Photo via Wikipedia

 

Cambodia recently issued an apology after mistakenly using the wrong logo for the 2025 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, hosted by Thailand this year. A buffalo-themed emblem was displayed instead of the official design created by Thailand, sparking online confusion.

 

Scheduled from December 9 to 20, the 33rd SEA Games will take place across Bangkok, Chon Buri, and Songkhla. The ASEAN Para Games will follow from January 20 to 26 next year.

 

The official logo, crafted by Teeraphop Wangsinlapakhun, founder of TNOP Design, is themed "Play by the Rules" and symbolises traditional Thai architecture through overlapping curves in blue, light blue, red, and gold.

 

The controversy erupted when Thai netizens noticed Cambodia’s SEA Games website featured a buffalo-themed logo, rather than the earlier Siamese fighting fish design by Rueangwit Phutharaporn.

 

Some speculated that the Cambodian Olympic Committee was stirring tensions between the nations. In response, Thana Chaiprasit, Secretary of the Olympic Committee of Thailand, emphasised the games' focus on sport over politics.

 

Thana revealed that a Cambodian representative clarified the mistake stemmed from copying a logo from a satirical online source. An apology was extended, with assurances the incorrect emblem would be swiftly removed. However, the Cambodian site has remained offline since the debacle.

 

Despite the apology, scepticism persists among Thai netizens who suspect the error was too intentional to be accidental.

 

This logo dispute has also revived tensions over similar-looking airline mascots between Thai Airways and Cambodia Airways, further fuelling the online debate.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from The Thaiger 2025-07-23

 

 

I think Cambodia got it right.