On Fighting Abroad: Four Thai Fighters in Western Europe

Photos by Chris van der Meijde

Boom could see his breath in front of him. It was cold in Belgium, the temperature hovering just over freezing. Boom had never felt cold like this growing up in Thailand, hadn't lived in cold weather until he moved to Canada back when he was 23. For the four other Thais with him, though, a white winter's day was a new experience.

Then again, almost everything about the trip to Belgium was a new experience for these men. It was early March 2016, and the five Thai men—four boxers plus Boom, their liaison, interpreter, and cornerman—had just arrived in Brussels, heading to the city of Turnhout in Antwerp. For three of the five, it had been their first time on a plane. For all, it was their first glimpse of Europe. The fighters were scheduled to step into the ring less than a week later, competing in the martial art of their heritage, fighting with foreigners on the foreigners' home soil.

The entire journey so far, from the first trip to Bangkok for Belgian visas all the way to landing at the Brussels airport, had been exciting for the four fighters. All of them—Silalek, Jom Wo, Senrak, and Rittidet—were born and raised in Thailand's impoverished, rural northeastern region of Isaan, a place known for producing the majority of Thailand's fighters. They weren't sure what to expect in Europe. How would the foreigners fight? Where would they train? What would the weigh-ins be like? Would the food be edible? Seventeen-year-old Senrak, the youngest of the bunch, hoped the food would be as good as what they were given on the plane. When dinner was served, he took out his phone and snapped pictures for Facebook. His friends back home wouldn't believe what it was like to fly internationally.

Boom told them a little of what to expect. The fighters trusted him; Boom was also a professional fighter from Isaan, but knew what the West was like from his nearly six years living in Canada. "It might be cold in Belgium," he told them.

None of them had ever experienced life outside the perennially cozy Thai weather. Outside Baggage Claim and in the frigid air, the cold was a shock. They bundled up as best they could in the car to the hotel, though none but Silalek had thought to bring a jacket, which he'd borrowed from a relative who had traveled abroad. The new climate, however, was a delight to young Senrak, the most unabashedly enthusiastic of the bunch. He was entranced by something he'd never seen before: ice crystals on the leaves outside their hotel. "Come look at this!" he called to his teammates, and pulled out the phone for more photos. Later, a video of Senrak's visible breath got him dozens of likes on Facebook.

Their Belgian liaisons helped them check in, and Boom told the fighters to get some rest. It was an important match coming up, almost like an audition. It would be their first fight in Europe for Fight Night Promotions, and if they put on a good show, they would be invited back for future events. Silalek, Rittidet, Jom Wo, and Senrak had four days to prepare for the fight, all within a new temperature, new time zone, and new culture.

Adjusting to the climate proved difficult. Even with hoodies provided by their company sponsor, Booster Fight Gear, the Thai fighters found it impossible to run outside in the freezing weather. For Rittidet, who was facing the largest weight cut of the group, this was a major obstacle. Boom tried to talk him through it, giving him, Silalek, and Jom Wo other options for cutting weight, but he could tell that for the fighters, who came from an old-school, Thai-style method of training, not being able to run was messing with their heads.

It didn't mess with their appetites much, though. Senrak, Silalek, Rittidet, and Jom Wo enthusiastically experimented with whatever food they could find. Sometimes it ended in near-disaster, like when soft-spoken Jom Wo accidentally set a cup of noodles on fire in the microwave. When smoke started pouring from the appliance, Boom dashed over, opened the microwave (the boys didn't know how to turn it off), and threw the smoking ramen cup outside into the snow.

The group was relieved when the promoters took them to a nearby Thai restaurant, where they ate daily. Senrak, the only one underweight for his fight, took full advantage of the all-you-can-eat deal provided by Booster and Fight Night Promotions. The restaurant's "Thai mom," one of the owners, watched in awe as Senrak demolished five full Western-sized portions. "I've never seen anyone eat so much," she whispered to Boom.

