Flyweight champ Saen Sor Ploenchit may have hit the bottom, but people are helping him find his feet again

At the peak of his career a decade ago, spending between Bt5,000 and Bt10,000 in a single day was common for former World Boxing Association flyweight champ Saen Sor Ploenchit.

Those glorious days, however, did not last long, and the one-time national hero had to live with less than Bt50 in his pocket on some days. Saen, now 37, puts this slump down to fate.

"Things rise and fall. Nothing lasts forever. That's always true," he tells the Sunday Xpress.

Saen, a native of Pathum Thani, shot to fame in 1995 when he won the WBA title. He says part of the wealth he made in his heyday went on purchasing a house worth more than Bt2 million for his parents and a 10-rai plot of land worth about Bt5 million near Khao Yai National Park.

After successfully defending his championship nine times consecutively, Saen lost his belt to a Venezuelan contender in November 1996.

His star in the boxing ring has since waned, and even his attempt to make a memorable return failed.

When it rains, it pours

With no other second career, Saen made a living taking part in small matches across the country.

However, he had to quit even this due to age in 2005.

By then, the bank had seized his land near Khao Yai: he had put it up as collateral to fund a friend's business, which later went bust.

Saen's friends helped out by getting him a small role on television, but he says the money he made was barely enough to pay for his daily expenses.

"There was a time when I used to spend Bt5,000 to Bt10,000 a day when I was the champ; now I have to live on Bt50 some days," he says.

A mere decade after being celebrated as a national hero, Saen says people on the street now don't even know who he is.

"Sometimes I spend all day with my pockets empty.

"But I have survived the worst. Now I know I can even live on Bt10 a day," he says.

Finally a silver lining

Saen's ordeal was brought before the Thai public when his former college teacher brought him to the Sports and Recreation Development Office to seek help on June 23. The bureau agreed to employ him as assistant boxing coach at a starting salary of Bt8,000. He began work on Tuesday.

"Now I have a chance to start once again. I will do my best on the job," he promises.