PATTAYA, Thailand — Queen Suthida of Thailand captured a gold medal in sailing at the 2025 Southeast Asian Games, held this month in her home country.
Competing in the mixed keelboat SSL47 category, the 47-year-old queen served as tactician and helmswoman on a 47-foot sailboat with nine crew members, guiding the Thai team to victory ahead of Malaysia and Myanmar in the waters off Pattaya.
King Maha Vajiralongkorn, 73, personally presented the gold, silver, and bronze medals to winners on Thursday evening, including Queen Suthida, whom he married in 2019.
The Thai crew, dressed in matching black sailing attire, celebrated their win aboard the boat, with one sailor waving the Thai national flag.
A communications graduate, Queen Suthida previously worked as a flight attendant for Thai Airways before joining the military. Known for her athleticism, she recently completed a half-marathon in Bangkok in 2:13:40 alongside Kenyan running legend Eliud Kipchoge. She also led the Thai delegation at the SEA Games opening ceremony on December 9.
Queen Suthida is not the first Thai royal to win gold in sailing. Her father-in-law, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, competed in the fourth edition of the SEA Games in 1967, winning gold in the OK class alongside his eldest daughter, Princess Ubolratana Rajakanya, aboard a boat he built himself.
The SEA Games 2025 conclude on Saturday, December 20, with host Thailand leading the medal tally, followed by Indonesia and Vietnam.
Paraluman P. Funtanilla
Paraluman P. Funtanilla is Tutubi News Magazine's Marketing Specialist and is a Contributing Editor. She finished her degree in Communication Arts in De La Salle Lipa. She has worked as a Digital Marketer for start-up businesses and small business spaces for the past two years. She has earned certificates from Coursera on Brand Management: Aligning Business Brand and Behavior and Viral Marketing and How to Craft Contagious Content. She also worked with Asia Express Romania TV Show.
- Paraluman P. Funtanilla
- Paraluman P. Funtanilla
- Paraluman P. Funtanilla
- Paraluman P. Funtanilla
