Thai athletes are among as many as 20 contingents which will participate in the 2018 Asian Games and have begun to occupy the Athlete Village in Kemayoran area, Central Jakarta, before the opening ceremony of the largest multi-sporting event in Asia this week.

Antara News said the the 20-state contingents that would inhabit the athlete`s house, as reported by the 2018 Asian Games Organizing Committee (INASGOC) over the weekend are Bahrain, China, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Iraq, Iran, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, North Korea, South Korea, Malaysia, Palestine, Syria, Taiwan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam.

“We will try our best to provide security and comfort for them so that they can perform the best for their country. We welcome the athletes and officials to Indonesia,” said INASGOC Chair Erick Thohir.

INASGOC noted that 20 countries that have occupied the Kemayoran Athlete Village have taken some 300 available rooms.

The Iranian contingent became the largest contingent in Kemayoran, with a total of 251 athletes and officials.

The 18th Asian Games athletes and officials will arrive in Indonesia from their respective countries in the second week of August ahead of the opening ceremony on August 18.

“Athletes who will compete outside Jakarta will go directly to the accommodation that has been prepared and closer to the location of the match, such as soccer athletes who live around the location in West Java,” said Thohir.

A number of matches at the 2018 Asian Games began on Friday, even though the opening ceremony is scheduled for August 18. Sports events that took place before the opening included men`s soccer, women`s soccer, handball, basketball and water polo.