Sonthiya Sawatdee has petitioned the Metropolitan Police to investigate whether a female esports athlete’s cheating in the RoV game at the 2025 SEA Games constitutes fraud. He hopes to prevent such behavior from setting a precedent. The police are prepared to investigate upon receiving a formal complaint and will act within their legal authority.
At 10:30 a.m. on 18 Dec 2025 GMT+7, at the Metropolitan Police Headquarters, Mr. Sonthiya Sawatdee went to request an investigation into allegations that an esports athlete cheated, resulting in disqualification and withdrawal from the SEA Games competition. As this is a national-level event, the incident has caused international embarrassment while Thailand is hosting. He urged the Metropolitan Police to determine if the act constitutes fraud to obtain competition prizes, and if proven, to prosecute to prevent setting a bad example and to uphold national honor. Police Colonel Thanachot Ruedee, head of Division 4, Department of Investigation, accepted the complaint.
Sonthiya revealed that initially, three to four accomplices were identified who appear to have engaged in cheating to secure gold medals and prize money. He views this conduct as fraudulent and wants the Metropolitan Police to direct relevant agencies to fully investigate the facts and determine if any offenses occurred. Having studied sports himself, he understands that the intent to win through unfair means is unsportsmanlike. He emphasized the importance of instilling respect for rules, acceptance of victory or defeat, and sportsmanship among the younger generation.
“The deliberate intent was to make the competition dishonest. I call on the involved player to acknowledge whether they were pressured to compete unfairly. If wrongdoing occurred, they should apologize and cooperate with the police. Cheating was done for monetary gain; would they do this if no prize money were involved? Fairness must be upheld for athletes who did not advance. The country’s reputation is at stake. I understand the player may have reasons and must explain them. I do not wish for imprisonment but want maturity, acceptance of winning and losing, and to prevent actions that could lead to criminal fraud charges,” Sonthiya said.
Pol. Lt. Gen. Siam Boonsom, Metropolitan Police Commissioner, stated that no report of the case has been received yet. However, if any victim files a complaint, the Metropolitan Police are ready to investigate to ensure fairness for all parties.
Police Colonel Thanachot said that officers have received the complaint documents and will proceed within their authority to determine whether the alleged acts constitute an offense, identify where the incident occurred, and initiate formal legal proceedings.