The Most Famous
BOXERS from Thailand
Top 4
The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the most legendary Thai Boxers of all time. This list of famous Thai Boxers is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity.
1. Payao Poontarat (1956 - 2006)
With an HPI of 41.01, Payao Poontarat is the most famous Thai Boxer. His biography has been translated into 15 different languages on wikipedia.
Payao Poontarat (Thai: พเยาว์ พูลธรัตน์, RTGS: Phayao Phuntharat, pronounced [pʰā.jāw pʰūːn.tʰā.rát]; October 18, 1956 – August 13, 2006) was a Thai boxer who, at the age of 18, won the bronze medal in the men's Light flyweight (-48 kg) category at the 1976 Summer Olympics. He was the first Thai athlete to win an Olympic medal in any sport.
2. Parinya Charoenphol (b. 1981)
With an HPI of 34.90, Parinya Charoenphol is the 2nd most famous Thai Boxer. Her biography has been translated into 19 different languages.
Parinya Charoenphol (born 9 June 1981) (Thai: ปริญญา เจริญผล; RTGS: parinya charoenphon), nicknamed Toom, also known by the stage name Parinya Kiatbusaba and the colloquial name Nong Toom or Nong Tum, is a Thai boxer, former muay Thai (Thai boxing) champion, model and actress. She is a kathoey (ladyboy), a Thai word referring to what is often considered a distinct gender in Thailand and elsewhere generally considered to be gender-nonconforming men or transgender women. At the age of 18, she underwent sex reassignment surgery.
3. Manus Boonjumnong (b. 1980)
With an HPI of 31.30, Manus Boonjumnong is the 3rd most famous Thai Boxer. His biography has been translated into 18 different languages.
Manus Boonjumnong (Thai: มนัส บุญจำนงค์; RTGS: Manat Bunchamnong, born June 23, 1980) is a Thai boxer who won the Olympics at Light Welterweight (60–64 kg) at the 2004 Summer Olympics. He is the older brother of Non Boonjumnong.
4. Wijan Ponlid (b. 1976)
With an HPI of 29.23, Wijan Ponlid is the 4th most famous Thai Boxer. His biography has been translated into 16 different languages.
Police Lieutenant colonel Wijan Ponlid (Thai: วิจารณ์ พลฤทธิ์; RTGS: Wichan Phonrit; born April 26, 1976) is a Thai boxer who competed in the Men's Flyweight (– 51 kg) division at the 2000 Summer Olympics and won the gold medal. He returned to Thailand to a hero's welcome: honored with a new house, over 20 million baht, a job promotion (as a police officer in Sukhothai), and paraded at the head of a procession of 49 elephants through the city of Bangkok. Ponlid defeated Vardan Zakaryan of Germany in round 1, Andrew Kooner of Canada in round 2, upset Cuban Manuel Mantilla in the quarterfinal, beat Vladimir Sidorenko of Ukraine in the semifinal, and finally met Atlanta silver medalist Bulat Jumadilov of Kazakhstan in the final. The Thai led after every round of the bout, despite Jumadilov taking the second 6-5 to pull back to 9-7 behind, and caused endless problems for the Kazakh with his probing right lead and quick left. In a messy fight, both men fell to the canvas twice in the third round as they pushed and clinched, but Ponlid led 15-11 at the bell and then made sure of gold by dominating the fourth. He is the second Thai athlete to win an Olympic gold medal, following fellow boxer Somluck Kamsing’s euphoric victory at Atlanta in 1996. And just as Thai supporters feted Somluck in Atlanta for winning Thailand’s first Olympic gold in 44 years, they were just as ecstatic, waving national flags and chanting his name, as Ponlid was acclaimed the champion. In victory Ponlid held aloft a framed photo of King Bhumibol in the ring with the red, white and blue flag of Thailand draped around his shoulders. In Muay thai he fought under the names Sisatchanalai Taxi Meter (Thai: ศรีสัชนาลัย แท็กซี่มิเตอร์) and Sisatchanalai Sasiprapagym (Thai: ศรีสัชนาลัย ศศิประภายิม). Life after boxing, he served as a police officer in his hometown of Sukhothai. He was also the head coach of the women's boxing national team competing in the 2024 Summer Olympics. After the Olympics, after winning a bronze medal from Janjaem Suwannapheng in the welterweight (66 kg) division, he was appointed as the head coach of the Thailand national amateur boxing team for both men and women. The ultimate goal is to capture a gold medal at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
People
Pantheon has 4 people classified as Thai boxers born between 1956 and 1981. Of these 4, 3 (75.00%) of them are still alive today. The most famous living Thai boxers include Parinya Charoenphol, Manus Boonjumnong, and Wijan Ponlid. The most famous deceased Thai boxers include Payao Poontarat. As of April 2024, 1 new Thai boxers have been added to Pantheon including Payao Poontarat.
Living Thai Boxers
Go to all Rankings
Parinya Charoenphol
1981 - Present
HPI: 34.90
Manus Boonjumnong
1980 - Present
HPI: 31.30
Wijan Ponlid
1976 - Present
HPI: 29.23
