Trouble before the torch: Thailand’s SEA Games hit by chaos and criticism

With the clock ticking down to the start of the 33rd SEA Games on Tuesday, Thailand should have been swept up in hype and excitement.

The whole nation has, instead, been gripped by a sense of apprehension that this year’s Games, running until December 20, may be remembered as the worst the Kingdom has ever hosted.

Thailand has hosted the region’s biennial multisport tournament six times before, in 1959, 1967, 1975, 1985, 1995 and 2007, but never have its preparations and organisation been under such intense scrutiny.

Indeed, the country’s Games preparations have lurched from problem to problem, starting with the threat of being barred from staging the pétanque competition by the World Pétanque and Bowls Confederation (WPBC).

Fortunately, the delegation from the National Olympic Committee of Thailand successfully negotiated the reinstatement of the sport in the programme of the Thai-hosted Games.

Had the suspension not been lifted, it would have caused incalculable damage to the country’s credibility.

That narrow escape proved to provide only a short respite, though. Soon after, Thai sports authorities had to deal with a number of disgruntled athletes publicly expressing their grievances over issues concerning the Games’ training allowance

In one such case, badminton star Pornpawee Chochuwong dropped a bombshell by submitting a letter to the Sports Authority of Thailand, informing them of her decision to resign from the SEA Games squad, over dissatisfaction with having her Games allowances unfairly deducted being one of the reasons cited.

Things, yet again, turned out well, thanks to a crucial intervention by Deputy Prime Minister Capt. Thammanat Prompao, who successfully convinced World No. 6 Pornpawee to reverse her decision by offering his assurance that all her complaints will be dealt with, including her disillusion with the running of the sport’s national body by certain executives.

Unfortunately, luck then appeared to desert Thailand at crucial juncture. Late last month, Songkhla, designated as one of three host cities, was struck by some of the worst flooding in decades.

This not only caused incalculable loss of properties but also multiple fatalities, particularly in Hat Yai district.

The severity of the disaster forced the organisers’ hand, as they were left with no choice but to relocate all sport events, due to be held in Songkhla, to Bangkok and Chon Buri, the two other host cities.

The forced switch led to a rush to find alternative venues for each event and raised questions over whether the parties concerned could get them ready with so little time left.

All went downhill from there for the organisers, as they bore the brunt of the public outcry over the organisation of the Games, which people believe is nowhere near up to standard, with problems springing up like mushrooms.

The most worrying aspect is what many people condemn as a “dearth of publicity” about the tournament. So poor has been the advertising that most Thais are barely aware that the Games are about to start in their own country. No one can blame them, as there is almost nothing to remind them about the event.

Let alone the upcountry areas, in the Thai capital itself the publicity for the Games is almost non-existent. Starting at Suvarnabhumi Airport, the country’s main international gateway, the tournament’s advertising can hardly be seen on the giant roadside billboards along the route into town.

Things are not much better in downtown Bangkok, where there is a paltry number of placards or rooftop billboards promoting the event. Such shortage of publicity has, unsurprisingly, contributed to the relatively subdued atmosphere, with an all but inaudible ‘buzz’ among the public in the lead-up to the Games.

The commencement of football competition last week further deepened public concerns, in light of a number of incidents ranging from Laos’ and Vietnam’s national anthems going silent before the opening men’s football match to online ticket booking not matching the actual seats at the venue. These problems may not be serious, but they expose the poor organisation.

Thailand’s cause is also not helped by unstable politics, which saw three changes of government and four different sports ministers overseeing the Games’ preparations over the past two years.

Power changing hands meant disruption to preparation work, as the Sports Authority of Thailand’s governor Dr. Gongsak Yodmani publicly acknowledged. The most evident example is the sudden change of contractors for the opening ceremony, shortly after the new government assumed office in September.

This is such a risky move, since the new contractors have barely three months to create an opening spectacular befitting the region’s most prestigious sporting event. Failure to do so means the Games would inevitably be shrouded in a fresh round of negativity.

With all infrastructure and facilities already in place, Thai people could at least take comfort in knowing that the country’s hosting of the Games this year will not be the worst in the tournament’s history. Nevertheless, it still would be a big disappointment if they let their own standards slip this time around.