The 33rd SEA Games organising committee has decided to switch the venue for the men’s football Group A fixtures, featuring Thailand, Cambodia and Timor-Leste, from a stadium in Songkhla to Rajamangala National Stadium in Bangkok, citing safety concerns.
Group A matches in the men’s football competition of the region’s biennial multi-sport tournament are under the spotlight, as Thailand and Cambodia — which remain locked in border disputes — have been drawn in the same group along with Timor-Leste.
Originally, the Group A games had been scheduled to take place at Tinsulanonda Stadium in southern province of Songkhla.
However, at its meeting last Thursday, the SEA Games organising committee unanimously resolved to move all of the group’s fixtures to Rajamangala National Stadium in Bangkok.
Tourism and Sports Minister Atthakorn Sirilattayakorn, who chaired the meeting, said the decision was made to ensure Thailand’s readiness to host the Games in line with international standards — both in terms of event management and security measures — under the “Safety First” policy, to build confidence among all participating nations.
Security authorities advised that Bangkok is better prepared and offers stricter safety measures, following an inspection in Songkhla which revealed certain security limitations.
“With greater readiness and tighter security measures, Bangkok has been deemed more suitable to host the football matches by security agencies, after they found that Songkhla has some shortcomings in terms of security,” said Atthakorn.
Given the venue switch, the Group A fixtures have been rescheduled to take place on December 4, 7, and 11 to accommodate the Games’ opening ceremony, which will be held on December 9 at Rajamangala National Stadium.
Aside from the men’s football team, Cambodia will reportedly send around 600 athletes to take part in the Bangkok Games, which are scheduled to take place in Bangkok, Chonburi, and Songkhla between December 9 and 20.
