THE CAMP THOR CHALERMCHAI
THE CAMP THOR CHALERMCHAI
Special report by Serge TREFEU (2011)
This camp was created by Mr Phutpantung Chalermchai, a military with sulphurous past, which has a post important military within the Thai army of Bangkok. Thor Chalermchai exists since 25 years and is situated in Bangkok in Wang Thong Lang’s district, just before the embassy of Cambodia. It is very difficult of located the entry of this camp because he is hidden behind a building. For it penetrated it is downright necessary to cross a restaurant or pass under the hall of the building to succeed in the large court of Thor Chalermchai.
The camp is really dilapidated, the conditions of trainings here for nakmuays are very hard. The place is aerated well all the same and the wide boxing ring allows the boxers to train in several tops. But four punch bags of the camp are more than used by the knocks of daily shins of the boxers and groundsheets are completely eaten away by the humidity …
The boxers, about fifteen, sleep in the rooms of a building which are in front of the camp. In the floor, there are several rooms, simple just with a fan, but practically no boxer wants to sleep in these rooms. Because in the evening they are invaded by mosquitoes which are incensed all night long against nakmuays. Then to avoid this torture, the boxers prefer to go all to pile up in the big room of the ground floor. In this room mosquitoes are there rarer because she is equipped with the air conditioned. But the room has no light, the evening, certain boxers to find clothes them are obliged to get clearer with a lighter. The crowding is there big because the boxers sleep almost some on the others on slender mattress put on the ground…
The training here is among the hardest of Bangkok. The fighters begin early their first jogging of the day, a jogging of more than 15 km which can sometimes go to 20 km. That of him after noon is also testing, still 15 km, and no doubt to lose heart during the route, a trainer follows the boxers in motorcycle and watches them permanently!
As the boxers run a lot and seek enormously their muscles, after every training, they make a long session of stretching.
For the training of after noon, he begins at precise 2 pm, it is much more early than most of the camps that often begins at about 3:30 pm or 4:00 pm. Indeed, the boxers of the camp often fight in the stadium of the TV7, and the fights in the TV7 start at 1:00 pm. It is for get used them in this schedule of fight that the training in Thor Chalermchai is made from 2:00 pm. Generally the boxers stop their training at about 5:30 pm or 6:00 pm. The session of clinch is not extremely long, she lasts approximately 35 minutes. On the other hand in period of fight the session in paos is terrible, it is going to last 30 minutes, without timeouts, without one minute of rest!
This camp is specialized in the pokes and the knees, nakmuays works enormously these two techniques on everyday.
The boxers fight for the greater part for the promoter Chun Kiatpetch (Owner of the stadium TV7) but they can fight sometimes also for the promoter Petchyndee (Promoter N°1 of the Lumpinee Stadium).
The champions who made the beautiful days of Thor Chalermchai, already ten years ago now, are Sayiamchai Thor Chalermchai (Omnoi Champion), Kwanjai Thor Chalermchai (Omnoi Champion) and Omsap Thor Chalermchai (Omnoi Champion).
Today the star of the camp is Superbon Lukjaomaesaiwaree, a great champion of the South of the country, from Phatthalung, he is in Thor Chalermchai since 2008. Superbon beat big champions as Sarawut Lookbanyai, Keaw Fairtex, Phetmankong Phetfergus, Singdam Kiatmuu 9, he was Thailand Champion in 135 lbs. At present there are N ° 1 of Lumpinee and N ° 1 in Thailand in 140 lbs!
Other prodigy of the camp it is the young Yedgoen Thor Chalermchai who was a Lumpinee champion in 105 lbs, it is a terrible “Muay Mat” (strong in fist), he is moreover Intercontinental Champion WBC in Boxing and is soon going to fight against Japanese Kazuto Ioka for the championship of the World WBC in Boxing.
There is also very good fighters such Yodrak Thor Chalermchai who was TV7 Champion in 135 lbs, Linglom Thor Chalermchai Radja Champion in 108 lbs.
And redoubtable Thuanthong Phumphanmuang (today Songniyom Phumphanmuang) who was before in the camp Lukbanyai, there is only a few months that he joined Thor Chalermchai. Thuanthong beat champions as Ledsila Chumpaetour, Samranchai 96 Peenang, Yutthajak Kaewsamrit, Orono Wor Phetpoon, and makes draw against champions such as Phetmankong Phetfergus and Sittichai Sitsongpeenong. He also fought twice against the French champion Cedric Muller with a victory and a defeat, a defeat where World Champion Wako’s belt was at stake!
The main trainer of the camp, Nueapatapi Sitkun, is the former champion of the camp Kiatpetch who was to trainer in the camp Lukbanyai, the famous camp or the old star Dida Diafat shot his movie “Chookdee”. Nueapatapi moreover played some important scenes in Chookdee, in particular a fight against Dida. Nueapatapi is one of the best trainers of Bangkok, he formed a lot of champions as his own son, Jaosarn who was Champion TV7 in 127 lbs!
When to the manager of the camp, to the particular look, his name is Paball Lookporkun, it is the country music fan who is very known in the world of the thai boxing.
Little foreigner to train came in Thor Chalermchai, only an American, French and Korean made some trainings here.
But the foreigner which stayed longer in this camp it is French Tony Fiorelli. He stayed there more than a month and fought twice successfully for Thor Chalermchai. The foreigners are welcome here, it is even free for them. They can be fed and accommodated, in the thai, but on the other hand they have to fight for the camp and bring good results. But attention, the conditions are more than hard within Thor Chalermchai , one needs really mental of warrior to be able to adapt to the daily life and the rigorous training of this camp…
