Ratchanok Intanon’s 2025 SEA Games Gold Medal Sparks Quality Concerns

Bangkok: Badminton star Ratchanok Intanon, popularly known as "May," has raised concerns over the quality of her 2025 SEA Games gold medal. The Thai athlete, who secured two gold medals at the event, took to her social media to share a picture of her medal, which appeared to be peeling, comparing it to peeling chocolate. According to Thai News Agency, Ratchanok Intanon, ranked as Thailand's top female badminton player and seventh in the world, accompanied her post with a caption that humorously questioned the integrity of the gold medals. Her comment, "Oh no!! Don't tell me it's chocolate inside, like when I was a kid?" prompted numerous responses from fans and fellow athletes. Some athletes expressed similar concerns, indicating they would need to inspect their own medals. Ratchanok explained that the issue was not due to sweat and that she had not tampered with the medal since receiving it. The SEA Games organizers had previously announced details about the medals, stating they have a diameter of 8.5 cent imeters and a thickness of 0.8 centimeters. These medals are crafted from a durable, impact-resistant material and are coated with gold, silver, and nickel, which supposedly prevents them from peeling. However, similar issues were reported with the medals won by Thai athletes at the 2024 Paris Olympics, including the silver medal of badminton player Kulavut Vititsarn and the bronze medal of boxer Chanjaem Suwanpeng.