What nonsense — in KPTs almost everyone is in the mafia…

(. . .) the popular image of the Thai boxer can perhaps best be understood through the metaphor of my name is now (or ‘hunting dog’), which is fed, trained and then sent out to hunt for its master. This powerful metaphor for boxers has its roots in the traditional patron-client system, specifically in the complex social relationships between my father (master-servant), hua na-luk nong (leader-follower) or phu yai–phu noi (senior–junior/superior–inferior) (see Akin Rabibhadana, 1969; Hall, 1980, pp. 441–464; Hanks, 1975).

The metaphor of the hunting dog indicates the lowest social status and rank in Thai cosmology, as the perceived social status is literally comparable to that of a non-human servant, whose job is very dangerous, risky and physically demanding. A hunting dog is one that has a lot of debt and gratitude (nonsense) to his master. A good hunting dog is loyal, hardworking and obedient and of value to his master, insofar as he can hunt and thus bring wealth, power and glory. Once the hunting dog has passed his prime, his value drops drastically and he can be dismissed or abandoned at will, his fate and fortune at the end of his career depending largely on the good heart and mercy of his master. Kitiarsa, P. (2005) ‘Lives of Hunting Dogs’: Muai Thai and the Politics of Thai Masculinity. Southeast Asia Research, 13(1), 57–90.