This past weekend I rented a Beautiful Boxer. The movie is chronicles the life of Nong Toom (Parinya) the transsexual Nak Muay. For those of you who’ve traveled to Thailand you would have noted that the Thai culture is a lot more open. The fact that a majority of Thai’s are Buddhist plays a large part.
Buddhists, particularly Thai Buddhists have strong beliefs in regards to reincarnation and the laws of Karma. With reincarnation it’s believed that when you’re born into your next life, you take little to no knowledge of your past life with you. Only the essence of who you once were carries over… the “resin” of your life.
The Thai perspective on Transsexuals and homosexuals is that the person wasn’t able to make the “adjustment”. The argument being if you were born several successive lives as women, and were suddenly born into a mans body, one might have a hard time making the “jump”. People believe that they were born “into” the wrong body.
[youtube Gn5dXruIo5Q ]
Anyway, this wasn’t the point of this post… I enjoyed the movie; I’m not too familiar with Nong Toom’s life to know how much of it was fictionalized. The actor who portrays Nong Toom is an actual fighter with no acting background. I was pretty impressed considering. It’s an interesting story and I would recommend to a Muay Thai fan without hesitation.
I asked my trainer Neungsiam about Nong Toom’s skills. He said at the time she was ok, he felt that she got a lot more attention because of the whole media circus surrounding her situation. Besides being a trainer at Fairtex Pattaya, I think she is actively pursuing an acting career, I wish her the best.
Any of you Fairtex peeps train with her?
8 responses so far ↓
1 Joe // Aug 24, 2007 at 6:18 am
she used to trained in lanna kiatbusaba camp in chiang mai back then.
2 Tong Po // Aug 24, 2007 at 9:15 am
“[the boys] like to play violent things- like soccer. I didn’t like it.”
Isn’t Muay Thai thought of as violent?
3 Phlogiston // Aug 24, 2007 at 10:59 am
It was a very good movie, but I do have to wonder how good of a fighter she was minus the extra attention she got by the cross-dressing. It would be fun to watch her randomly beat-up some big talkers on Sherdog.
4 Josh // Aug 24, 2007 at 11:39 am
I trained at Lanna in Chiang Mai and I knew that she used to train there. But no one mentions anything about her and there isn’t any pictures of her there. I sort of get the feeling that there is some “burnt bridges” that nobody talks about.
Anyhow, I saw the movie while I was in Thailand. Pretty good.
5 Dii Mak // Aug 24, 2007 at 1:34 pm
Saw this a while back too, and yeah the actor is great for it being his first gig ever. Nong Toom was in SF a few years back to promote the international release. My friend saw her at Thai House Express.. Anyway, decent movie and interesting story.
Another thing, seems like every time I go back to Thailand, more and more katoeys every year.
6 Tong Po // Aug 24, 2007 at 4:17 pm
Are you thinking of dipping into the katoey world Dii Mak?
7 Dii Mak // Aug 24, 2007 at 4:48 pm
Tong Po, it is difficult enough dealing with your sexual overtones at the gym and on this blog. Are you heading to BKK for some surgery we don’t know about? Maybe you get the special pinoy rate?
No, I absolutely am not into the decepticons… lol. But all the euros that are into ‘em in Thailand crack me up. Whatever floats your boat.
8 Joe // Aug 27, 2007 at 3:37 pm
i dont know much about her. only know her because she was well known via the media. however, she wasn’t the ‘best’.
i have yet to see her real-life fights. haven’t seen any.
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