Squash (sport), the high-speed racquet sport also known as squash racquets * Squash (plant), the fruit of vines of the genus ''Cucurbita'' Squash may also refer to: Sports * Squash (professional wrestling), an extr ...

. Extreme sports were group of sports climbing,

skateboarding Skateboarding is an extreme sport, action sport that involves riding and Skateboarding trick, performing tricks using a skateboard, as well as a recreational activity, an art form, an entertainment industry Profession, job, and a method of tr ...

waterskiing Water skiing (also waterskiing or water-skiing) is a surface water sport in which an individual is pulled behind a boat or a cable ski installation over a body of water, skimming the surface on one or two skis. The sport requires sufficien ...

, and

wakeboarding Wakeboarding is a water sport in which the rider, standing on a wakeboard (a board with foot bindings), is towed behind a motorboat across its wake and especially up off the crest in order to perform aerial maneuvers. A hallmark of wakeboarding ...

. Additionally, kabaddi and

woodball Woodball is a sport where a mallet is used to pass a ball through gates. This game can be played on grass, sand or indoors. The sport is in the program of Asian Beach Games and was incorporated in 2008. The International Woodball Federation is ba ...

were expected to make their debut at the event. Furthermore,

BMX BMX, an abbreviation for bicycle motocross or bike motocross, is a cycle sport performed on BMX bikes, either in competitive BMX racing or freestyle BMX, or else in general street or off-road recreation. History BMX began during the ea ...

mountain bike racing Mountain bike racing (shortened MTB or ATB racing) is the competitive cycle sport discipline of mountain biking held on off-road terrain. The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) recognised the discipline relatively late in 1990, when it sanctione ...

road racing Road racing is a North American term to describe motorsport racing held on a paved road surface. The races can be held on a race track, closed circuit—generally, a purpose-built racing facility—or on a street circuit that uses temporarily c ...

, and

track cycling Track cycling is a Cycle sport, bicycle racing sport usually held on specially built banked tracks or velodromes using purpose-designed track bicycles. History Track cycling has been around since at least 1870. When track cycling was in its i ...

were added to the cycling discipline, while

aerobic gymnastics Aerobic gymnastics or sport aerobics is a competitive sport originating from traditional aerobics in which complex, high-intensity movement patterns and elements of varying difficulty are performed to music. Nature of the game The performanc ...

artistic gymnastics Artistic gymnastics is a discipline of gymnastics in which athletes perform short routines on different types of apparatus. The sport is governed by the Federation Internationale de Gymnastique, Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG), ...

, and

rhythmic gymnastics Rhythmic gymnastics is a sport in which gymnasts perform individually or in groups on a floor with an apparatus: hoop (rhythmic gymnastics), hoop, ball (rhythmic gymnastics), ball, Clubs (rhythmic gymnastics), clubs, ribbon (rhythmic gymnastics), ...

was included in the gymnastics category.

Kiteboarding Kiteboarding or kitesurfing is a sport that involves using wind power with a large power kite to pull a rider across a water, land, snow, sand, or other surface. It combines the aspects of paragliding, surfing, windsurfing, skateboarding, snow ...

and

Windsurfing Windsurfing is a wind-propelled water sport that is a combination of sailing and surfing. It is also referred to as "sailboarding" and "boardsailing", and emerged in the late 1960s from the Californian aerospace and surf culture. Windsurfing gain ...

became part of the sailing discipline, and

dragon boat A dragon boat is a human-powered watercraft originating from the Pearl River Delta region of China's southern Guangdong Province. These were made of teak, but in other parts of China different kinds of wood are used. It is one of a family of t ...

was incorporated into the canoeing and rowing group.

Futsal Futsal is a variant of association football played between two teams of five players each on a court smaller than a football pitch. Its rules are based on the Laws of the Game (association football), Laws of the Game of association football, and i ...

was added to the football category, and

chinlone Chinlone (, ), also known as caneball, is the traditional, national sport of Myanmar (Burma). It is non-competitive, with typically six people playing together as one team. The ball used is normally made from hand-woven rattan, which sounds like a ...

was introduced as a variant of sepak takraw.

