Officials look on as a Malaysian representative waves the Southeast Asian Games flag during the closing ceremony of the 2025 SEA Games at Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, December 20, 2025, marking the handover to Malaysia as host of the next edition in 2027. Photo: Nam Tran / Tuoi Tre
Thailand’s organizers kept the closing event subdued, citing a year-long period of national mourning following the death of Queen Mother Sirikit in October, with no fireworks and a scaled-back artistic program.
The host nation finished atop the medal table with a record 233 gold medals among 499 overall, the highest gold tally ever achieved by a single country at a SEA Games edition, surpassing Vietnam’s previous record of 205 golds set in 2022.
Thailand’s Minister of Tourism and Sports Atthakorn Sirilatthayakorn speaks during the closing ceremony of the 2025 Southeast Asian Games at Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, December 20, 2025. Photo: Nam Tran / Tuoi Tre
Indonesia placed second with 91 gold medals, its strongest SEA Games performance since hosting the event in 2011, while Vietnam finished third with 87 golds, marking the first time in 14 years that Indonesia had ranked above Vietnam in the standings.
The SEA Games, held from December 9 to 20 across Bangkok, Chonburi, and Songkhla, featured 9,366 athletes competing in 50 sports, with a total of 574 medal events.
Malaysia will host the 34th SEA Games in 2027.
Members of Vietnam’s sports delegation parade on the field during the closing ceremony of the 2025 Southeast Asian Games at Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, December 20, 2025. Photo: Nam Tran / Tuoi Tre
Athletes from participating nations parade alongside mascots during the closing ceremony of the 2025 Southeast Asian Games at Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, December 20, 2025. Photo: Nam Tran / Tuoi Tre
Performers take part in an artistic segment titled ‘The Sound of the Whistle’ during the closing ceremony of the 2025 Southeast Asian Games at Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, December 20, 2025. Photo: Nam Tran / Tuoi Tre
A screen displays a message marking the end of the 2025 Southeast Asian Games and announcing Malaysia as host of the next edition in 2027 during the closing ceremony at Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, December 20, 2025. Photo: Nam Tran / Tuoi Tre
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