Thailand's badminton team had their most successful ever SEA Games after winning four gold medals in Malaysia.
The Kingdom's shuttlers won three more golds on the last day of the competition yesterday, adding the mixed doubles, women's doubles and men's doubles titles to their women's team crown last Wednesday.
Dechapol Puavaranukroh became only the second Thai shuttler since Pankae Phongam in 1961 to win two finals at one Games with his success in the mixed and men's doubles.
Pankae had won the women's doubles (with Sumol Chanklum) and mixed doubles (with Raphi Kanchanaraphi).
The Thais also won two silver medals in the men's singles and women's doubles and four bronze medals from the women's singles, men's doubles, mixed doubles and men's team events.
Top seeds Dechapol and Sapsiree Taerattanachai finally got the better of their Malaysian rivals Goh Soon Huat and Shevon Jemir Lai, winning 21-15, 22-20 to hand Thailand their first mixed doubles gold in 14 years.
The Thai pair had lost their last two matches against the No.2 seeds from Malaysia.
"This gold medal is for all Thais and my parents as well as my sponsor SCG," said Sapsiree.
Sapsiree then teamed up with Puttita Supajirakul in the women's doubles decider but was forced to retire with an injured left knee in the second game against fellow Thais Jongkolphan Kititharakul and Rawinda Prajongjai.
Jongkolphan and Rawinda took the first game 21-16 and at 6-8 in the second, Sapsiree landed awkwardly on her left knee. After a medical timeout, Sapsiree tried to play on before deciding to call it off after just one point.
The win by Jongkolphan and Rawinda ended Thailand's 46-year wait to win the women's doubles title. The last Thai winners in the event were Thongkam Kingmanee and Pachara Pattabngse in 1971.
Fourth seeds Dechapol and Kittinupong Kedren beat Malaysia's third seeds Ong Yew Sin and Teo Ee Yi 21-19, 20-22, 21-17 to take home the men's doubles gold.
It was Thailand's first men's doubles gold in 18 years.
Second seed Khosit Phetpradap had to settle for a silver after losing to Indonesian top seed Jonatan Christie in men's singles final 19-21, 10-21.
Goh Jin Wei beat fellow Malaysian Soniia Cheah to capture the women's singles title, which was won by Thailand's Busanan Ongbamrungphan two years ago.
Busanan lost in the quarter-finals on Friday.
The four bronze medals came from Pornpawee Chochuwong in the women's singles, Bodin Isara and Niphitphon Phuangphuapet in the men's doubles, Bodin and Savitree Amitrapai in the mixed doubles and the men's team.