Beach volleyball Beach volleyball is a team sport played by two teams of two to four players each on a sand court divided by a net. Similar to indoor volleyball, the objective of the game is to send the ball over the net and to ground it on the opponent's side o ...

was recognized as part of the volleyball discipline. Later, in October 2024,

jet skiing A personal watercraft (PWC), also called Jet Ski or water scooter, is a primarily recreational watercraft that is designed to hold only a small number of occupants, who sit or stand on top of the craft, not within the craft as in a boat. P ...

was included in the extreme sports group. Sports climbing and track cycling will make their return, having last been included in 2011 and 2017, respectively. BMX, rhythmic gymnastics, skateboarding, squash, waterskiing, and wakeboarding will also return, having last been featured in 2019. Bowling, chess, and futsal will make a comeback as well, with their last inclusion in 2021. Aerobic gymnastics, artistic gymnastics, beach volleyball, chinlone, cricket, dragon boat racing, jet skiing, mountain bike racing, road racing, and windsurfing have previously been part of past games. Kiteboarding and makruk will debut at these games. During the second SEAGF council meeting for the 2025 SEA Games in October 2024, the organizing committee finalized a sports programme featuring 569 medal events in fifty ports. Many traditional disciplines within these sports were included, such as the

compound bow In modern archery, a compound bow is a bow that uses a levering system, usually of cables and pulleys, to bend the limbs. The compound bow was first developed in 1966 by Holless Wilbur Allen in North Kansas City, Missouri, and a US patent w ...

and

recurve bow In archery, a recurve bow is one of the main Bow shape, shapes a bow (weapon), bow can take, with limbs that curve away from the archer when unstrung. A recurve bow stores more energy and delivers energy more efficiently than the equivalent strai ...

in archery;

canoe sprint Canoe sprint is a water sport in which athletes race in specially designed sprint canoes or sprint kayaks on calm water over a short distance. Prior to November 2008, canoe sprint was known as flatwater racing. The term is still in use today ...

in canoeing;

dressage Dressage ( or ; , most commonly translated as "training") is a form of horse riding performed in exhibition and competition, as well as an art sometimes pursued solely for the sake of mastery. As an equestrianism, equestrian sport defined by th ...

eventing Eventing (also known as three-day eventing or horse trials) is an equestrian event where the same horse and rider combination compete against other competitors across the three disciplines of dressage, cross-country, and show jumping. This ...

, and

show jumping Show jumping is a part of a group of English riding equestrian events that also includes eventing, hunters, and equitation. Jumping classes are commonly seen at horse shows throughout the world, including the Olympics. Sometimes shows ar ...

in equestrian;

épée The (, ; ), also rendered as epee in English, is the largest and heaviest of the three weapons used in the sport of fencing. The modern derives from the 19th-century , a weapon which itself derives from the French small sword. This contains a ...

foil Foil may refer to: Materials * Foil (metal), a quite thin sheet of metal, usually manufactured with a rolling mill machine * Metal leaf, a very thin sheet of decorative metal * Aluminium foil, a type of wrapping for food * Tin foil, metal foil ma ...

, and

sabre A sabre or saber ( ) is a type of backsword with a curved blade associated with the light cavalry of the Early Modern warfare, early modern and Napoleonic period, Napoleonic periods. Originally associated with Central European cavalry such a ...

in fencing;

field hockey Field hockey (or simply referred to as hockey in some countries where ice hockey is not popular) is a team sport structured in standard hockey format, in which each team plays with 11 players in total, made up of 10 field players and a goalk ...

and

indoor hockey Indoor(s) may refer to: *the interior of a building *Indoor environment, in building science, traditionally includes the study of indoor thermal environment, indoor acoustic environment, indoor light environment, and indoor air quality *Built envi ...

in hockey;

combat Combat (French language, French for ''fight'') is a purposeful violent Conflict (process), conflict between multiple combatants with the intent to harm the opposition. Combat may be armed (using weapons) or unarmed (Hand-to-hand combat, not usin ...

and

kata ''Kata'' is a Japanese word ( 型 or 形) meaning "form". It refers to a detailed choreographed pattern of martial arts movements. It can also be reviewed within groups and in unison when training. It is practiced in Japanese martial arts ...

in judo;

ne-waza Grappling is a fighting technique based on throws, trips, sweeps, clinch fighting, ground fighting and submission holds. Grappling contests often involve takedowns and ground control, and may end when a contestant concedes defeat. Should th ...

fighting Combat ( French for ''fight'') is a purposeful violent conflict between multiple combatants with the intent to harm the opposition. Combat may be armed (using weapons) or unarmed ( not using weapons). Combat is resorted to either as a method of ...

