Muay Thai champion found hanged

Nitiyaporn Srisalai wins a bout to become the 51kg division champion of the World Muay Thai Organization earlier this year. (photo supplied)

RATCHABURI: Nitiyaporn Srisalai, World Muay Thai Organization's female champion, 22, was found hanged in her room in Ratchaburi province after drinking with a friend.

Pol Col Apichart Phutthaboon, chief of Muang Ratchaburi police station, said on Tuesday that her body was found at about 11.30pm on Monday. It was hanging from a nylon rope tied to a door frame in her room at a dormitory in tambon Don Tako of Muang district. Police believed she had first climbed onto a chair found nearby.

Nitiyaporn, a native of Roi Et province, was a fourth-year Muay Thai student at Muban Chombueng Rajabhat University in Ratchaburi. She was also a well-known Muay Thai boxer, a World Muay Thai Organization champion in the 51-kilogramme division.

Pol Col Apichart said that on Sunday night Nitiyaporn had been drinking with a friend who lived in an adjacent room. On Monday morning the friend knocked on her door to wake her up for class. There was no response.

Later on Monday, the friend returned and knocked on her door again. When there was again no response, the friend sought another key from the dormitory owner and discovered the body.

Pol Col Apichart said Nitiyaporn might have had a personal problem and acted under the influence of alcohol.

Charnchai Yomadit, president of the International Muay Thai Study Association, said Nitiyaporn's death was a great loss for Muay Thai as Nitiyaporn was a national Muay Thai athlete and the world champion.

She had always seemed happy, he said, and had boxed since her childhood while studying hard to build her future after her parents divorced. She had boxed to make a living and pay for her education -- and she was about to graduate, Mr Charnchai said.