Thammanat expressed pride that Thailand gave its all as host of the 2025 SEA Games, accepting all criticisms and using mistakes as lessons to improve. He revealed that many countries have expressed thanks and admiration.
At 14:50 on 20 Dec 2025 GMT+7, Lieutenant Colonel Thammanat Prompao, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives, gave an interview at the Kla Tham Party (KTP) regarding whether today's SEA Games closing ceremony would proceed smoothly. He said he had already instructed Mr. Attakorn Sirilakthayakorn, Minister of Tourism and Sports. They have learned from past experiences. Today is a day for Thai people to celebrate sporting success. The Water Sports Association of Thailand, which he chairs, has won 11 gold medals so far, which is a significant achievement.
When asked whether he felt proud overall, Lieutenant Colonel Thammanat said, "Those who do not work have no right to criticize. Those who work, we do our best with full dedication. If there are mistakes, we must take criticism to correct them. Accepting one's own or the team's errors is good and allows us to learn lessons. Therefore, I thank all critics and will use their feedback to improve. As Deputy Prime Minister overseeing the Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT), I will do my best."
Lieutenant Colonel Thammanat also said that if we are on the field and assign each sports association to prepare within the allocated budget, we can see the atmosphere where neighboring countries competing are happy and praise that we have done well and taken good care of them. He said he had received calls from ambassadors of several countries thanking him, and on the same day, he would meet the president of the World Aquatics Federation. The president praised his good work but noted that Thai people criticized it. We must humbly accept and use this feedback for improvement. .