, and duo in ju-jitsu;

kumite Kumite (, literally "grappling hands") is one of the three main sections of karate training, along with kata and kihon. Kumite is the part of karate in which a person trains against an adversary. Kumite can be used to develop a particular tec ...

and

in karate;

ring (The) Ring(s) may refer to: * Ring (jewellery), a round band, usually made of metal, worn as ornamental jewelry * To make a sound with a bell, and the sound made by a bell Arts, entertainment, and media Film and TV * ''The Ring'' (franchise), a ...

and

tatami are soft mats used as flooring material in traditional Japanese-style rooms. They are made in standard sizes, twice as long as wide, about , depending on the region. In martial arts, tatami are used for training in a dojo and for competition. ...

in kickboxing; triathle and

biathle Biathle is a sub-sport of modern pentathlon consisting of running and freestyle swimming. The legs are raced with continuous transitions like a triathlon. It is a sport in its own right and bears close resemblance to aquathlon which also conta ...

in modern pentathlon; combat and waikru in muaythai; regu,

quadrants Quadrant may refer to: Companies * Quadrant Cycle Company, 1899 manufacturers in Britain of the Quadrant motorcar * Quadrant (motorcycles), one of the earliest British motorcycle manufacturers, established in Birmingham in 1901 * Quadrant Privat ...

, and hoop in sepak takraw;

pistol A pistol is a type of handgun, characterised by a gun barrel, barrel with an integral chamber (firearms), chamber. The word "pistol" derives from the Middle French ''pistolet'' (), meaning a small gun or knife, and first appeared in the Englis ...

rifle A rifle is a long gun, long-barreled firearm designed for accurate shooting and higher stopping power, with a gun barrel, barrel that has a helical or spiralling pattern of grooves (rifling) cut into the bore wall. In keeping with their focus o ...

, and

shotgun A shotgun (also known as a scattergun, peppergun, or historically as a fowling piece) is a long gun, long-barreled firearm designed to shoot a straight-walled cartridge (firearms), cartridge known as a shotshell, which discharges numerous small ...

in shooting;

kyorugi Taekwondo (; ; ) is a Korean martial art and combat sport involving primarily kicking techniques and punching. "Taekwondo" can be translated as ''tae'' ("strike with foot"), ''kwon'' ("strike with hand"), and ''do'' ("the art or way"). In ad ...

and

poomsae The Korean terms hyeong, pumse, poomsae and teul (meaning "form" or "pattern") are all used to refer to martial arts forms that are typically used in Korean martial arts such as Taekwondo and Tang Soo Do. * Hyeong (형) is often romanized as '' ...

in taekwondo;

duathlon Duathlon is an sports, athletic event that consists of a running leg, followed by a cycling leg and then another running leg in a format similar to triathlons. The World Triathlon governs the sport internationally. Distance and format Duathlon ...

and

aquathlon An aquathlon is a multisport race consisting of continuous run and swim elements. Competitors complete a swim immediately followed by a run over various distances. Athletes compete for fastest overall course completion, including the time tr ...

in triathlon;

freestyle wrestling Freestyle wrestling is a style of wrestling. It is one of two styles of wrestling contested in the Olympic Games, along with Greco-Roman wrestling, Greco-Roman. scholastic wrestling, High school wrestling and men's collegiate wrestling in the U ...

and

Greco-Roman wrestling Greco-Roman (American English), Graeco-Roman (British English), or classic wrestling (Euro-English) is a style of wrestling that is practiced worldwide. Greco-Roman wrestling was included in the first modern Olympic Games in 1896 and has been i ...

in wrestling; and sanda as well as taolu in wushu. Additionally, some disciplines were introduced for the first time, such as

baseball5 Baseball5 (B5 or BB5) is a simplified variation of baseball and softball which is governed at the international level alongside those sports by the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC). The game revolves around two teams of five player ...

in baseball,

canoe slalom Canoe slalom (previously known as whitewater slalom) is a competitive sport with the aim to navigate a Spraydeck, decked canoe or kayak through a course of hanging downstream or upstream gates on Whitewater, river rapids in the fastest time pos ...

