SEA Games 33 Medal Tally: Thailand Stays Clear as Vietnam Loses Ground to Indonesia
Host nation Thailand continues to dominate the 33rd Southeast Asian Games medal table, finishing the seventh day of competition on Tuesday with an impressive 156 gold medals. Meanwhile, Vietnam has begun to lose momentum in the race for second place, falling further behind Indonesia.
SEA Games medal update 16th December
Vietnam currently sits third with 46 gold medals, trailing second-placed Indonesia by a gap of 15. Although the Vietnamese delegation added eight gold medals on Tuesday — four of them coming from athletics — the overall deficit remains significant.
Vietnam’s athletics contingent once again proved to be a bright spot. For successfully replicating their gold-medal performances from the 2023 SEA Games, the country’s top track and field athletes were rewarded with a total bonus of VND1 billion (approximately US$38,000) from the Vietnam Athletics Federation.
SEA Games 33 Medal update today
SEA Games 33 – Thailand Esports Player Disqualified for Cheating in Match Against Vietnam
Away from the medal race, a major controversy erupted in esports. Thailand’s Arena of Valor player Warasin “Tokyogurl” Naraphat was officially disqualified from the 33rd SEA Games after being found guilty of using unauthorized software during a match against Vietnam.
The Thailand Esports Federation (TESF) confirmed on Tuesday that Naraphat had committed a serious breach of the Esports Technical Manual, which strictly prohibits the use of third-party software or any modification of competition equipment during official matches.
Where to watch SEA Games 33 in Vietnam – Top 10 Streaming sites
Suspicion first emerged online following Thailand’s 0–3 defeat to Vietnam on Monday, when viewers raised concerns that Naraphat — the team’s marksman — may have installed illegal software on the competition hardware. The SEA Games technical department launched an immediate investigation after the issue was formally reported to organizers.
The inquiry confirmed the violation, and Naraphat was handed the heaviest possible sanction: disqualification from the Games. The incident sparked widespread backlash, including expressions of disappointment from her own teammates on social media.
Notably, rumours had previously circulated among Thai fans during the online selection phase suggesting that Naraphat may have used substitute players via software. However, being caught cheating on a live SEA Games stage was deemed completely unacceptable by TESF.
The repercussions extended beyond the individual. Citing the seriousness of the scandal, TESF made the decision to withdraw the entire Thailand Arena of Valor women’s team from the competition — despite the team leading Laos 1–0 in the losers’ bracket final earlier on Tuesday.
Further criticism followed after Naraphat was seen making an obscene gesture toward the camera during a live broadcast, compounding the unsportsmanlike nature of the incident.
“Fair play is paramount,” TESF said in an official statement, affirming its support for the organizing committee’s decision. “We will conduct an internal review and strengthen our ethical and technical standards to prevent similar incidents in the future.”
Naraphat’s club, Talon, also endorsed the ruling and announced the immediate termination of her contract, effective December 16.
