Traffic congestion in Thailand poses difficulties for the Vietnamese team at the SEA Games 33.
Constant traffic jams in Thailand disrupted the schedules of the Vietnam U22 team and the Vietnam women's national team: a 25km journey took almost an hour, training was delayed by 55 minutes, and the U22 team was stuck in Bangkok for 30 minutes.
Traffic congestion in Thailand is becoming an off-field obstacle, wearing down the Vietnamese teams at the 33rd SEA Games. The Vietnamese women's team had to depart at 4:00 PM for their opening match at 6:30 PM, but the 25km journey still took almost an hour. Their final training session before the match also involved a 55-minute commute. The U22 Vietnamese team was stuck in traffic for 30 minutes during their first training session in Bangkok, forcing the coaching staff to adjust their schedule for the following days.
Traffic management becomes a tactical problem off the field.
This non-professional issue is disrupting preparations: travel plans are being delayed, concentration before kick-off is diminished, and mental state is difficult to maintain. That's why the Vietnam U22 team quickly rearranged their training schedule to minimize congestion, especially before the matches against Laos U22 and Malaysia U22 (December 11th).
The numbers speak for themselves.
| Team/Context | Time/Route | Distance | Travel time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vietnam Women's National Team – Opening Match | Departure at 4:00 PM, match at 6:30 PM, hotel → Chonburi stadium | 25 km | Nearly 1 hour |
| Vietnam Women's National Team – Final Training Session | Depart early for the training ground. | Not specified | 55 minutes |
| Vietnam U22 – First training session in Bangkok | Getting around the city | Not specified | 30 minutes of traffic jam. |
Developments and adjustments
The Vietnamese women's team was most clearly affected: even a short 25km journey required nearly an hour of travel by car, and their final training session was delayed by 55 minutes. These repeated delays impacted their ability to get into rhythm for competition. In Bangkok, the U22 Vietnam team lost 30 minutes during their first training session just to navigate a traffic jam, prompting them to proactively adjust their schedule to avoid rush hour traffic before their match against U22 Laos.
The actual impact on competition preparation.
Teams must recalculate their departure times and adjust their schedules to suit the traffic conditions – a factor that is "not new" when competing in Thailand, but always remains a challenge. Adjusting travel times is considered crucial to maintaining form and morale ahead of the match against U22 Malaysia on December 11th.
Extreme temperatures add to the pressure.
Besides traffic congestion, the U22 Vietnam team also trained in extremely hot weather. Combined, these are two important variables affecting the quality of preparation for the upcoming matches.
The overall picture
- Traffic in Thailand has repeatedly disrupted the travel schedules of the Vietnamese women's national team and the Vietnamese U22 team.
- This directly affects the mindset and preparation rhythm before training sessions and matches.
- The teams have been adjusting their travel schedules, especially ahead of the matches against U22 Laos and U22 Malaysia (December 11).
- Hot weather conditions continue to be a barrier during training sessions.
In the context of the SEA Games 33, which demands meticulous attention to detail, accurately reading traffic patterns and adapting to weather conditions can make the difference between a smooth competition day and an evening hampered by traffic jams.