in canoeing, coastal rowing in rowing,

hockey5s Field hockey (or simply referred to as hockey in some countries where ice hockey is not popular) is a team sport structured in standard hockey format, in which each team plays with 11 players in total, made up of 10 field players and a goalk ...

in hockey, and

obstacle An obstacle (also called a barrier, impediment, or stumbling block) is an object, thing, action or situation that causes an obstruction. A obstacle blocks or hinders our way forward. Different types of obstacles include physical, economic, bi ...

laser-run Laser-run (also known as laser run) is a multisport competition consisting of running and shooting. It is a sport in its own right and the last event of the modern pentathlon where it was formerly known as combined. Distance and format Laser-ru ...

in modern pentathlon. Meanwhile,

practical shooting Practical shooting, also known as dynamic shooting or action shooting, is a set of shooting sports in which the competitors try to unite the three principles of precision, power, and speed, by using a firearm of a certain minimum power factor to ...

made its return, having last been included in 2005. Furthermore,

air sports The term "air sports" covers a range of aerial activities, including air racing, aerobatics, aeromodelling, hang gliding, human-powered aircraft, parachuting, paragliding, soaring, and skydiving. Recognized and regulated air sports Many a ...

(including

paragliding Paragliding is the recreational and competitive adventure sport of flying paragliders: lightweight, free-flying, foot-launched glider aircraft with no rigid primary structure. The pilot sits in a harness or in a cocoon-like 'pod' suspended be ...

and

paramotor Paramotor is the generic name for the harness and propulsive portion of a powered paragliding, powered paraglider ("PPG"). There are two basic types of paramotors: foot launch and wheel launch. Foot launch models consist of a frame with harnes ...

flying disc A frisbee (pronounced ), also called a flying disc or simply a disc, is a gliding toy or sporting item generally made of injection-molded plastic and roughly in diameter with a pronounced lip. It is used recreationally and competitively for ...

(including disc golf and

ultimate Ultimate or Ultimates may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music Albums *Ultimate (Bryan Adams album), ''Ultimate'' (Bryan Adams album) *Ultimate (Jolin Tsai album), ''Ultimate'' (Jolin Tsai album) *Ultimate (Pet Shop Boys album), ''Ult ...

) and

tug of war Tug of war (also known as tug o' war, tug war, rope war, rope pulling, or tugging war) is a sport in which two teams compete by pulling on opposite ends of a rope, with the goal of bringing the rope a certain distance in one direction against ...

will be featured as demonstration sports. During the third SEAGF council meeting for the 2025 SEA Games in December 2024, the organizing committee replaced ten medal events from the finalist list announced in October 2024 with new events across various sports, including dragon boat, rhythmic gymnastics, judo, esports, pencak silat, and woodball. Additionally, one medal event was removed from mountain biking, while six new medal events were introduced in athletics, road cycling, and sailing. As a result, the total number of events increased to 574, still falling short of the previous record of 580 set at the

. During the first SEAGF coordination committee meeting for the 2025 SEA Games in February 2025, the organizing committee approved the inclusion of

mixed martial arts Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact fighting combat sport, sport based on strike (attack), striking and grappling; incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world. In the early 20th century, various inter-s ...

(MMA) in the Games, following a request from the SEA Games Federation. It was added under a new category called "value creation sports'". This decision arose from an agreement among Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore—the hosts of upcoming SEA Games—which mandates that only sports featured in the current edition can be included in future events. Therefore, MMA was introduced to secure its eligibility for future competitions. However, it will not contribute to the official medal tally, as it is designated as a demonstration sport.

Sports programme

The fifty-sport programme of the 2025 SEA Games surprised the

Olympic Council of Asia The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) is a sports governing body, governing body of sports in Asia, currently with 45 member National Olympic Committees. Talal Fahad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah was elected as President of the OCA on 8 July 2023. However, on 3 ...

(OCA) by including the most internationally recognized sports, with 49 out of the 50 sports also contested in the

Olympic Games The modern Olympic Games (Olympics; ) are the world's preeminent international Olympic sports, sporting events. They feature summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a Multi-s ...

