Cambodia announced the withdrawal of all its athletes from the 2025 SEA Games in Thailand on December 10, citing security concerns amid border clashes. Despite participating in the opening ceremony parade, the National Olympic Committee of Cambodia prioritized the safety of its delegation. Thai officials assured security, but the decision stood.
The National Olympic Committee of Cambodia (NOCC) sent an official letter on December 10, 2025, to the Chief Executive Officer of the Southeast Asian Games Federation (SEAGF), Dato' Seri Chaiyapak Siriwat, announcing the withdrawal of its entire athletic contingent. The move followed urgent requests from athletes' families due to serious security concerns amid renewed border clashes between Cambodia and Thailand.
NOCC emphasized that the decision was not taken lightly, given the warm reception received by Cambodian athletes from the Thai Organizing Committee and the National Olympic Committee of Thailand. Earlier, the delegation had participated in the opening ceremony parade of the 33rd SEA Games at Rajamangala National Stadium in Bangkok, though only a handful of athletes joined. NOCC expressed apologies for any inconvenience caused by the early withdrawal following the ceremony.
Prior to the full pullout, Cambodia had already withdrawn from eight additional sports, including men's football, billiards and muaythai, judo, karate, pencak silat, petanque, wrestling, wushu, football, and sepak takraw. Initially participating in just 13 sports, Cambodia is now entirely absent.
On the Thai side, Deputy Prime Minister Thamanat Prompow, overseeing the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, assured the safety of Cambodian athletes and officials. He noted that the Thai Prime Minister was initially concerned about the border incidents and had ordered additional safety measures. Thamanat described the issue as sensitive, requiring careful consideration under international sports governance frameworks. Security personnel and military have been deployed, though only a few Cambodian supporters were present at the stadium.
As of now, Thai organizers and SEAGF have not announced any schedule adjustments or technical impacts from Cambodia's absence. NOCC pledged further coordination for repatriation arrangements and administrative requirements.
