BANGKOK, THAILAND – Preparations for the SEA Games 2025 faced mounting criticism after the official budget for the event’s main swimming venue triggered a public backlash.
Leaked figures put 300 million baht pool under scrutiny
A Facebook page called Young Shark Thailand published detailed cost breakdowns that were said to come directly from tender documents of the Sports Authority of Thailand. The documents indicated a total budget of 300 million baht for the swimming facility, including items such as a LED scoreboard priced at 2.5 million baht and toilet signage costing more than 140,000 baht.
“We call on the public to decide for themselves whether these expenses are appropriate.”
said Young Shark Thailand.
High-priced starting blocks and pool partition questioned
Among the most disputed costs were starting blocks, with eight blocks for the warm‑up pool listed at 1.9 million baht and 20 blocks for the main pool at 9 million baht. The single most expensive item was a movable pool partition budgeted at 18.9 million baht, while 3,118 spectator seats at 1,550 baht each also drew criticism.
“Every figure comes from the official announcements of the SAT,”
said Young Shark Thailand, while the authority had yet to respond to the specific allegations.
Online debate over necessity and responsibility
The disclosures set off a heated debate on social media over whether the 300 million baht investment was necessary and responsible.
“With that money, many local sports facilities could have been modernised,”
said one user, while others expressed hope that a world‑class swimming centre would still emerge and benefit Thai sport in the long term. Commentators repeatedly returned to the question of whether taxpayer money was being used prudently or whether the major event was being leveraged for overpriced purchases.
Designer alleges abrupt removal from ceremonies project
A separate dispute emerged when a Thai light and visual effects designer accused the SEA Games organisers of abruptly replacing his team. He said he and his staff had worked for seven months on concepts for the opening and closing ceremonies before learning in October that another team had taken over the project without any warning or explanation.
“To this day I have not received any clarification from the authorities,”
said the disgruntled creative, arguing that the episode reflected poorly on planning and communication.
Reputational risk for SEA Games 2025
The combination of alleged inflated costs and opaque procedures threatened to overshadow the SEA Games well before the first competition. The Sports Authority of Thailand came under intense pressure to justify the expenditures in detail and improve transparency, as the Thai public waited for answers. Without clear explanations, observers warned the upcoming multi‑sport event could be remembered not only for athletic performances but also as a financial and organisational debacle.