Tracing the history of Muangchai Kittikasem as he attempts a political comeback in the Bang Bon councilor election under the 'Pheu Thai Life Stable' group again.
On 28 May 2026 GMT+7, one of the candidates for the Bangkok Metropolitan Council from Bang Bon district is Muangchai Chantawimol (Kittikasem), formerly known as Natthawut Chantawimol, nicknamed “Chaem,” a former world champion boxer. He is running again for the council seat under the 'Pheu Thai Life Stable' group, alongside 14 other Pheu Thai Party members.
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Muangchai Chantawimol (Kittikasem) was born on 6 November 1968, currently aged 57. He hails from Mueang district, Chai Nat province.
- He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science from the Faculty of Political Science, Bangkokthonburi University.
- Former assistant to MP Wan Yoobamrung.
- Former boxer and two-division world champion.
Muangchai was one of Thailand's champion boxers, nicknamed 'The Deadly Fist' and 'Ai Jok.' He was the 14th national champion, winning the IBF junior light flyweight world title (108 pounds) in 1989 and the WBC flyweight world title (112 pounds) in 1991. He was the first and only Thai to be a two-division world champion under two different organizations before officially retiring in 1999.
He entered local politics for the first time in 2010, running for the Bang Bon district council seat with the Pheu Thai Party but was not elected. He returned to local politics in 2022, contesting the Bangkok Metropolitan Council seat for Bang Bon district, again with the Pheu Thai Party, but lost to Narongsak Muangsiri, a prominent figure in Bang Khun Thian-Bang Bon, by 11,610 to 10,150 votes. Despite this, Muangchai has remained actively engaged in the community.
Muangchai is considered part of the influential Yoobamrung faction, having served as assistant to MP Wan Yoobamrung, former MP for Bang Bon under the Pheu Thai Party in 2019. In this upcoming council election, Muangchai is again running under the 'Pheu Thai Party members group' despite the Yoobamrung family's recent conflicts with the party, which led to both Wan and Chalerm Yoobamrung resigning at the end of 2025.
In the 2026 council election, Muangchai will face Narongsak again, a former party colleague who recently joined the 'Working People Group.' Muangchai's announcement that he remains affiliated with the 'Pheu Thai Party members group' under the campaign 'Pheu Thai Life Stable' on 25 May raises the question of whether this will be enough to compete against the influential Muangsiri faction. The people of Bang Bon will decide on 28 June.
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- Advisor to the Chairman of the Tourism and Sports Committee.
- Assistant to Member of Parliament for Bang Bon district (Wan Yoobamrung).