Bangkok: More than 800,000 litres of water and the unveiling of the ‘First Green Flame’ defined the SEA Games Thailand 2025 opening ceremony, as the Rajamangala National Stadium here, was transformed into a powerful symbol of unity on Tuesday night.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the main stage, equivalent to one third of an Olympic swimming pool, turned the stadium into a living symbol of the sea that connects all eleven participating nations at the 33rd edition of the biennial Games.
The night kicked off at full throttle with the ‘Back to the Origin’ segment as 800 synchronised drones carved a glowing SEA Games Thailand 2025 emblem and concluded with ‘Sawasdee’, a Thai greeting extended to ASEAN and the audience around the world.
Heat replaced water in ‘Ignite the Games’, where lasers, flames, and lighting surged through the arena to capture the ambition and resilience of Southeast Asia’s athletes. The sequence was driven by the ‘1%’ song, performed by Thailand’s rapper GOLF F. HERO, Thai-Belgian singer and actress Violette Wautier, and hip-hop artist Pitawat Pruksakit, an anthem that speaks to determination against all odds.
The opening ceremony, attended by Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida, proceeded with ‘We Are One – Connected by the SEA’. The segment, which saw water reclaimed centre stage, featured underwater ballet by eight former Thailand national athletes, jet ski stunts, and flyboard performers rising dramatically from the 800,000-litre pool.
The aquatic spectacle then turned the stadium into a living ‘River of Friendship’, visually binding all 11 nations into one flowing narrative. Thai K-pop artist and GOT7 member BamBam lifted the atmosphere in the ‘Blooming of One Victory’ segment with his performance of Wheels Up, delighting fans in the stadium.
A significant moment arrived when all participating contingents, including Malaysia, led by Andre Anura Anuar from athletics and water ski ace Aaliyah Yoong Hanifah as flag bearers, marched into the stadium. A total of 59 members of the national contingent, comprising athletes from athletics, water skiing, and ice skating, proudly entered the stadium donned in batik shirts that projected a modern, bold Malaysian identity, fusing tradition with contemporary design.
After King Maha Vajiralongkorn declared the Games open, history followed with the lighting of the ‘First Green Flame’, redefining the traditional cauldron through a digital fusion of lasers, projection mapping, and drones. Designed to minimise fuel use, the flame signalled a shift towards sustainability without abandoning the Games’ ceremonial soul. Thailand’s two-time Olympic Games gold medallist Panipak Wongpattanakit of taekwondo lit the cauldron, signalling the beginning of the athletes’ journey until Dec 20.
The SEA Games Thailand 2025 is now taking place across two provinces, Bangkok and Chonburi.