Samart Payakaroon

Name & Surname : Samart Thipthamai
Name in boxing circle : Samart Payakaroon
Alias : Mart
Nickname (epithet) : Payak Nayoke (he was so dubbed because throughout his Muay Thai life, he never sustained any cut on his face)
Place of birth : Chachoengsao Province (Eastern Thailand)
Date of birth : 5th December 1962

Samart first tried his hand at Muay Thai  in 1972. He practiced Muay Thai with his elder brother, Mr. Manus Thipthamai, alias Pi Toui. He first got in the boxing ring at his native home at the Temple Fair in Chachoengsao province under the name of Samart Lookkhlongkhet. His opponent was Pet-aroon Sitnimit. The result of the fight was Samart won on point.

After that he moved to live in Pattaya City (Cholburi province) together with his another elder brother named Sompong. The two brothers practiced Muay Thai  as they had used to do and sometimes, they went to have Muay Thai training at Sing Esso Camp (later it changed its name to Payakaroon  Camp). After  Muay Thai  drills and going in the boxing ring for about 10 fights, Samart became more experienced and skilled at Muay Thai. He moved to have Muay Thai drills at several places, in many provinces throughout Thailand, continually accumulating his Muay Thai experience.

Until 1975, he got a chance to do Muay Thai drill and spent his life at Sityodthong  Camp which belonged to Muay Thai instructor Yodthong Senanant. He joined this  camp together with his elder brother name Kongtoranee Payakaroon and spent their life together at Sityodthong  Camp. They were living here like their own home among many other Thai boxers. And during that time the boxers under  the  auspices of Sityodthong  Camp were known for their Muay Thai skill and outstanding Muay Thai record. Samart spent his life there happily and warmly like a member of the same family.

As  his  weight increased to 100 pound (50 kg.), he then move for  fights  in Bangkok; his first pugilistic fight in Bangkok took place on 24 December 1978 under the new camp’s name of Samart Payakaroon (previously the pugilist was under the name of Samart Lookkhlongkhet); and he had used this name for every fight ever since and in that year (1978), he notched up more than 10 fights.

From 1978 to 1985, Samart Payakaroon notched up as many as 47 fights. In the following years, his Muay Thai record was outstanding much to the satisfaction of his Muay Thai fans during that time.  Unbelievably, whenever Samart Payakaroon was to fight on the main Muay Thai slate, the  stadium would be heavily packed with Muay Thai  enthusiasts. After each and every fight, his impressive style of fighting would command headlines on various newspapers and sports papers and magazines to respond to the need of the Muay Thai  fans and to keep those impressive pictures of the fights. In that era, Thai boxers were also renowned for their skills, finesse and displays of the beauty of pugilistic martial art.

The  impressive fighting statistics of Samart Payakaroon involved many wins with major opponents such as he scored a win against Prabpipop Lukklongtan; against Fonluang LuksadetMae Puangthong; and winning fight against major boxer such as Chavalit Sitphraprom or Sod Jitlada. For a total of 6 fights against Sod Jitlada, Samart scored all wins.  For 4 fights against the boxer like Paruehuslek Sitchunthong, Samart scored 1 draw, suffered 1 loss, scored 2 wins; for 4 fights against Bangkhlanoi Sor.Thanikul, he scored 2 wins and suffered 2 losses. Samart also scored a win against the boxers like Sornsil Sitnenpayom; Mafuang, Virapol, Paruehus Lo-ngoen, etc.

The principal boxers against whom Samart used to fight in which he scored all wins in all 4 fights were such as Samransak  Muangsurin; Kitti Sor Thanikul, Samingnoom Sithiboonthum; and Padetsuek Pitsanurachan. In the fight against Khunkhao Computer; Chamuakpet Sor Sirinant, Samart scored 2 wins, suffered 1 loss. He also fought against Toi Dieselnoi Sor Thanikul; while the fight against the boxer Nongkhai Sor Prapassorn; Rachabut Sor Thanikul , he scored a win and won  on point when meeting the boxer Samart Prasanmit.

Samart captured 4 classes of Thai Boxing Championship
belts at Lumpini Boxing Stadium

Starting from 29 February 1980, Samart won on point against Kongsamut Sor.tanikul , capturing the Pinweight 102 lb Championship belt.

11 November 1980, he beat on point Poollap Saknirun, thus capturing the Junior Flyweight Championship belt (108 lb).

31 March 1981, he won on point against Singthong Prasopchai, capturing the Junior Bantamweight Championship belt (115 lb).

13 October 1981, he beat on point Samingnoom Sitthiboontham, securing the Featherweight Championship belt (126 lb).

1 World Boxing Championship belt of WBC in the Bantamweight, 122 lb, division; and also the recipient of yet other two honorary awards, namely:

  • Outstanding Athlete Award from HRH Princess Mahachakri Sirindhorn in 1982

  • Outstanding Thai Boxer Award 1988 from the Sports Reporters Association of Thailand

      Thanks to his superior fighting style, sharp eye-sight,his fans called him the unique-magical eye-sight boxer, excellent boxing skills and finesse, he was given an accolade as an outstanding and genius boxer and he was once nicknamed “Payak Nayok”. The victory for boxer nicknamed for his boxing finesse as “genius boxer” he really truly deserved it.

      Meanwhile in the field of international boxing, Samart went in the boxing ring for the first time when he met and won the fight against the then ex-world champion Netnoi Sor Vorasing and it was the warm-up fight. Finally he climbed up the boxing ranking until he secured the fight in WBC Super Bantamweight, 122 lb, division. He won in round 5 when   he TKOed Guada Lupe Pinter (a Mexican boxer).

In his first defense fight, he TKOed  Huan Kid Mesa in 12th round.

In his second defense fight, he lost by TKO to Jeff Fenec (Australian) in the 4th round on 8 May 1987.

For international boxing, Samart Payakaroon fought a total of 14 fights with 2 losses.

Following his loss to Jeff Fenec, Samart turned himself to the entertainment circle. Thanks to his good look typical of Thai men, Samart was persuaded by giant Thai song producer to launch a single song album, which was proved to be a success to the extent that he managed to launch 7 of his own song albums.

Furthermore, Samart also got a chance to perform as an actor in Thai films (and also a chance to play in international films); in Thai drama, posed as a model for photographers, in commercial ads and fashion walk and a host of others.

In 1988, Samart once again returned to the boxing ring in tandem with entertainment work he was engaged to do.  Samart Payakaroon got his chance to fight PanomThuanlek Haplung. He won in the first round on technical knockout (TKO). He beat Nampol Nongkeepahuyud  in round 2 on injury; then he moved on to knock out Charoenthong  Kiatbanchong in the first round.

What a great like miracle, during that era, Samart was then an icon able to effortlessly clinch the title of top boxer champion, top artist, and top movie star of Thailand.

Based on his fight statistics, it was apparent that Samart was moving in the ring for 16 years, altogether scoring 150 fights for both Mauythai and international boxing domestically and abroad. By percentage reckoning, 90 percent of his total fights ended up his being the winner. It is therefore not unusual for him to disseminate, transfer his boxing knowledge and experience to the posterity who have a passion for Muay Thai boxing and to those in the country who are interested in Muay Thai together with foreign nationals who are really interested in Muay Thai so that they have the knowledge and the capacity of Muay Thai and to appreciate the esthetics of martial art of Muay Thai  for it to be globally renowned.