THE POR MUANGPHET GYM CAMP, THE ONLY CAMP IN THAILAND WITH AN ALL-FEMALE TEAM
THE POR MUANGPHET GYM CAMP, THE ONLY CAMP IN THAILAND WITH AN ALL-FEMALE TEAM BY SERGE TREFEU (2024)
Por Muangphet Camp is located in the village of Nong Chok, in Phetchaburi Province, an area 150 km south of Bangkok. Previously, since 2008, Por Muangphet was based in Samut Prakan, a city 30 km from Bangkok. However, in 2021, the camp owner returned to his native Phetchaburi and built a new camp with a beautiful infrastructure. Being born in this area, he was able to get closer to his parents who still live in Nong Chok and who are sick, which allows him to take care of them while pursuing his passion for Muay Thai.
The great peculiarity of this new camp lies in the fact that it was composed exclusively of female fighters. A dozen female boxers represent the Por Muangphet Gym, a unique women’s team in Thailand. Subsequently, a team of boxers was created in parallel.
It is an interesting initiative on the part of the camp owner to highlight women’s boxing in Thailand. Indeed, it helps to promote gender equality in sport and provide more opportunities for women in the field of Muay Thai.
In addition, according to the boss of the boxing camp, boxers are easier to manage than boxers because of the reduction of problems related to drugs or fights, women tend to be more disciplined than some boxers…
Por Muangphet Gym was founded by Mr. Phumhathai Maikaew, nicknamed Lek Muangphet in the world of Muay Thai. Mr. Phumhathai Maikaew owns a boxing equipment company in Samut Prakarn.
Lek Muangphet (56 years) is a former champion who bore the name of boxer of «Kongkiat Sor Thanikul». He has long fought for the Sor Thanikul Gym, one of the most famous camps in the country in the 80s and 90s.
Kongkiat won the Lumpinee stadium belt in 105 lbs and the Samrong stadium belt in 100 lbs. He beat many famous boxers like Choenlong Sitwangyu, Grandprixnoi Muangchaiyapoom (Lumpinee Champion), Mathee Jadeepitak (Lumpinee Champion, WMC World Champion), Lukrok Sor Ploenchit, Chokchaichew Na Pattaya (WBC Boxing World Champion), and face the legendary Saenklai Sit Khru Od who beat him in points.
Lek Muangphet is also a promoter, he often organizes women’s matches in the Bangkok area. Every month, at the Radja stadium, he organizes an event at the RWS Show with female boxers as stars.
The Por Muangphet Gym in Samut Prakarn was made up of male and female fighters. The boxers who represented the colors of this camp for several years are Praewprao Por Muangphet, Kamphaengpetch Por Muangphet, Phalangphon Por Muangphet, Phalangphob Por Muangphet, Kongphop Por Muangphet, Yodkhunsuk Por Muangphet, Yodkhunphon Por Muangphet, Yodkawangkhao Por Muangphet and Yodnatee Por Muangphet.
Lek Muangphet has always welcomed female fighters into his camp, but over the past five years, he has assembled a veritable dream team of champions.
Its best-known champion, trained at Por Muangphet, is Namtan. Then the camp has champions such as Kaewtaa, Pornpan, Rungnapha, Kwankhaw, Karaked and Pimpa.
Namtan Por Muangphet fought 160 fights, winning 130 times, suffering 28 defeats and obtaining 2 draws. She fought several times overseas, including in Japan, Europe and China.
In 2013, at the age of 18, she won the WMC world title in 115 lbs. Two years later, she won a second title. On April 2, 2015, at Mac Hall The Mall Bang Kapi, Namtan defeated Thailand’s Safa Sor Suparat to win the WPMF belt in 118 lbs.
Namtan is married to the great champion Rittheewada Sor Nipaporn, who has won many prestigious titles such as the Lumpinee Championship, TV7 Championship, WMC World Championship and RWS Radja Tournament. Namtan ended her fighting career.
Kaewtaa Por Muangphet won the central region champion belt in 102 lbs in 2018 against Nongplaylek Srisawatyims in a show in Samut Prakarn. A year later, she won the special “Nai Khanom Tom” belt, the event of which is organized by the prestigious institution of the Sports Authority of Thailand.
Kaewtaa also won a WPMF world championship belt in 115 lbs.
Pornpan Por Muangphet, at the age of 15 years, defeated English champion Lisa Baiery to win the Thai 112 lbs champion title on Wednesday February 5, 2020.
Rungnapha Por Muangphet defeated American’s Margaret Vanek and won the IMSA (International Muaythai Sport Association) World Belt in 112 lbs, on October 22, 2022, at an event organized by the Muay Thai International Women’s Association at South Thai UniversityEast of Bangkok. She also won the Thailand championship in 2023.
In 2022, Rungnapha received the trophy of “Best Female Boxer of the Year” awarded by the prestigious institution The Sports Authority of Thailand, as well as the Award for the outstanding professional athlete of Muay Thai!
Kwankhaw Por Muangphet, just 15 years old, won the title of Thailand champion in 126 lbs in 2021. She beat Phetmanee Wor Maneewan (WMC World Champion).
In 2022, she won gold at the Youth WBC World Championships.
On December 11, 2022, she reached the “8 Woman Super Champ” tournament final. Kwankhaw lost on points to champion Kwanjay Sor Tawanrung.
Karaked Por Muangphet is the grand winner of the LWC (Lumpinee World Championship) Super Champ 2024 tournament, in the 118 lbs category. On April 27, 2024, she defeated Pencake C.K. Muay Thai Gym in the final of the tournament.
In 2023, Karaked became Thailand champion in 118 lbs and world champion IMSA (International Muaythai Sport Association). She was elected «Best Female Boxer of the Year 2023» by the Sports Authority of Thailand and received the royal trophy for Outstanding Athlete in 2023!
Pimpa Por Muangphet won the Thailand belt in 100 lbs in 2020.
Por Muangphet also has promising young fighters such as Chambo Namtaa and Namtaa, two 14-year-old boxers who won gold at the IFMA Amateur World Championships. Chambo Namtaa was IFMA champion in 2023 and Namtaa champion IFMA in 2021, 2022 and 2023, Buachampoo (Champion of the Northeast region) who regularly fights in the major stadiums of Bangkok including the show RWS Radja and Petchplaifon (Champion of the Bangkok region), a superb technician who evolves at the highest level in the stadiums of the capital. On December 22, 2023, at Radja Stadium, Petchplaifon faced the current ring star, Japanese Saya Ito (WBC, WMC and WPMF World Champion) who beat him on points.
As well as Ngamta Por Muangphet, a fighter raised by the boss of the gym as her own daughter, who is already a formidable boxer on the provincial rings.
The main coach of Nong Chok’s Por Muangphet is Chungoen Lukbanyai, a great veteran of the famous Lukbanyai Gym camp in Bangkok. Chungoen made 84 fights, winning 60, including a large part in the two largest stadiums of Bangkok, the Lumpinee and the Radja.
