Santi Lothong, President of the Esports Association, spoke out after the Central Investigation Bureau announced the arrests of Tokyogurl and Cheerio.
On 13 Feb 2026 GMT+7, following the Central Investigation Bureau’s Ghost Buster operation, Ms. Napat, 29, known as Tokyo Gurl, and Mr. Chai, 23, known as Cheerio, were arrested for actions that damaged Thailand’s reputation. They were found to have cheated in the women's ROV competition at the 2025 SEA Games, hosted by Thailand.
At the press conference announcing the arrests, Santi Lothong, President of the Esports Association of Thailand, apologized for the incident, explained the circumstances, and affirmed that anyone who breaks the rules must face severe consequences.
“Today was the first time we saw these shocking details. Before outlining the SEA Games competition and the chosen game’s qualifications, as president of the association, I want to apologize for the incident that should never have happened in this competition.”
“Esports includes many games; in Thailand, we call it ROV, internationally known as AOV. Multiple formats exist, but the most popular is the 5-player team. At the SEA Games, we included the 5-player team category and, for the first time as hosts, introduced the women’s ROV team category.”
“The SEA Games and other Asian Olympic Council-sanctioned events have hosted esports five times including this one. Counting the demonstration event in Indonesia, it’s the sixth. Thai athletes have consistently brought honor to the country, and even this time as hosts, we won one gold medal and achieved a respectable ranking.”
“Without this controversy, we could proudly say we used a fun game to bring honor to individuals, families, institutions, organizations, and Thailand itself. But today, we cannot say that fully.”
“As president of the Asian Esports Federation, I must say we do not accept that Thailand’s reputation is ruined. Thailand resisted cheating attempts; we caught it immediately on the stage.”
“It took only minutes to detect cheating, but international adjudication is complex with legal considerations. As Asian president and the one taking action, I could not decide unilaterally. Thus, it took about one night, and the announcement of withdrawal came at 10 a.m. the next day.”
“The remaining athletes were also upset but agreed to withdraw to preserve the honor of Thai athletes. All wear the emblem of the National Olympic Committee of Thailand on their left chest and receive support from the Sports Authority of Thailand. They are the hopes of Thai fans watching and supporting. Everyone was saddened but willing to withdraw.”
“This incident shows athletes did not only practice for competition but also trained in cheating, which is not part of our athlete training regulations. Anyone attempting this is no longer playing a game as before; now it is official. When you play fairly, you earn official recognition. When you cheat, you must accept severe penalties.”