Last week, on June 19, something changed in boxing in Thailand. Quietly. No parades. No huge promotion. Just a fighter walking into Tokyo's Ota-City General Gymnasium and walking out with a world title.
For years, Thailand was a force in the lower weight divisions -- minimumweight through bantamweight. It was almost expected. Chatchai Sasakul. Veeraphol Sahaprom. Khaosai Galaxy. Fighters who carried the sport on their backs. But lately, the spotlight faded. The belts were being fought for elsewhere. Fewer Thais were getting through at the world level.
Then came Thanongsak Simsri.
He beat Cristian Araneta for the vacant IBF light flyweight title. It wasn't just a win -- it was a shift. Thanongsak didn't do it in Thailand. He didn't have a big promoter backing him. He did it abroad. On neutral ground. No protection. Just gloves, gumshield, and grit.
Thanongsak is what you'd call a dark horse. He's not with any of the major Thai promoters. He is managed and trained by Poom Kosonset, and promoted in Japan by Masaya Motoishi of Green Tsuda Promotion. Together, they've taken the long road -- travelling for sparring, staying busy, staying overlooked. Since turning pro in 2018, Thanongsak has built a 38–1 record with 34 knockouts. But most people still didn't know his name.
He's from Si Sa Ket, in Thailand's northeast. A region that's produced a lot of fighters. But unlike most, Thanongsak didn't come up through an extensive Muay Thai career. "Thanongsak had only 40 Muay Thai fights," Poom told me. "He lacked the experience typically seen in Thai fighters." So the team took a different route -- getting experience the hard way. Overseas.
In 2018, he lost to Masamichi Yabuki, who later held the same IBF title Thanongsak just won. Instead of fading away, he came back stronger -- winning fights abroad against names like Miel Fajardo, John Paul Gabunilas, and Masataka Taniguchi. Not easy fights. But they built him.
The Araneta fight started well. Thanongsak used his jab, kept it long, and won the first two rounds. Then in round three, Araneta, a southpaw, caught him clean with a straight left and dropped him. That could've been the turning point.
But Thanongsak got up.
And from that moment, he took over. He didn't rush. He didn't lose the plot. He stayed composed, pressured smart, worked the body, and broke Araneta down. That's where the maturity showed. Not just a puncher chasing knockouts--he made adjustments. He took control.
When I asked what went through his mind during the knockdown, Thanongsak said: "At that moment, all I could think was that I couldn't lose. I had to fight for my late grandmother, and everyone who has helped me. Then I made a plan and listened to the trainers for each round."
I asked how it felt to finally have his hand raised.
"I felt like I had a huge release of pressure," he said. "And that I had fulfilled my promise to my late grandmother."
I asked Thanongsak if he felt like he was fighting for something bigger than himself.
"Of course," he said. "I wanted to prove that there are still many good boxers in Thailand. But they lack opportunities. They lack support."
As for what's next?
"Right now I need to rest -- the fight was tough," he said. "After that, we'll decide what comes next."
He earned that rest.
In 2022, I interviewed Poom after one of Thanongsak's comeback wins. He told me, "He just needs more experience and growth. I believe he will become a world champion."
Poom echoed that belief when I spoke to him again after the fight.
"I believed in Thanongsak because I saw his true determination every time he trained with me," he said. "At that time, he might have had little experience, but now he is ready. I hope this victory brings professional boxing in Thailand back to life and opens up opportunities for others like him -- fighters with heart who dream of becoming champions."
Back in 2022, Poom didn't just believe -- he knew.