Bangkok, Thailand, December 19, 2025 – Thailand delivered a stirring performance in front of a raucous home crowd, edging defending and three-time consecutive champions Indonesia in a dramatic five-set thriller to reclaim the men’s title at the 33rd SEA Games Men’s Volleyball Tournament. The hard-earned triumph completed a historic clean sweep for the hosts, which secured both the men’s and women’s volleyball gold medals.
Fresh from celebrating the women’s team’s 17th SEA Games title, and their remarkable 15th consecutive crown, following a gripping five-set victory over Vietnam on December 15, Thailand doubled the joy on Friday night as the men’s squad outlasted world No. 51 Indonesia 3–2 (25–20, 16–25, 25–23, 23–25, 15–12) in a highly-anticipated final at the packed Huamark Indoor Stadium.
The showdown between the tournament’s two unbeaten teams lived up to expectations, unfolding as a pulsating, see-saw battle. Spurred on by more than 6,000 passionate supporters, Thailand drew first blood with a confident 25–20 win in the opening set. Indonesia, however, quickly wrested back momentum, silencing the crowd with a dominant second-set display, powered by the explosive attacks of star spikers Rivan Nurmulki and Boy Arnez Arabi, to level the match with a commanding 25–16 victory.
The third set proved to be a turning point. Rising Thai star Napadet Pinijdee caught fire, pushing the hosts ahead 23–21 with a series of incisive attacks. Indonesia responded through Rivan’s thunderous hitting, while an erratic spike from Chaiwat Thungkham allowed the visitors to draw level at 23–23. Napadet then produced a sublime off-the-hands attack to earn set point, before a well-timed triple block sealed the set 25–23 in Thailand’s favour.
With the atmosphere reaching fever pitch, both teams traded blows throughout the fourth set. Indonesia held their nerve in the closing stages, with Rivan punishing an overpass to clinch the set 25–23 and force a decisive fifth set.
In the do-or-die tiebreaker, Thailand displayed remarkable composure, resilience and attacking variety. Anurak Phanram was outstanding at the net, repeatedly overpowering taller blockers to lift the hosts to match point at 14–11. Indonesia refused to surrender, as Rivan struck again to narrow the gap to 12–14, but Napadet’s lightning-fast kill brought the contest to an emphatic close. Thailand captured the final set 15–12, sealing the match and the SEA Games title in unforgettable fashion.
The victory marked Thailand’s ninth men’s volleyball gold medal at the SEA Games and their 14th appearance in the final. Of those finals, 11 were contested against Indonesia, with Thailand emerging victorious on six occasions. The hosts last claimed the title in 2017, when they defeated Indonesia in straight sets, before enduring a lean spell that included two consecutive fourth-place finishes in the previous two editions.
Napadet led Thailand with a match-high 29 points, including 27 attacks and two blocks, while Chaiwat Thungkham and Anurak Phanram added 18 and 12 points respectively. For Indonesia, Rivan topped all scorers with 32 points, highlighted by 27 kills, while Boy contributed a further 21 points.
In the third-place playoff, the Philippines mounted a superb comeback after dropping the first two sets to defeat Vietnam in another five-set thriller 23–25, 23–25, 25–18, 25–22, 16–14, to secure the bronze medal.
Still in search of their first SEA Games men’s volleyball gold, the Filipinos were inspired by Marck Espejo, who rediscovered his lethal form after a quiet start to the tournament. His leadership in the third and fourth sets fueled the comeback and guided the Philippines to their first indoor men’s volleyball medal since claiming silver on home soil in 2019.
Espejo tallied 30 points from 25 attacks, three blocks and two aces, with Leo Ordiales and Bryan Bagunas chipping in 20 and 19 points respectively. Vietnam’s Pham Quoc Du led his side in defeat with 27 points.
Earlier in the day, Myanmar, three-time former SEA Games gold medallists (1977, 1979 and 1983), edged Singapore in a hard-fought five-set classification match for fifth place, prevailing 25–19, 22–25, 19–25, 25–22, 15–11.
Ya Htike Wai paced Myanmar with 20 points, while Hlaing Wai Kyaw and Aung Myo Kyaw added 18 and 16 points respectively. Singapore’s Ajay Shergill Singh topped all scorers with 22 points, supported by Wong Jordan Ryan with 21.
At the awards ceremony, Thailand proudly received the gold medals, with Indonesia settling for silver and the Philippines completing the podium with bronze.