Songkhla SEA Games to be relocated

All 10 sports scheduled to take place in the southern Thailand province of Songkhla for the 33rd Southeast Asian Games will now be held in Bangkok.

The report of the sudden change of the venues came after the Thailand SEA Games organizing committee reported widespread damage due to

relentless flooding caused by heavy rains for the past several days.

Songkhla, a major Thailand seaport near the border with Malaysia, is set to host men’s football, chess and the popular martial sports of judo, kabaddi, karate, muay thai, pencak silat, petanque, wrestling and wushu.

A total of 109 gold medals are at stake in the games to be played in Songkhla, which is one of three major venues for the coming SEA Games, along with Bangkok and Chonburi.

Preparations, however, collapsed when the province was hit by its most destructive floods in decades, halting transportation, shutting down public areas and forcing the closure of several competition sites.

Venue inspections revealed that many facilities could not be restored in time, raising immediate concerns about whether Songkhla could fulfill its duties for what would have been its first major international sporting event.

Thai sports authorities ultimately decided to move all 10 sports to Bangkok, where backup facilities were already on standby. The shift adds 109 gold-medal events to the capital’s schedule, dramatically expanding its hosting load.

Amid the chaos, the Philippine pencak silat contingent faced its own scare.

Twenty-eight athletes and officials were stranded inside their hotel when a sudden flash flood swept through Songkhla earlier in the week, prompting emergency assistance to ensure their safety.

Philippine Ambassador to Bangkok Millicent Cruz Paredes said the athletes, coaches, and officials are safe in their quarters.

“They are safe naman, holed out in their quarters. They prefer to stay to keep the athletes safe,” said Paredes.

The Philippine Embassy is also monitoring the wider Filipino community in the province.

The 33rd SEA Games will be held from December 9-22, with more than 12,500 athletes from 11 nations competing in 574 events across 50 sports.

With Songkhla sidelined, Bangkok and Chonburi will now absorb additional competitions, a major logistical overhaul introduced just weeks before the Games begin.

Organizers say the adjustments are significant, but necessary, as Thailand works to ensure the region’s biggest multi-sport event continues without disruption despite the severe weather crisis.