Boxer Amnat Ruenroeng, who lost his IBF flyweight title a few months ago, is now just one win away from qualifying for the 2016 Olympics.
Amnat scored a 29-28, 29-28, 29-28 win over Germany's Artur Bril in the quarter-finals of the lightweight (60kg) division at the APB/WSB Olympic qualification competition in Vargas, Venezuela on Monday.
Ranked second in the division, the 36-year-old Thai will fight Carmine Tommasone, 32, in the semi-finals tomorrow after the Italian beat Oleh Dvhun of Ukraine.
The top-three finishers will earn berths at the Rio Games with only seven boxers in the 60kg category of the Vargas tournament.
Amnat is seeking his second Olympic appearance after reaching the quarter-finals at Beijing 2008.
He turned professional after failing to secure a spot for the 2012 London Olympics.
Amnat will book a ticket to Rio if he beats Tommasone. If he loses, he will get another chance in the third-place play-off.
He will receive two million baht in bonus from the Thailand Boxing Association should he seal an Olympic berth.
In the other semi-final, Yasin Yilmaz of Turkey, who beat Jose Javier Rosario of Puerto Rico in the quarter-finals, is up against top seed Lindolfo Delgado Garza of Mexico who got a first-round bye.
Amnat was recalled to the national team after the TBA failed to get more Olympic spots from last month's qualifying tournament in Azerbaijan.
Four Thai boxers have qualified for the Rio Olympics -- Chatchai Butdee (56kg), Wuttichai Masuk (64kg), Sailom Ardee (69kg) and Peamwilai Laopeam (women's 51kg).
The APB/WSB Olympic qualification tournament is the first time that professional boxers have been allowed by amateur boxing's governing body Aiba to compete for places at the Summer Games.
A total of 51 Thai athletes have so far qualified for the Olympics with marathon runner Boonthueng Srisang the latest.
He is Thailand's fourth track and field athlete to earn a ticket to Rio with the other three being discus thrower Subenrat Insaeng and marathon runners Jen Wongvorachote and Nattaya Thanaronnawat.