On April 16th, every year, the Hua Hin Municipality organises a ceremony to commemorate Phon King Phet, which this year led by Mr. Nopporn Wutthikun and members of the municipality, along with relevant agencies, to attend the ceremony at the park Pone Kingpetch.
For Pone Kingpetch or Mana Seedokbuab, nicknamed “Klae”, is a native of Hua Hin, he was born on February 12, 1935, and he had a passion for sports since his childhood, his sport is Thai boxing which is a very famous sport worldwide, it’s the true Thai mix martial arts culture that has been around for centuries. He has been training ever since he was a young child at a small boxing camp in Hua Hin. From his great boxing performance, everyone knew he was a gifted fighter with a great future so he got a great opportunity to move in to the big city to start a real life career out of boxing.
He went to Bangkok to fight his way through, which enabled him to improve his boxing skills and gain great experiences really quickly, and he was able to win the flyweight champion of the Ratchadamnoen boxing Stadium, which is considered the biggest boxing Stadium that combines all the best boxers in Thailand where the best talents are found. With an amazing fierce boxing style and spectacular footwork that was just a work of art; therefore the boxing camp gave him the opportunity to participate in not only his Thai traditional boxing but also International-style boxing, in which he was able to win the Filipino boxer name “Danny Kit” in flyweight championship of the Far East Boxing Association (OPBF).
Thailand’s first boxer to win a world title belt was Pone Kingpetch who became flyweight champion of the world on April 16, 1960 when he defeated Argentinian legend Pascual Perez at Lumpini Stadium in Bangkok in front of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, Therefore, the Sports Reporters Association of Thailand has determined that every 16 April of each year is the “The Best Athlete Day” to give out awards to Thai athletes who make a reputation for the country.On this day every year for the remembrance of the purists boxer Thailand has ever produced. Pone died in 1982 at the age of 47, but his memory has not been forgotten.
In his hometown of Hua Hin, there is a statue and a park in his memory. Local people still place garlands of flowers at the statue which is located on Thanon Damnoern Kasem, the road that leads from Hua Hin train station to the beach. Heading out of the train station, the statue is on the right-hand side opposite the fire station.
