Chiang Mai is the second Thai city to host the Southeast Asian Games after Bangkok.

With the return of Cambodia, all ten members of the federation were present to compete in the SEA Games for the first time.

The mascot of the 1995 Southeast Asian Games is a Siamese cat named Sawasdee (Thai: สวัสดี) who takes a Bo Sang umbrella with him.

As a mascot, its name Sawasdee is a word often spoken in Thai as a greeting or farewell in Thailand.

Its umbrella represents Chiang Mai province, Thailand, host of the 1995 Southeast Asian Games.