25th SEA Games, Laos

The National Stadium will not have a booth selling tickets for the SEA Games opening and closing ceremonies tickets, as there are only 1,000 tickets left, the Vongkhanty Construction Company has said.

The company is responsible for ticket sales.

Company President Phankham Vongkhanty said at a press conference yesterday that people who wanted a ticket should hurry to reserve and buy one because they would soon be sold out.

“The SEA Games Organising Committee agreed to officially distribute the tickets on Monday. We started selling them for 200,000 kip on November 9 by calling people who had booked to come and collect and pay for their tickets,” Mr Phankham said.

The company continued to distribute tickets but raised the price to 300,000 kip yesterday.

“We've done it like this so the distribution process won't become complicated,” Mr Phankham said.

He also said each ticket had a stamp from the Ministry of Public Security and a 3D hologram sticker of the 25th SEA Games logo.

People who come to collect their tickets should look through the hologram, Mr Phankham said.

If there is no hologram, the ticket is not authentic.

The company reported that more than 13,000 tickets for the opening and closing ceremonies had been printed.

There were 5,470 tickets costing 500,000 kip, 4,102 tickets costing 400,000 kip, 3,418 tickets costing 300,000 kip and 684 tickets costing 200,000 kip.

SEA Games Organising Committee Deputy Chairman Dr Phouthong Seng Akhom said prices were lower than those charged by countries hosting the SEA Games in pervious years.

“We have prepared a VIP area of about 4,500 seats, but the committee will prepare some more seats for senior government officials,” he said.

The company had alerted provincial administration offices throughout the country that they had tickets set aside for them, but there are some who have not yet confirmed they will be buying the tickets.

“Many sports officials who are coming from other provinces to prepare for the SEA Games had tickets to distribute in their provinces,” Mr Phankham said.

The company reiterated to the press that ticket sales would be closing soon, and people should buy tickets for the opening and closing ceremonies before they sold out.

Mr Phankham said if people could not purchase a ticket, they could watch the ceremonies on television.

Alternatively, the committee plans to install a large screen outside the stadium to broadcast the ceremonies for people who didn't get a ticket.

Tickets are currently selling for 400,000 kip and 500,000 kip.

Anyone interested should contact the company on +85621 260458 +85621 260458 or +85621 260459 +85621 260459.

By Souknilundon Southivongnorath
(Latest Update Novembe 11 , 2009)