, and

Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games The Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games (abbreviated as AIMAG) is a pancontinental multi-sport event held every four years among athletes from all over Asia. It is organised by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) and consists of Indoor and martial ...

. This marks a historic first for the SEA Games.

Surfing Surfing is a surface water sport in which an individual, a surfer (or two in tandem surfing), uses a board to ride on the forward section, or face, of a moving wave of water, which usually carries the surfer towards the shore. Waves suita ...

was the only core Summer Olympic sport to not be included in these games. Canoeing and rowing, as well as skateboarding and sport climbing, were combined into single categories, reducing the total count to twenty-eight sports. Additionally, two Winter Olympic sports were featured: ice hockey and ice skating, with figure skating and short-track speed skating categorized together. Furthermore, three optional sports for the

2028 Summer Olympics The 2028 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXXIV Olympiad and commonly known as Los Angeles 2028 or LA 28, is an upcoming international multi-sport event scheduled to take place July 14–30, 2028, in the United States. Los Angeles ...

—baseball/softball, cricket, and squash—were also included, bringing the total number of Olympic sports in these games to thirty-three. Moreover, six sports included in the programme of the 2026 Asian Games—esports, jujitsu, kabaddi, karate, sepak takraw, and wushu—were added. In addition, twelve sports that were originally planned for the canceled

were also incorporated, including billiards/snooker, bowling, chess, floorball, futsal, indoor hockey, kickboxing, muaythai, netball, pencak silat, pétanque, and teqball. However, futsal and indoor hockey were categorized under their respective parent sports, football and hockey, respectively, reducing the count of these additional sports to ten. In addition, ten more sports were added—aquathlon, baseball5, chinlone, dragon boat, duathlon, hockey5s, jet skiing, practical shooting, water skiing/wakeboarding, and woodball—that were not included in the upcoming Olympic and Asian Games, nor the canceled Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games, but were featured in the upcoming World Games, Youth Olympic Games, as well as in past Asian Games and SEA Games. Baseball5, along with hockey5s, and aquathlon combined with duathlon, are categorized under their parent sports, such as baseball, hockey, and triathlon. Dragon boat, along with jet skiing combined with water skiing/wakeboarding, chinlone, and practical shooting, fall under related sports such as canoeing and rowing, extreme sports, sepak takraw, and shooting, with woodball being the only independent sport included. ''Numbers in parentheses indicate the number of medal events contested in each discipline.'' ;Notes

Closing ceremony

The closing ceremony of the 2025 SEA Games is scheduled to held on 20 December 2025 at Rajamangala Stadium, Bangkok.

Participating National Olympic Committees

All eleven National Olympic Committee (NOC) members of the

(SEAGF) are expected to take part in the games. Since its debut in 2003, Timor-Leste will participate for the first time as a full ASEAN member state, with its Accession of East Timor to ASEAN, official access to the association expected in 2025. ''Numbers in parentheses indicate the number of athletes representing in each NOC.''

Calendar

In the following calendar for the 2025 SEA Games, each blue box represents an event competition, such as a qualification round, on that day. The yellow boxes represent days during which medal-awarding finals for a sport were held. On the left, the calendar lists each sport with events held during the Games, and at the right how many gold medals were won in that sport. There is a key at the top of the calendar to aid the reader. :''All times and dates use Thailand Standard Time (UTC+7)''

Marketing

Design competition

The Sport Authority of Thailand (SAT) originally organized a design competition for the emblem, motto, and mascot for the 2025 SEA Games and the 2025 ASEAN Para Games. The submitted designs were required to be visually appealing, modern, unique, and reflect Thainess, Thai identity. The submission period was from 20 September to 25 October 2023. The official awarding ceremony took place at the Chaloem Phrakiat Building at the

on 23 November 2023.

Emblem

The official emblem for the 2025 SEA Games, designed by Teeranop Wangsillapakun, the creative director and founder of TNOP Design, was commissioned by the Design Subcommittee of the Thailand Creative Culture Agency (THACCA) under the National Soft Power Strategy Committee. The emblem embodies the concept of ''Play by the Rules'', drawing inspiration from the principles of rules, discipline, and fair play in sports. It emphasizes how creativity and strategy can lead to exceptional achievements within set boundaries. The design seamlessly merges the structured lines of a sports field with the intricate grid patterns of traditional Thai art, capturing both the spirit of competition and the elegance of Thai culture in a modern, refined manner. This emblem replaced an earlier design selected through a competition. The initial emblem, created by Ruengwit Phutharaporn, was inspired by the ''pla kat'', or Siamese fighting fish, Thailand's national aquatic animal.

