Buakaw to join Thai rock star ‘Toon Bodyslam’ in hospital charity run

Photo: Kao/ Banchamek Gym
Photo: Kao/ Banchamek Gym

Muay Thai champion Buakaw Banchamek will join rock star “Toon Bodyslam” during his mission to run 2,000 kilometers across Thailand and raise money for public hospitals.  

Buakaw revealed the news in a video posted to Facebook yesterday. He said, “I’m so happy that Toon Bodyslam’s team invited me run with him for his One Move Forward project. I’m Toon’s fan and I’ve admired him for a very long time! I saw the video invite and I just have to accept! I expect to run with him from Pranburi to Hua Hin. I’ll see you, Toon!”

Judging from the destinations announced, Buakaw can expect to casually jog for some 30 kilometers in southern Prachuap Khiri Khan province.

Buakaw’s team was unavailable for comments.

It has not been revealed when Buakaw is expected to join the run, but Toon Bodyslam, or Artiwara Kongmalai, is expected to reach Bang Saphan Noi this evening — a district 190 kilometers from Hua Hin, which will be Buakaw’s starting point.

READ: Muay Thai star Buakaw collects morning alms during monkhood (PHOTOS)

The 39-year-old lead singer of Bodyslam has been idolized and treated as the country’s new hero, after he began, on Nov. 1, to run from the southernmost to northernmost points of Thailand on a mission to raise THB700 million ($US21 million) for public hospitals.

Over the past three weeks, locals across southern Thailand have camped on the side of streets and at meeting points to welcome Toon with love and cash donations.

He had raised over THB300 million (US$9 million) as of yesterday. Find out how you can make donations here.

In case, you haven’t gotten into Bodyslam’s music, here’s the heartwarming moment when a children’s band in Surat Thani welcomed Toon by covering his song Saeng Sud Tai or “The Last Light.”

Toon was so impressed by the little rockers that he sang with them.




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