Fridae

Four-time boxing champion Sirimongkol Singwancha has come to realise that his most spectacular performance was not in the ring with his boxing gloves and punches, but in a seductive underground gay magazine that showed every inch of him.

Sirimongkol's nude images were supposedly a secret to his boxing fans and general public until last week. A special police task force raided newsstands in a famous outdoor shopping area in northern Bangkok. Thousands of porn magazines and movies catering to both straight and gay audiences were seized. The boxer was among one of the celebrity models featured in the magazines.

The police's raid was prompted by complaints that several newsstands in the Chatuchak area sold pornography and was visited frequently by teenagers.

Sopon Petsawang, an MP from the government ruling party Thai Rak Thai and a former boxer himself, was quoted as saying that as far as he was aware, only transvestites or transgenders read the magazines, and expressed sadness that an increasing number of divorced women and older women are viewing them as well.

Sirimongkol's full frontal images were accidentally found in Heat, a magazine reputed to feature celebrities and out-of-job movie stars as well as look-alikes.

Other familiar faces in various magazine titles include Chinese-looking Somjate Sa-ard, and former muscled TV host Yuth Thongcharoen.

It is understood that while some of the models were not in pornographic shots, the local media reports did not distinguish between those who posed nude and semi-nude. Some observers criticised the press for misleading their readers into thinking that the celebrities mentioned in the news were photographed with their private parts exposed.

Some of the images used in the magazines are up to a decade old.

Charoenthong said his photographs were taken some 10 years ago. "I was in underwear and I asked permission from my senior. Everyone knew I was in the magazine," said Charoenthong, now a trainer and owner of a boxing camp.

He said after the news broke out, his family was in trouble. His wife is now afraid to meet others in fear of being questioned.

In Sirimongkol's case, Heat featured him two years ago. To readers who frequently read the magazines or visited gay pornographic web sites, Sirimongkol's nude images did not come as a surprise as his photographs had been circulating for several years.

Two years ago, Sirimongkol, apart from being crowned world champion by several well-known boxing institutions, he also gained attention for appearing in a swimsuit in Lips, a leading local women's magazine with a large gay male readership.

The bi-monthly magazine put him on its front cover together with a sexy female model in its March 2003 issue. It marked the first time that a boxer who looked local (called Nah Baan Baan in Thai) was featured in an upscale fashion and lifestyle magazine.

The magazine won praise for its creativity and Sirimongkol became known as the most muscular and handsome Thai boxer.

Sirimongkol said he did not expect that his full frontal nudity shot would be included in the magazine. He claimed that the staff simply asked him to pose "for fun and for them to view in privacy."

In the plastic-wrapped Heat magazine which costs about Bt500 (approx US$12), the boxer's images included a number of photographs which showed his erect penis. Sirimongkol said he was paid about Bt200,000 (approx US$4,800) for the photo set.

No records for how many copies being printed.

"I regret (it) and I'd like to apologise to everyone. I'm very stressed now and sometimes losing sleep. I hope that I would be forgiven for what I had done," said Sirimongkol.

His promoter also called for sympathy for the boxer and said he would still support Sirimongkol for his next boxing fight to be held next year in a competition for a World Boxing Champion title.

Investigation into the cases is underway. Police said people involved with producing the pornography face jail term up to three years and a Bt6,000 fine.