Motto

The official motto for the 2025 SEA Games, ''Ever Forward'' (, , ), replaced the previous winning slogan from a design competition, ''Amity of ASEAN'', designed by Phonchit Sachaiyan. Notably, it bears a resemblance to the motto of the

, ''Ever Onward'', which was established by Guru Dutt Sondhi, the founder of the games.

Mascots

The official mascots for the 2025 SEA Games, designed by Teeranop Wangsillapakun, the creative director and founder of TNOP Design, were commissioned by the Design Subcommittee of the Thailand Creative Culture Agency (THACCA) under the National Soft Power Strategy Committee. The mascots consisted of a group of five characters called ''The Saan'', each vibrant and full of energy. They came in red, green, pink, yellow, and blue, representing the diversity of Thai society. Each character was designed using geometric patterns inspired by the structural lines of traditional Thai motifs, blending modernity with Thai identity. Together, they symbolized celebration, creativity, cultural connection, and the promotion of diversity in sports and society. These mascots replaced an earlier design selected through a competition. The initial mascot, named ''Mawin'', was designed by Tawich Jitthiang and depicted a ''Waree Kunchorn'', a mythical creature from the Himavanta. This creature has the body of an elephant, along with fish-like features, including fins along its backbone, leg fins attached to each of its four legs, and a fishtail.

Legacy

2030 Summer Youth Olympics

Since 2018, the Government of Thailand and the

(NOCT) have been preparing to bid for the 2030 Summer Youth Olympics. Initially, Thailand aimed to host the 2026 edition, but with the postponement of the 2026 Summer Youth Olympics, 2022 Games in Dakar, Senegal, to 2026 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Thailand adjusted its plans and shifted its focus to 2030 with a privileged position from the International Olympic Committee (IOC). To support this effort, a bidding committee was established in 2018, consistently expressing Thailand’s interest to IOC and other sports organizations.

has been designated as the main host city, while Chonburi province will serve as the venue for water sports. Additionally, the bidding committee, alongside the Thailand Olympic Academy (TOA), has actively promoted Olympic education through events like the Olympic Day Run and the Thailand National Youth Games, National Youth Games, reinforcing Thailand’s commitment to the Olympic movement. The 2025 SEA Games, set to be hosted in Bangkok and Chonburi province, presents a strategic opportunity, as its concept aligns with IOC standards by utilizing existing venues and emphasizing sustainability. Recognizing this, IOC member Khunying Patama Leeswadtrakul suggested that the event be used as preparation and a showcase of Thailand’s readiness to host the Youth Olympics. On 11 March 2025, during the 144th IOC Session, Thailand will formally present its bid for the 2030 Youth Olympic Games. The presentation will outline key aspects such as competition format, venue selection, event organization, timeline, and the overall appeal of Thailand’s hosting concept. Additionally, Thailand will highlight its strengths, unique advantages, and vision to position itself as the ideal host nation.

Notes

References

External links

* * SEA Games, in Thai sport, Southeast Asian Games in Asian sport, Southeast Asian Games in multi-sport events, Southeast Asian Games SEA Games in Thailand Sports competitions in Bangkok Sports competitions in Chonburi province Sports competitions in Songkhla province Scheduled multi-sport events, Southeast Asian Games {{Title year December 2025 sports events in Asia, SEA Games

Host selection

2019 disruption

2025 confirmation

Bidding and election

Host city contract

Handover ceremony

Kick-off ceremony

Development and preparations

Venues

Bangkok cluster

Chonburi cluster

Songkhla cluster

Outlying venues

Non-competitive venues

Coordination Committee of the SEAGF

Steering and Organizing Committees for the Games

Budget

The Games

Opening ceremony

Sports

Charter and Rules amendment

Sports selection

Sports programme

Closing ceremony

Participating National Olympic Committees

Calendar

Marketing

Design competition

Emblem

Motto

Mascots

Legacy

2030 Summer Youth Olympics

See also

Notes

References

External links