33rd SEA Games hit by problems, Thai team chief orders urgent fixes
Thai chef de mission Thana Chaiprasit flags major problems with lodging, halal food and transport at the 33rd SEA Games.
- Participating nations have complained about major logistical problems, including long waits for airport transport and an insufficient number of shuttle buses for athletes.
- Issues were raised over food provisions, such as inadequate "lunch box" meals being changed to buffets and a failure to provide properly certified halal food for Muslim athletes.
- Following complaints that also included accommodation errors, the Thai chef de mission has ordered the Sports Authority of Thailand to implement swift corrective actions.
On Tuesday morning (December 9), Thai chef de mission Thana Chaiprasit met his counterparts from 10 participating nations – with only Timor-Leste absent – to review and urgently address problems at the 33rd SEA Games, which has brought more than 10,000 athletes and officials to Thailand.
Thana said he had received a large number of complaints from several countries, particularly over service management and logistics.
- Transport from the airport: Some national teams arriving at Suvarnabhumi Airport had to wait five to six hours for vehicles to pick up their athletes, causing delays and affecting their participation in the flag-raising ceremony.
- Insufficient shuttle services: The number of shuttle buses taking athletes to training venues was not enough to meet demand, leading to delays in training and disrupting daily plans.
- Food problems: Lunch provided by the hosts in “lunch box” form has now been ordered to be changed to a buffet.
- Halal food: Muslim countries such as Brunei, Malaysia, Indonesia and Timor-Leste have requested that hotels provide halal food that is 100% compliant, as some meals were served as mixed dishes, making it difficult for their athletes to eat with confidence.
- Accommodation errors: There were also communication problems regarding the accommodation arrangements for athletes from some countries.
Thana said all issues had been reported directly to Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT) deputy governors Preecha Laloon and Dr Meechai Inwood, with instructions for swift corrective action.
He pledged that after the official opening ceremony on December 9 and the start of medal events on December 10, the SAT would deploy responsible officers to each key area to work closely with teams, to ensure everything runs smoothly and problems are kept to a minimum.