Boom smiled. He loved watching the fighters' reactions to Belgium. It reminded him of how he acted when he first arrived in Canada nearly 10 years ago. In Belgium, the daily scene at continental breakfast provided Boom with the most amusement. He laughed to himself when 18-year-old Jom Wo collected some bread and decorated it with apple slices before putting it in the microwave, his version of a sandwich. It was just like something Boom would have done when he first moved to Canada.

The Thai fighters were not completely out of their element, though. Muay Thai was their cultural heritage, their language of movement. For them, European fight culture was entertainingly different. The European contenders put on shows of aggression at the weigh-in, peacocking for the cameras or for themselves. The Thais were not intimidated by their posturing. Instead, they laughed about it with each other, making comments in Thai about the spectacle these foreign fighters were putting on for the cameras backstage.

When time came for the fights, each boxer was confident. The energy of the crowd was infectious; rarely, if ever, had the Thai boxers fought for an audience of anything but Thai gamblers. Here in Belgium, though, there were proper videographers and photographers, spotlights and speakers, announcers, European ring card girls. The fights were a real production, and the boys were told to jump into the action from the very beginning. These fights were just three rounds each, not the slow-to-start five-rounders like in Thailand.

Ritidet, the oldest of the four at 33, went three hard rounds with a high-level, well-conditioned young fighter. Rittidet wasn't just thinking about winning on points or by K.O. Rather, he was trying to make the fight exciting. That was what would get him an invitation back to fight again. The fight went to a decision, and Rittidet was deducted a point for humping his opponent in a comical way after throwing him down in the clinch. Maybe that had been the deciding point. Either way, fight lost.

From the corner, Boom sighed in disappointment. Rittidet had been the only Thai fighter to complete a proper pre-fight training session, and the one most devoted to his weight cut.

Next was Senrak, the happiest, friendliest, and youngest of the group. By the end of the first round, it was clear he might also be the most exciting to watch in the ring as well. He was confident despite having to fight at nearly 5kg over his regular weight, and still feeling the aches from the five—count them, five—fights he had had over the previous month. Senrak's European opponent was shorter but heftier, strong and mentally prepared. The young European knew what it was like to fight a Thai; one of his past opponents was the now-retired legend Pornsanae Sitmonchai.

The first round, Senrak was on fire, completely outclassing his opponent, throwing elbows and knees, even putting on dramatic facial expressions. Booster was impressed. They had potentially found their new rising star. But in the second round, Senrak's fit opponent landed a major body shot and Senrak collapsed. That was it. Show over.

Boom gritted his teeth. Senrak should not have gone down from that shot. And he wouldn't have, Boom reasoned, if he'd had proper rest and conditioning. Senrak also shouldn't have fought so many times the month prior. He'd fought four times in February before coming to train with Boom at his gym the last week of the month. After three days at Boom's gym, Senrak's father received a call for his son to fight in Bangkok on February 28th. Senrak told his father to decline the offer. "You have to go," Senrak's father told him. "If you don't go, they might never call you to fight there again." Senrak was tired and sore when he arrived in Bangkok. As expected, Senrak lost. One week later, he was on a plane to Europe. The man he faced in the ring was likely not in the same boat, not recovering from having fought five times in one month because it was his job. The other man in the ring might also have heard current theories on sports medicine and nutrition, ideas to which Senrak had never been exposed.

For Senrak, though, grieving the loss of his fight was abbreviated. His hometown Facebook fans needed some updates. As soon as he recovered from the body shot, he pulled out his phone backstage for more selfies.

No sooner had Senrak's fight ended than Silalek stepped up. The Thai university student with the movie-star good looks was next.

Silalek had been turning heads from the day he arrived. The girls noticed him, as did the gym owners and promoters. He had a presence different than the other three; a sophistication that said, "I've done this before." While Rittidet, Senrak, and Jom Wo laughed at every new thing in Belgium, pointing and posing and taking selfies, Silalek was calm, cool, and collected. He was the same in the ring.

