The 13th  ASEAN Para Games Thailand 2025 opens in a colourful and spectacular style that blends powerful visual storytelling with vibrant cultural expression and contemporary performance at His Majesty’s The King’s 80th Birthday Anniversary Stadium on Tuesday.Â
Officiated by royal representative General His Royal Highness Prince Chalermsuk Yukol, the ceremony presented a two-hour large-scale production of light, sound and performance, highlighting Thai and Isan arts and culture to regional and international audiences.
Also present were Thailand Minister of Tourism and Sports Atthakorn Sirilatthayakorn, ASEAN Para Sports Federation (APSF) President Major General Osoth Bhavilai and key officials and Board Members from APSF and the Thailand ASEAN Para Games Organising Committee (THASOC).
A capacity crowd filled the stadium as an immersive, high-energy production unfolded, showcasing a harmony, diversity, cultures and modern rhythm through the powerful performance of “Rock Krathop Mai”, the “Heartbeat Isanpop” and the “Rhythm of the Heart” showcase by Thai singing sensation Gam Wichayanee.
A defining ceremonial moment followed with the raising of the ASEAN Para Games flag, followed by the lighting of the Games cauldron by Thailand celebrated wheelchair fencing star Saysunee Jana – a multiple Paralympic Games gold medallist, marking the official ignition of the sporting flame and the commencement of regional competition.
Addressing the crowd, APSF President Maj Gen Osoth Bhavilai described the occasion as a moment of pride for the entire ASEAN Para sports community. “Tonight, with great pride, I welcome you to the 13th ASEAN Para Games Thailand 2025,” he said.
“The ASEAN Para Games returns to Korat, 18 years after it last hosted our Games. Once again, Korat becomes the heart of ASEAN para sport — a place where dreams rise, barriers fall, and inspiration is born.”
Praising the athletes as the centrepiece of the Games, Maj Gen Bhavilai added: “To our athletes — you are our true stars. Your journeys are stories of resilience and determination. You redefine what is possible.”
Athletes from participating ASEAN nations – Brunei Darussalam (comprising 22 athletes and officials), Indonesia (530), Laos (135) Myanmar (146), Malaysia (454), Philippines (321), Singapore (200), Timor Leste (38), Vietnam (201) and Thailand with biggest contingent of 921 athletes and officials – took part in the customary Parade of Contingents and Athletes, proudly carrying their respective nations’ flags.
A dazzling fireworks display which illuminated the night sky above Nakhon Ratchasima, capping off the night with a dramatic finale that celebrated courage, diversity and the unifying power of sport.
Highlighting the scale and significance of the event, Maj Gen Bhavilai noted that the 13th ASEAN Para Games represents a historic milestone. “This is the largest ASEAN Para Games to date, featuring 19 sports, nearly 500 events, and more than 2,500 athletes and officials.
“Over the next six days, let us compete not only for victory, but also for friendship, inclusion, equality and respect,” he said, while expressing gratitude to the Thai Government and organising committee THASOC for making the Games possible. “Let us celebrate resilience and unity, in the true spirit of ASEAN Moving Together,”he said.
Competition proper begins on Wednesday, with athletes contesting medals across 19 sports, namely, athletics, swimming, badminton, cycling, five-a-side football (visual impairment), seven-a-side football (cerebral palsy), boccia, sitting volleyball, wheelchair basketball, shooting, powerlifting, archery, fencing, judo, goalball, wheelchair tennis, table tennis, chess, and bowling. The Games ends on Monday, 26 January 2026
Follow the 13th ASEAN Para Games Thailand 2025 Live on APSF YouTube Channel:https://www.youtube.com/@APSFTVChannel/streams
