Thai Olympic heroes Kunlavut and Janjaem to carry flag at SEA Games

Badminton ace Kunlavut Vitidsarn and female boxer Janjaem Suwannapeng have been selected for the prestigious role of Thailand’s flag bearers in the opening ceremony of the upcoming 33rd SEA Games next week.

With only five days to go before the start of the 2025 Games, which will be held from December 9–20 in Bangkok and Chon Buri, the National Olympic Committee of Thailand (NOCT) secretary-general Thana Chaiprasit confirmed the identities of the athletes who will receive the honour of leading the host nation’s contingent into the stadium during the opening ceremony.

“After discussions with the relevant sports associations to find athletes to carry the national flag during the SEA Games opening ceremony, we eventually selected the most suitable choices.

“The male athlete is ‘View’ Kunlavut, the badminton player who won a silver medal at the Paris Olympics, while the female athlete is Janjaem, the 2024 Olympic boxing bronze medallist. Both are perfectly suited for the role,” said Thana in his capacity as Thailand’s chef de mission.

The NOCT secretary-general also revealed that star sprinter Puripol “Bew” Boonson will lead the athletes’ oath.

The teenage running star will be joined by two other athletes: Banlung “Yu” Tubtimdang, Thailand’s newest taekwondo world champion in the 69kg class, and shooter Tanyaporn “Tanya” Prucksakorn, a multiple-time Thai Olympian. Thana insisted that all the selections were the most suitable.

The 33rd edition of the region’s biennial multisport tournament marks the seventh time — and the first since 2007 — that Thailand will host the Games. A total of 50 official sports, three demonstration sports (air sports, flying disc and tug of war) and one “value-added” sport (mixed martial arts) will feature at the Games, with 574 gold medals at stake.