Shoppers and tourists at the Royal Garden Plaza were treated to Pattaya’s very own version of ‘arm wars’ last Saturday as the 8th Annual Pattaya International Arm Wrestling Championships were staged on the ground floor of the Beach Road shopping mall.
Strongmen (and ladies) from Israel, Australia, Turkey, Russia, Japan, USA, and the UK, as well as hosts Thailand, ensured that there was an international flair to the event but it was the home nation that bagged all the major honours, with Prasart Kalayanitikul, Ronachai Jitjamnong and Withaya Meemui topping the three weight divisions in the men’s field (75kg, 76-85kg, and 86-95kg) and Yaowaluk Saenboonsiri vanquishing all before her in the ladies class.
The male winners and runners-up pose for a group photo.
The winners in all categories received prize money of 15,000 baht and trophies, which were presented by the deputy director of Tourism Authority of Thailand Pattaya office, Akaravit Thepasit, and Royal Garden Plaza general manager Somporn Naksuetrong.
In addition to the main four prizes there was also a special award of 2,000 baht given to a particularly chiselled Indonesian arm wrestler who was adjudged to be ‘Mr. Perfect Muscle Man’.
Yaowaluk Saenboonsiri, left, from Chonburi was the winner of the female category.
Former champion Withaya Meemui, left, ‘puts down the hammer’ in the 85kg class.
