Tono must be getting punchy waiting to wed Tangmo

Tono appeared at a boxing match at Channel 7 Stadium last Sunday with a pair of fighters, briefly spurring speculation that he might be trading in the microphone for a set of padded gloves and baggy shorts. In fact, he recently set up a small training camp. “It’s my passion,” Tono explained from ringside. “I always wanted to make my dad’s dream come true.”

His late father ran the Sor Borikarn boxing camp in Khon Kaen, their home province. “He always hoped that one day I would follow in his footsteps,” Tono said. And that’s precisely what happened last weekend when Tono introduced boxing twins Mafuengnoi and Mafuenglek Chor Rojsurang, the first bruisers from his own Tor Pakin camp to get a professional fight. 

Tono said he pays his boys Bt10,000 a month in salary, “and because they’re young, the money is intended for their school education”. He’ll soon formally register the training camp with the authorities and hopes his participation will help promote the sport, which he considers a great outlet for kids.

Meanwhile, no, he has absolutely no intention of giving up his career in those other kinds of show business. 

 

Remember “Naresuan”?

The “official word” – and you can believe it if you want – is that the long-awaited conclusion to the epic film series “Tamnan Somdej Phra Naresuan” (“The Legend of King Naresuan”) hits the screen on May 29. The fifth and final segment was supposed to do that three years ago. 

Of course it’s not like director MC Chatrichalerm “Than Mui” Yukol was sitting around contemplating his navel all that time. There was a Bt150-million fire on the set in Kanchanaburi, one of several serious, unavoidable setbacks. When Part 1 premiered in January 2007 there were three parts planned, but that grew into five after the opener earned more than Bt200 million at the box office. The momentum continued for Part 2 the following month, but interest waned over the long pause before Parts 3 and 4 appeared in March and August 2011. 

After yet another break that seemed eternal, Than Mui and Sahamongkol Film are no doubt relieved to be offloading the finale. But are they really? Is this really it? May 29? Yes, it looks like the day has come. The trailer and poster are out. The historical film that became a part of history itself over the course of eight years – perhaps the longest Thai movie production schedule ever – seems to be finished at last. 

To help put things in perspective, a fellow remarked on the community website Pantip.com that he saw “Naresuan 1” when he was in Grade 3 and he’s now about to graduate from high school. It should be interesting to see how well Than Mui has done in managing the film epic’s continuity. From the trailer, at least, certainly the cast doesn’t appear to have aged, especially Wanchana Sawasdi, who plays the moustachioed king. 

Except that Wanchana was a major in the Army when this project began – and a bachelor – and now he’s a lieutenant colonel and married.