Boxing hero on the ropes

The 17-year-old, whose name has been withheld due to her age, told police she had been abused by Somrak, also known as “Mai Dai Mo” (“I wasn't bragging”), a former Olympic gold medalist.

The girl claims she was lured to a hotel by Somrak, whom she met at a night entertainment venue in Khon Kaen province. Somrak denies the accusations, saying he is a victim of attempted blackmail.

Today, we take an in-depth look at the life and career of the well-known kickboxer.

Somrak, a Khon Kaen native, was the first Thai in history to win a gold medal at the Olympics for Thailand.

Born into a financially disadvantaged family on January 16, 1973, Somrak, also known as Bas, is the middle child among three siblings.

His journey to Muay Thai was shaped by his father, himself a former kickboxer, who initiated his training at a very young age. Somrak made his debut in the Muay Thai ring at the age of 7, participating in matches at local temple fairs.

His exceptional talent did not go unnoticed, capturing the attention of the head of Narong Gym. Under the mentorship of the gym, he continued his training and fought under the name “Somrak Narong Gym” before later moving to train at the “Sitaran” camp.

Somrak's journey took him to Bangkok, where he pursued both education and engaged in Muay Thai. In the capital city, he actively participated in both Muay Thai and amateur boxing. Initially competing in Muay Thai under the name "Pimaranlek Sitaran".

Somrak gained valuable experience as he entered the ring on renowned stages like Ratchadamnoen Stadium and Lumpinee Stadium and faced several renowned opponents of that era.

While he did not secure a Muay Thai championship at these prestigious venues, his fight purse peaked at 180,000 baht.

In 1995, he decided to shift his focus exclusively to international boxing.

His journey in amateur boxing began at school 10 years earlier, when he was just 12 years old and weighed 52 kilograms.

After completing his education, he received an invitation to join the Royal Thai Navy sports club and subsequently enlisted in the Navy.

His journey in the national team commenced at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, where he competed in the featherweight division. In 1993, Somrak clinched a gold medal in the military world boxing championship held in Italy.

However, he opted out of joining the national team for the Southeast Asian Games that year, claiming to be unprepared.

Earning widespread acclaim, Somrak became the sole Thai athlete to claim a gold medal at the 12th Asian Games in 1994 in Hiroshima, Japan. Notably, he faced the risk of losing eligibility earlier due to initially failing the physical fitness test.

The year 1995 witnessed another triumph as he secured a gold medal in boxing at the Southeast Asian Games in Chiang Mai.

Building on this success, he progressed to the final round of the Olympic Games in 1996, ultimately securing Thailand's first-ever gold medal in boxing at the Atlanta Olympics.

This historic achievement marked a significant milestone for the country. Somrak's accomplishments firmly established him as a legendary figure in Thai boxing history.

He continued his Olympic journey, participating in the Games twice more, first in 2000 in Sydney and later in 2004 in Athens. Unfortunately, he did not achieve success in these competitions and was eliminated in the first round at the Athens Olympics. On August 16, 2004, Somrak officially announced his retirement from boxing.

Somrak married a woman he had known since his school days in Khon Kaen and they went on to have two children. The pair divorced two months ago.

Somrak was honoured with the rank of lieutenant commander by the Royal Thai Navy. However, his life took a challenging turn when he and his wife became embroiled in a legal dispute for failing to repay a 4-million-baht debt to the Bangkok Assets Management Company.

The Bankruptcy Court declared him bankrupt on September 21, 2018.

Somrak explained that the legal dispute had been going on for decades and went back to his active involvement in amateur boxing. He attributed the prolonged resolution to a lack of understanding regarding the necessary documentation for his business activities.

Due to his cheerful and lively nature, Samrak has been involved in various acting projects and also put himself forward for election to the House of Representatives though his attempt to enter politics was not successful.

Somrak's life has been a series of battles, both in the boxing ring and in facing real-life challenges.

His career has been marked by victories and defeats on numerous occasions. What will happen in this recent case remains to be seen.