Bangkok, Thailand – December 10th, 2025 – In a dramatic and unprecedented turn at the 33rd Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games), Cambodia has withdrawn its entire delegation of 137 athletes and officials just one day after the opening ceremony, citing grave safety concerns tied to renewed deadly clashes along its border with host nation Thailand.
The decision, announced Wednesday morning, marks a stark escalation in tensions between the two Southeast Asian neighbors, whose long-simmering territorial dispute has repeatedly flared into violence. Cambodia’s National Olympic Committee (NOCC) confirmed the pullout in a formal letter to Southeast Asian Games Federation CEO Chaiyapak Siriwat, stressing the urgent pleas from athletes’ families amid the chaos.
“I regret to inform you that, due to serious concerns and requests from the families of our athletes to have their relatives return home immediately, NOCC must withdraw all of our delegation and arrange for their prompt return to Cambodia for safety reasons,” wrote NOCC Secretary-General H.E. Vath Chamroeun in the letter. He added that the move was not taken lightly, praising the “hospitality, warmth, and spirit of sportsmanship” extended by Thai organizers but pushing the overriding need to prioritize safety.
The Cambodian contingent, which had proudly marched in Tuesday’s colorful opening ceremony at Bangkok’s Rajamangala National Stadium waving their national flag alongside athletes from 10 other nations will depart Thailand on Thursday, bound for Phnom Penh. The team was set to compete in 12 sports, including volleyball and athletics, but the withdrawal leaves those events without Cambodian participation.
This full exit follows an earlier partial pullout in late November, when Cambodia announced it would skip eight disciplines such as football, wrestling, judo, karate, and petanque due to “significant security concerns.” At the time, officials cited challenges in protecting athletes and staff, though they stopped short of directly linking it to the border row. That initial reduction slashed the planned delegation from over 300 athletes to the 137 who ultimately arrived in Thailand.
The backdrop to the crisis is a century-old border dispute rooted in French colonial-era maps, centered on the ownership of ancient Khmer temples like Preah Vihear and Ta Moan. Both countries claim sovereignty over scattered frontier areas, leading to intermittent skirmishes. Tensions reignited dramatically earlier this week.
The clashes have claimed at least 14 lives and injured 88 others, with more than 500,000 civilians, mostly farmers and villagers, fleeing their homes in a mass exodus that has overwhelmed relief efforts in both nations. Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul accused Cambodian troops of initiating the violence by planting fresh landmines, which maimed a Thai soldier last month and prompted Bangkok to suspend a fragile U.S.-brokered peace pact from July. Cambodian leaders, in turn, blame Thai “aggression” and have called for international mediation.
“This is the second major flare-up this year, and it’s heartbreaking that it’s overshadowing a celebration of regional unity like the SEA Games,” said a spokesperson for the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which oversees the event through the Southeast Asian Games Federation. The Games, running through December 20th across multiple Thai venues, feature over 6,000 athletes competing in 40 sports. With Cambodia’s departure, only 10 nations remain, potentially handing Thailand, a perennial powerhouse seeking its first overall title since 1959, an easier path to glory.
Cambodia, which hosted the 2023 SEA Games in Phnom Penh and placed fourth with 81 gold medals, had viewed the 2025 edition as a chance to build on that success despite the brewing storm. NOCC officials expressed disappointment, noting the athletes’ preparations and the warm reception in Bangkok. “Our focus now is getting everyone home safely,” Chamroeun told reporters. “Sport should unite us, not divide.”
For the original version of this article, please visit The Pattaya News.
