NEWS Thailand's famous transvestite kick boxer immortalised in movie Vijay Joshi | November 27, 2003 Thai transvestite kickboxer Parinya Kiatbusaba in December 1999 following his sex change operation in Bangkok. The 19-year-old welterweight Thai kickboxer, who became famous last year by entering the ring and fighting wearing make-up and a push-up bra, had a sex change operation. She will now be restricted to women's bouts and demonstration fights. (Photo: AFP/Matichon) BANGKOK, Thailand — He would put on mascara, a layer of blush, bright red lipstick and finally the gloves before stepping into the testosterone-charged ring to knock the stuffing out of his opponents. Parinya Charoenphol was no ordinary transvestite. One of Thailand's most famous kickboxers, the life of the effeminate prizefighter has been immortalized in a movie that premiered Wednesday night. "Beautiful Boxer" is a heartwarming tale of a woman trapped in a man's body - a very fit and lean body that achieved 22 wins and 18 knockouts in a career that lasted six years. Parinya, 22, hung up his gloves at the peak of his career three years ago to undergo a sex change operation and become an entertainer in Bangkok's famous bar district of Patpong. "In the end it is not just a story about a transvestite boxer but a story about a human being who goes through an emotional journey to match his heart with his body," director Ekachai Uekrongham told The Associated Press. Ekachai, a stage director making his cinematic debut, was initially reluctant to make another transvestite movie - a film two years ago about a transvestite volleyball team was a box office hit. But after interviewing Parinya, Ekachai realized his story has "many layers" that would mean something for everyone. "Some of the emotions a character like Parinya goes through are strangely similar to what some of us go through," he said. Parinya took up kickboxing at age 13 to earn money to support his poor farmer parents in the northern Chiang Mai province. After winning several local bouts, he began appearing in the ring wearing lipstick and makeup and often kissing opponents on the cheek. His highly skilled classical style soon won him fans, fights and fame that spread to other parts of Thailand. Parinya began taking hormonal pills as the woman inside him struggled to emerge. With falling testosterone levels, he lost crucial fights and faded out. He was once again the center of attraction at the premier Wednesday, appearing in a flowing red gown, giving a raft of media interviews. "This movie is the biggest award I have ever received for everything that I have fought for," said Parinya, who now calls herself a complete woman after the sex change. Ekachai said he almost gave up making the movie because he couldn't find a suitable actor to play Parinya. He settled on Assani Suwan, a 22-year-old kickboxer who was made to take ballet lessons to bring out his feminine side. "I wanted a kickboxer who is man enough to be a woman, who is not shy to capture the heart of this woman" inside Parinya, Ekachai said. For a first-time actor, Assani, who is straight, gives a brilliant performance, both as a shy boy-girl in the masculine, sweaty-body world of kickboxing camp, and as a tormented androgynous star struggling with his sexuality - captured in a scene when he curls up on the ground after a fight and sobs uncontrollably. "I am a man, 100 percent. So the biggest challenge was how could I make the audience believe that I have the heart of a woman," Assani said. Ekachai said his movie is not aimed at trying to change the screen image of transvestites who are portrayed as buffoons providing comic relief in Thai movies. "Hopefully, this time we will be laughing - laughing with them, and hopefully maybe cry for them a little bit and cheer for them at times." –Sapa-AP Related stories Webmaster complains over erotic Thai police site censorship: report