Thailand began their participation in the Olympics at the Helsinki Games in 1952, but had to wait for more than two decades for their first medal.
The first Thai Olympic hero was boxer Payao Poontarat, who won bronze at the 1976 Montreal Games.
Boxers were also the country's first ever Olympic silver and gold medallists -- Thawee Ampornmaha, a runner-up at Los Angeles 1984, and Somluck Kamsing, a champion at Atlanta 1996.
After Payao's success, the Thai boxers claimed at least one medal at every Olympics except the 1980 Moscow Games when the country joined the US-led boycott.
That streak ended at Rio in 2016 when Thai fighters failed to win a single medal.
The Thailand Boxing Association (TBA), under president Pichai Chunhavachira, and its athletes are determined to redeem themselves at Tokyo 2020, which starts on July 23.
Chatchai-decha Butdee, wearing a face mask, runs on a street. (Reuters photo)
Five Thai fighters earned tickets to Tokyo -- Thitisan Panmod (men's 52kg), Chatchai-decha Butdee (men's 57kg), Juthamas Chitrapong (women's 51kg), Sudaporn Seesondee (women's 60kg) and Baison Maneekon (women's 69kg) -- but unfortunately Thitisan suffered a knockout blow this week and was forced to withdraw from the Tokyo Games due to a knee injury.
The 20-year-old was seen as one of the country's best bets to win gold in Tokyo.
According to the Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT), Chatchai-decha and Sudaporn are in the 'target group' of athletes who have the highest chances of becoming champions at the 2020 Olympics.
Thitisan was also in this group before the setback.
Baison and Juthamas are in the second group with high chances of winning medals.
Among the quartet, Sudaporn is probably the best fighter.
In the eyes of some critics, the 29-year-old is too old, but the Udon Thani native says age is irrelevant.
"I am not too worried about my age," she said. "If we are fit enough, we can beat anyone."
Sudaporn has been familiar with boxing since she was young because her father owned a Muay Thai gym.
She has finished second twice in major international events -- the world championships and the Asian Games, both in 2018.
Chatchai-decha, formerly Chatchai, will fight in his third, and last, Olympics.
In his previous two Games appearances, he fought a total of only four bouts -- two each at London 2012 and Rio 2016.
With little success on the big stage -- he has won four golds at the SEA Games and one at the Asian championships -- one may wonder how far Chatchai-decha would go in Tokyo.
The Sa Kaeo native planned to hang up his gloves last year but has delayed his retirement following the postponement of the Tokyo Games which were originally scheduled for last year.
"I always do my best and want to win a gold medal," he said.
"If I win, my family and Thai people will be happy."
Baison, 18, is Thailand's youngest ever boxer to have qualified for the Olympics.
She won the Asian youth title and was named the best boxer of the tournament in 2019.
But she is realistic about her chances in Tokyo, saying she will be very happy if she can land a bronze.
Juthamas' participation in Tokyo was only confirmed earlier this month when she replaced a North Korean fighter whose country won't take part in the Games.
The boxing event at Tokyo 2020 is being organised by a special task force assigned by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as the sport's governing body, the International Boxing Association (Aiba), has been suspended.
The IOC stripped Aiba of any involvement in the Olympic qualifiers and the tournament at the Tokyo Games over governance, finance, refereeing and ethical issues.