Thai King congratulates Queen Suthida on historic SEA Games sailing gold medal

Following the competition on Thursday, Queen Suthida sailed the SSL47 keelboat to Ocean Marina Yacht Club in Pattaya, where she knelt to receive a bouquet of flowers from the King, according to The Nation Thailand.

The King then congratulated the SSL47 sailing team on their victory and posed for photographs with the Queen, athletes and coaching staff.

The triumph marked the first time Queen Suthida has competed at the SEA Games, and her debut resulted in a gold medal.

Later in the evening, the King and Queen attended the official medal ceremony. Myanmar claimed bronze, Malaysia took silver, while Queen Suthida, representing Thailand, received the gold medal and the SEA Games mascot from King Maha Vajiralongkorn.

Queen of Thailand Suthida Bajrasudhabimalalakshana (C) before a race in the SSL47 keelboat event at the 33rd SEA Games. Photo by Instagram/@thairoyalfamily

After the ceremony, the royal couple posed for photos with members of the Thai sailing team, bringing the day’s competition to a close.

Earlier, Queen Suthida and the Thai team had advanced to the final race of the SSL47 keelboat event, competing against teams from Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Myanmar. During the race, the Queen played a key role in navigation and boat handling, using a compass to assess wind conditions and adjust tactics as sea conditions changed, helping Thailand gain the upper hand.

In the eighth and final race, Thailand crossed the finish line first in 41 minutes and 31 seconds, ahead of Malaysia and Myanmar. Based on the combined results of all eight races, Thailand clinched the gold medal in the SSL47 event — which made its debut at the SEA Games this year, according to Thairath.