Celebrating Thailand’s sporting heroes: Five iconic Thai athletes

Thailand is rich in cultural heritage and natural beauty, two of the primary reasons for its popularity with tourists. Many tourists do not know that Thai people love sports, and “The Land of the Smiles” has produced some remarkable athletes over the years. These sports stars excelled in their chosen fields and put Thailand on the global sporting map.

Soccer (Football) Star Teerasil Dangda

Soccer is massive in Thailand, and like in most countries, fans revere players who score goals. Teerasil Dangda has scored goals throughout his 19-year professional career. His 143 goals place him third in the Thai League 1 all-time goal-scoring charts, and he is the highest local all-time goalscorer in the competition’s history.

Dangda only played 39 games between 2005 and 2007, yet secured a dream move to Manchester City of the English Premier League. Manchester City is one of England’s most famous soccer clubs, one that online sports betting sites usually price and is the favorite to win the league. Danga joined the team with Suree Sukha and Kiatprawut Saiwaeo when former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra bought the club in 2007.

The Thai trio struggled to obtain a work permit and were subsequently loaned to European clubs. Dangda returned to Thailand to play for Rajpracha, scoring six goals in ten games, before spending ten years with Muangthing United. Here, he scored 117 goals in 270 appearances. He has played for BG Pathum United since 2021, with 26 goals in 66 games.

Dangda is also third in the Thailand national team’s goal-scoring charts, with 64 goals in 128 appearances. Only Piyapong Pue-on (70) and Kiatisuk Senamuang (71) have scored more goals for Thailand.

Muay Thai Legend Buakaw Banchamek

Anyone who knows a thing or two about Thailand knows Thais love Muay Thai, and few fighters have the power and skills of Buakaw Banchamek. Known for his ferocious style and unparalleled stamina, Banchamek has captivated audiences worldwide with his exceptional performances in the ring. He is regarded as one of the best Muay Thai fighters ever.

Banchamek rose to fame as a youngster in 2004 when he became the K-1 World MAX 2004 champion, and he never looked back. To date, in his professional kickboxing and Muay Thai careers, he has had 243 wins, 14 draws, two no-contests, and only 25 losses. One of those defeats came in July 2024 in the K-1 World MAX 2024 quarter-finals against Bulgarian Stoyan Koprivlenski, a fighter 12 years younger than him; Banchamek is still fighting at 42!

Away from fighting, Banchamek has tried his hand at acting, starring in four films, including the lead role in the 2017 hit Thong Dee Fun Khao.

Badminton Superstar Ratchanok Intanon

Ratchanok Intanon, affectionately known as “May,” is a badminton player who took the game by storm. Inaton entered the international circuit at age 13 and won her first title a year later, becoming the Vietnam International champion.

Intanon continued accumulating titles over the next few years before she got her hands on the trophy she had always dreamed of: the World Championships. In 2013, at age 18, she beat world number one and Olympic gold medalist Li Xuerui to become the first-ever Thai player to be a World Champion and the sport’s youngest-ever singles World Champion.

In 2016, Intanon won the Thailand Masters, a Grand Prix Gold tournament, the India Open, and the Malaysia Open. These excellent results propelled her to the top of the world rankings, making her the first Thai player to achieve this feat.

If you can watch Intanon in action, you’ll draw comparisons to a ballet dancer. She is light on her feet and plays with a style that seems too relaxed, yet it is a style that has seen her become a feared competitor on the badminton circuit.

Tennis Trailblazer Paradorn Srichaphan

Paradorn Srichaphan is a retired tennis player who is best known for becoming the first Asian player to be ranked in the top ten of men’s singles by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP). Srichaphan reached world number ten in April 2003 and climbed as high as ninth in the world a month later.

Although Srichaphan never won a tennis Grand Slam, he did reach the fourth round of Wimbledon and the US Open in 2003 and the fourth round of the Australian Open in 2004. Srichaphan won five titles during his career, his last coming in 2004 at the Nottingham Open, where he competed as the top seed.

Srichaphan retired in 2010 after being involved in a motorcycle accident that broke both his hands and badly injured his knee. He retired with a record of 239 wins, 193 defeats, and career earnings of US$3,459,655.

Olympic Gold Medalist Panipak Wongpattanakit

Panipak Wongpattanakit may only top the scales at 49 kilograms, but she packs a serious kick and punch. The 26-year-old taekwondo expert has a list of achievements as long as her arm, including an Olympic gold medal from the 2020 Toyko Games.

Wongpattanakit’s first title came in 2015 at the World Taekwondo Championships, where she became world champion in the 46kg category. A year later, she won bronze at the 2016 Olympics, having stepped up to the 49kg division.

To date, the 26-year-old taekwondo sensation has amassed a collection of 30 medals, including four bronze, five silver, and an incredible 21 golds. Wongpattanakit has 12 Grand Prix golds, two in the World Championships, Asian Games, Asian Championships, and Grand Slam, and that all-important Olympic gold medal.

Unsurprisingly, Wongpattanakit is currently ranked number one in the women’s 49kg division. She also has a trio of royal decorations, including the Companion (Third Class) of The Most Admirable Order of the Direkgunabhorn, which she received in 2020 after winning her gold medal at the Summer Olympics.