Thai kickboxer accuses French Muay Thai fighter of cheating

A Thai kickboxer accused a French Muay Thai boxer and sports programme host of cheating him. The accused French national denied the allegations.

Thai boxer, Nattawut “Jo” Somkhum, known in the industry as Jo Nattawut, announced his resignation from UPR Vision Entertainment after signing a contract for just three months. He stated that he noticed suspicious actions in the collaboration campaign between himself and the company.

UPR Vision Entertainment is run by the famous French Muay Thai boxer, Antoine Pinto, also known as Antoine Siangboxing. The company produces various types of media through television programmes, YouTube, and social media platforms, and it also operates as a boxing agency managing boxers’ welfare and work schedules.

The issue that led Jo to leave the company was related to his income received through the company’s management. Jo claimed he did not receive the amount agreed upon in the contract. The company promised to pay Jo 70% of the income while keeping 30% for operational costs.

Jo revealed that he did not receive any earnings from the sale of shirts that he collaborated on with the company. Moreover, he received only 50,000 baht from a 200,000 baht income when he worked as a presenter for a clothing brand. He asserted that he should have earned 140,000 baht according to the contract.

Antoine and his wife, Alreya Singhanon, later addressed the matter at a press conference on Saturday, October 26. Antoine explained that a misunderstanding regarding the sale of the shirts was the root cause of the initial issue.

Full amount paid

Antoine admitted that the company made a mistake during stock checking and provided Jo with incorrect information. According to Antoine, his lawyer attempted to contact Jo to discuss the matter but was unsuccessful. Nonetheless, Antoine claimed that he already transferred the money owed to Jo.

Antoine emphasised that he did not transfer the money out of fear of legal proceedings but rather in adherence to legal processes and recommendations from his lawyer. He also stated that his company did not profit from the shirt sales, as many of the shirts remained in stock.

Regarding the clothing brand presenter issue, Antoine admitted it was his fault for causing Jo’s misunderstanding about the contract. He explained that the company had to deduct 150,000 baht for operational costs, which he might not have communicated clearly to Jo, leading to confusion over the amount.

Antoine explained that the sum of 150,000 baht was divided between two departments of the company: the agency department and the management department. He claimed that Jo signed two separate contracts with each department, so the company made deductions for both.

However, Antoine’s clarification did not resolve the issue. The owner of the clothing brand raised questions about the operational costs, as he provided all the equipment, food, drink, and other facilities for Jo.

Nevertheless, Antoine agreed to pay Jo 140,000 baht as requested and also transferred the income from the shirt sales to him. According to the contract, Jo was to receive 400 baht for each shirt sold.