INTERVIEW WITH PROMOTER THITIWAT THEERADEJPONG CALLED DEER KIATPETCH
INTERVIEW WITH PROMOTER THITIWAT THEERADEJPONG CALLED DEER KIATPETCH
BY SERGE TREFEU (2023)
(Thanks to Sofiane Mohamed from Petch Muay Thai Gym
and his sons “The 3 Nak Muay Brothers”)
Hello Mr. Theeradejpong, thank you for granting me this interview, how are you?
MR THITIWAT THEERADEJPONG: I am very well thank you
How long have you been a boxing promoter?
It’s been ten years now
Were you a fighter before working as a promoter?
No not really, I’ve only had one fight in my life
Did you win or lose this match?
I drew a match (Laughs)
How long have you been in boxing?
I grew up in the world of boxing because my father has been an important boxing promoter for many years
How old are you ?
I am 45 years old
Did you do your first organization around the age of 35 years?
Exactly, at the Lumpinee stadium in Bangkok
Who were the known fighters for this first organization?
The champions Kulapdam, Ritteewada, Petchwanchai
What promotion did you organize that you’re most proud of?
I am proud of all my organizations, what I love most about this job is being recognized, making money and being respected for the work I do
Isn’t there a event or a match you’ve organized that has satisfied you more than the others?
I would say the two matches between Kulapdam and Tawanchai, in 2018, at the stadium of Lumpinee, it was great moments with a dumpan of 6 million baht!
Today, you are a promoter in which stadium in Bangkok?
I am a promoter in the Radja stadium and in the TV7 stadium
How many events do you organize per year?
A lot, I organize three times a week, count…
That’s more than 100 boxing events a year?
Yes, about 150 organizations every year!
How many champions fight for your promotion?
There are too many, I couldn’t name them all…
Have you ever organized abroad?
Yes, once in France, ten years ago
Would you like to work with a French organizer again?
Yes, of course and with all foreign organizers who wish to work with me
You have your own boxing camp, the Kiatpetch Gym in Bangkok, how many boxers are there currently in your camp?
We have twenty fighters
Are there champions in your boxing camp?
Yes, currently, there is a Radja stadium champion and four TV7 stadium champions
Do you know any French champions?
I know Skarbowsky who was very strong, also Fabio Pinca who won the Thai Fight, he was training in our Kiatpetch camp. Damien Alamos is also a great champion.
Many French and foreign champions have come to train in our gym like Youssef Boughanem and others whose names I no longer remember…
Do you have foreign champions who fight for your Kiatpetch promotion?
Yes, several, there are also French fighters who fight for the Kiatpetch promotion, the young Petchnung, Petchsong and Petchsam of the Petch Gym Muay Thai
After the Thais, today, what are for you the strongest fighters in Muay Thai?
I think it’s the Brazilian fighters and the Belarusian fighters
Your sister (Ms. Panitcha Theeradejpong) is also in the boxing organization?
Yes, it’s a family affair, my sister is a promoter in the stadium of Lumpinee, I am a promoter in the stadium of Radja and TV7 and my father is a promoter in the stadium of Lumpinee and TV7
Your father’s been organizing boxing events for 40 years, today, does he continue the promotions?
My father is still in the promotion business but much less than before. My sister and I have taken over the Kiatpetch promotions, and we are now taking care of what our father created. He devoted his life to boxing. We are proud to take over the family business he built!
The promotion of boxing in Thailand is often a family affair, one of the biggest promoters Mr. Virat Wachirarattanawong (Petchyindee Promotion) also left his business to his son Mr. Nuttadej Wachirarattanawong as well as Mr. Songchai Rattanasuban and Mr. Philippe Wong (Fairtex) who have their children taking over their business?
Yes absolutely, the boxing business in Thailand is like any family business. We need to work as a family for the good development of our company
The competition between boxing promoters is often very tough, do you sometimes work together?
It is true that everyone works for his promotion and that is normal. But we can work together, sometimes we join forces to organize big events. We did it for the RWS show at the Radja stadium…
Thank you very much for this interview and I wish you chookdee for your future events!
Deer Kiatpetch follows in the footsteps of his father, the heir of the Kiatpetch empire has become one of the most important promoters of Bangkok stadiums. It is not an easy task to succeed his father, who was certainly the greatest boxing organizer of the last 40 years.
The promoter Chun Kiatpetch received the “outstanding promoter” award for four consecutive years by the prestigious institution “The Sports Authority of Thailand”.
Chun Kiatpetch is nicknamed the “Godfather of the boxing industry”, he did his first boxing organization in 1974 and subsequently organized the largest boxing meetings in Thailand for 40 years!
Now it is Deer Kiatpetch, his son, and Panitcha Theeradetpong, his daughter, who will honor the name “Kiatpetch” by organizing the best boxing promotions in Thailand!
Promoter Interview Chun Kiatpetch at siamfightmag.com:
KIATPETCH GYM
462 Soi Ratchadanives 12 Pracharatbumphen Road
Samsennok, Huaykwang
Bangkok 10320
Thailand