Thai taekwondo team excels! They swept 10 gold medals to claim the ASEAN championship. The Prime Minister proudly stated that the high medal count was not because Thailand was the host.
On 13 Dec 2025 GMT+7, the Thai taekwondo team secured 3 more gold medals on the final day of competition, closing with a total of 10 golds to dominate the taekwondo events at the 33rd SEA Games held at Fashion Island Shopping Center on 13 December.
Previously, Thailand had won 7 gold medals—6 in sparring and 1 in poomsae. On the final day, they added 3 more golds.
In the women's 53 kg category final, “Nat” Chutikarn Jongkolrattanawattana defeated Nguyen Thi Luan from Vietnam 2-0 in rounds, with scores of 7-6 and 8-6.
In the women's 62 kg category, defending champion “Baitoey” Sasikan Thongchan successfully defended her title by beating Merika Lillin Chan from the Philippines 2-0 in the final, with scores of 12-0 and 13-2.
In the men's 63 kg category, “Bew” Thanaphum Fuengnoi, a 17-year-old rising Thai taekwondo star competing in his first SEA Games, used his tall stature to defeat Kenneth Riley Buenabides Jaf from the Philippines 2-0 in the final, scoring 16-4 and 13-11, securing the 10th gold medal to cap off Thailand’s outstanding performance.
In the women's 57 kg category, “Nok” Pannapa Hansujin lost to Tran Thi Anh Tuet from Vietnam 1-2 in rounds, with scores of 2-7, 13-13, and 3-8, earning Pannapa a silver medal.
In summary, Thailand’s sparring team at the 33rd SEA Games earned 9 golds, 2 silvers, and 2 bronzes. Including poomsae, the total was 10 golds, 2 silvers, and 2 bronzes, securing the top spot in taekwondo medal standings as planned.
“Big A,” Assistant Professor Pimon Srivikrom, President of the Taekwondo Association of Thailand, said this SEA Games was Thailand’s best performance with 10 gold medals. Previously, Thailand’s highest was 7 golds at the 24th SEA Games in 2007 when Thailand was also the host. This time, out of 14 Thai athletes, 13 won medals, with only one missing out.
Assistant Professor Pimon added that being the host did not influence the medal count because taekwondo technology has advanced greatly. Scoring is fully electronic with internationally standardized equipment. In poomsae, decided by judges’ eyes, Thailand earned only 1 gold. It is clear that judging was fair and impartial.