SPOTLIGHT
Ticket sales are down, pay is decreasing and promoters are in debt ... and it's all thanks to the PAD
Anucha Charoenpo
Surichai On-chim, manager of Chuwatthana Boxing Training Camp, holds his boss' pawn ticket for a gold necklace. Owner Chucharoen Rawee-aramwong was in dire need of cash to cover expenses at the camp. |
Boxers gather in front of Ratchadamnoen boxing stadium earlier this month to protest against the PAD's rally. They say the demonstration, held nearby, scared foreign tourists away from their boxing tournaments. |
Usually packed with tourists and muay Thai fans, the Ratchadamnoen boxing stadium was almost empty on June 5_around 10 days after the PAD kicked off its rally on Ratchadamnoen Nok Avenue. |
The People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) may have many supporters, but the group also realises that their month-long street protest has irritated others. That's politics.
But while their natural enemies are members and backers of the Samak Sundaravej government, as well as supporters of deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, they also have some unexpected foes- the boxers and promoters at Ratchadamnoen boxing stadium.
Thailand's oldest boxing venue is located on Ratchadamnoen Nok Avenue, near Makkhawan Rangsan Bridge, which was used as the PAD's stronghold from the launch of their rally on May 25 until the protest moved to Government House on Friday.
Muay Thai organisers and boxers claim they have lost millions of baht, as the number of tourists attending the fights and training courses at the stadium has dropped sharply since the start of the anti-government rally.
The boxers and promoters' discontent came to a head earlier this month when they held a protest of their own in front of Ratchadamnoen stadium, voicing their opposition to the PAD rally.
They said many tourists from Europe, China, Japan, and South Korea had cancelled bookings for fights at the stadium over fears the demonstrations would turn violent. Many also cancelled their places on the stadium's month-long muay Thai training course.
Even though the PAD moved their rally to Government House on Phitsanulok Road on Friday, the boxers and promoters are still far from happy.
The new demonstration site is also not far from Ratchadamnoen stadium and the protest looks unlikely to end soon.
Veteran boxing promoter Chucharoen Rawee-aramwong, better known as Ang Mor, said the number of foreigners visiting the stadium had dropped by half.
"My boxers and I have been badly affected by the PAD rally," said Mr Chucharoen.
The promoter called on the PAD to rally at a venue which causes minimal impact on traffic flow and city residents.
Mr Chucharoen, 65, who also owns Chuwatthana Boxing Training Camp in Bangkok's Worachak area, has run his boxing business at Ratchadamnoen stadium for 31 years. His current stable consists of about 30 fighters.
He is one of 14 promoters active at the stadium. Each is allocated a three-month period to organise boxing bouts at the famous venue.
The promoters receive 60% of the total revenue from tickets sales, while 25% goes to tour guides and 15% to the stadium management. Tickets cost between 200 and 2,000 baht. Thais pay 200 baht for the cheapest tickets, while non-Thais pay 1,000 or 2,000 baht, depending on the seat location.
Mr Chucharoen says he had to pawn his gold necklace in order to buy food for his boxers and pay for electricity and water bills at the boxing camp. He says he has fallen into serious debt.
The promoter said he must earn at least 100,000 baht a month just to cover expenses at his boxing camp.
"Boxing promoters are not as rich as people think," he lamented.
And he said it is not only the promoters who are feeling the effects of the PAD rally. He said boxers' paycheques have been cut by about half since the start of the rally, as each tournament has earned less revenue.
Bantamweight boxer Pasit Promkhiew said his pay was cut from 60,000 baht per contest to between 20,000 and 25,000 baht during the rally.
"We want the PAD demonstrators to show us some sympathy," said the 29-year-old boxer from Ayutthaya.
"Boxing is our livelihood. We feed our families with the money we earn from our fights. The protesters have families to take care of, too, so they should understand the hardships we face."
Another fighter, Tanakorn Pawachart, said his promoter had reduced his pay from 90,000 baht per fight to 40,000 baht.
"I don't know much about what the PAD is demanding," he said. "The only thing I know is that many people are being affected by their actions."
Suriyasai Katasila, the PAD coordinator, defended the rally, saying it is in line with the Constitution that allows people to express opinions in a peaceful manner.
He apologised for those affected by the protests, but insisted the PAD will continue the rally until the Samak government quits.
Mr Suriyasai says the ruling People's Power party has failed to solve the country's problems, especially the rising cost of living, since it took control in February.
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