| Event: | Swimming |
| Games: | 1978 Asian Games |
| Venue: | Kasetsart University |
| Dates: | 12–17 December 1978 |
| Prev: | 1974 |
| Next: | 1982 |
Swimming was contested at the 1978 Asian Games in Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand from December 12 to December 17, 1978.
| 100 m freestyle | 54.10 | 54.25 | 54.28 | ||||
| 200 m freestyle | 1:56.68 | 1:56.76 | 1:57.33 | ||||
| 400 m freestyle | 4:06.83 | 4:07.22 | 4:08.30 | ||||
| 1500 m freestyle | 16:14.92 | 16:47.83 | 16:49.87 | ||||
| 100 m backstroke | 1:00.76 | 1:01.27 | 1:01.96 | ||||
| 200 m backstroke | 2:10.87 | 2:12.48 | 2:13.52 | ||||
| 100 m breaststroke | 1:04.94 | 1:05.75 | 1:06.42 | ||||
| 200 m breaststroke | 2:22.56 | 2.23.71 | 2:26.43 | ||||
| 100 m butterfly | 58.41 | 58.58 | 59.64 | ||||
| 200 m butterfly | 2:06.68 | 2:08.46 | 2:09.19 | ||||
| 200 m individual medley | 2:10.22 | 2:11.95 | 2:14.04 | ||||
| 400 m individual medley | 4:40.80 | 4:40.86 | 4:46.56 | ||||
| 4 × 100 m freestyle relay | 3:35.91 | 3:39.63 | 3:40.24 | ||||
| 4 × 200 m freestyle relay | 7:49.75 | 8:05.55 | 8:07.10 | ||||
| 4 × 100 m medley relay | 3:56.97 | 4:01.08 | 4:03.98 |
| 100 m freestyle | 1:00.30 | 1:00.84 | 1:01.41 | ||||
| 200 m freestyle | 2:09.98 | 2:11.08 | 2:11.09 | ||||
| 400 m freestyle | 4:31.35 | 4:32.86 | 4:34.08 | ||||
| 800 m freestyle | 9:18.33 | 9:22.48 | 9:29.83 | ||||
| 100 m backstroke | 1:06.74 | 1:07.23 | 1:09.57 | ||||
| 200 m backstroke | 2:23.12 | 2:25.13 | 2:26.91 | ||||
| 100 m breaststroke | 1:16.04 | 1:17.06 | 1:17.19 | ||||
| 200 m breaststroke | 2:41.01 | 2:46.01 | 2:47.50 | ||||
| 100 m butterfly | 1:03.56 | 1:03.84 | 1:07.99 | ||||
| 200 m butterfly | 2:15.79 | 2:16.80 | 2:25.45 | ||||
| 200 m individual medley | 2:27.98 | 2:29.06 | 2:30.12 | ||||
| 400 m individual medley | 5:08.34 | 5:11.43 | 5:22.73 | ||||
| 4 × 100 m freestyle relay | 4:03.58 | 4:12.43 | 4:17.50 | ||||
| 4 × 100 m medley relay | 4:27.16 | 4:39.54 | 4:45.46 |