Favored by gamblers in Isaan for his reliable clinching and ring IQ, Silalek was encountering new challenges in Europe. His opponent was a local boy, an aggressive, fearless K-1 fighter from the respected Ting Tong Gym Antwerp. A clinch fighter, Silalek slipped his opponent's punches, quickly wrapping him up in a clinch and firing well-placed knees. It was beautiful technique to the fan of classic Muay Thai, but not so to the European audience. Skillful clinching wasn't what they were hoping to see. When the fighters clinched, the audience booed.

From the corner, Boom could see Silalek's lack of conditioning by the third round. It was clear the clinch fighter-slash-university student was falling behind in points. No wonder, thought Boom. Silalek trains at the university now, where fighters are left to take care of themselves. It's good enough for the low- and medium-stakes fighting-for-money that happens all over Isaan, but not enough for fighting in Bangkok or abroad.

The fight went to a decision. Again, the judges ruled in favor of the European.

Eighteen-year-old Jom Wo, just weeks away from high school graduation, was the last of the four to fight. Like Silalek and Senrak, he too came to Belgium without the benefit of a proper training camp. A poster boy for the archetypal grassroots-style training said to be found all over Isaan, Jom Wo has somewhere between 100 to 200 fights to his name but has never trained full-time at a proper gym. His "gym" is a dusty ring in his backyard, overlooking farmland. His trainer is his father, a 55-year-old man who can't hold pads for more than three rounds. Jom Wo's normal sparring partner is his brother, away at school the past month for mandatory testing.

In the ring in Belgium, Jom Wo fought well and with heart, relying heavily on his left kick, a kick with a reputation back in Isaan for breaking arms. But his opponent overwhelmed him with punches, shook him and landed some heavy hands. Instead of utilizing his kicks, which had served him well so far, he stood close and boxed.

Boom yelled for him to move, to set up for kicks, but Jom Wo stayed inside. Boom couldn't believe what he was seeing. It was stupid for Jom Wo to stand there and box a European fighter. Then again, Boom knew Jom Wo is a fighter who has never had a proper coach. He's never really been taught, has just learned from his time in the ring, has developed a fighting not from a gym or coach but from actual fights. This match tonight would be yet another learning experience.

Sure enough, Jom Wo got caught. A punch took him down and he hit the canvas hard. The ref declared a K.O. and the audience cheered the victor.

The team from Isaan packed up. The next day, they'd return to Thailand, unsure of whether they'd be invited back to Belgium. Boom had watched all four of his countrymen lose in their own national sport to foreign fighters. Boom was less surprised than disappointed. He knew that fighting for European audiences often requires a different and strategy than fighting for Thai gamblers; it's a lesson many top Thai fighters have had to learn when competing abroad. Boom and his wife Frances had explained this, even showed the fighters videos, but things are different in theory versus in practice. When you get into the ring, you do what you train for. You revert to what comes naturally. Like Silalek, Boom thought, who went back to his comfort zone of clinch-fighting, a winning style in Thailand but unreliable in Europe.

Still, it was clear the Thai fighters could learn from the Europeans, and not just about fighting for European judges. Each European fighter had been fit and well conditioned, in complete fighting shape. But the cultural differences could not be disregarded. It's easier to be in good shape for an important fight when one does not need to fight constantly for money, as in Senrak's case.

Despite their losses, the fighters were upbeat on the way home, happy to get back to their warm climate and familiar food. Each of them had fought dozens of times before, if not hundreds. What's one loss out of all that? Silalek was a part-time model and full-time college student in addition to fighting; he had plenty to get back to. Rittidet wouldn't be discouraged by the loss either. He was always looking for more fights, in Isaan or abroad, to help him earn money for a house for his family. Teenagers Senrak and Jom Wo, who seemed to have become best friends in the span of one week abroad, were returning to Isaan with stories of life in a foreign land, tales they knew would captivate their curious friends. Belgium had been a good experience, but within a few weeks, they'd be back in the ring in Isaan.

Language interpretation by Frances and Boom Watthanaya.