Thailand’s 3 iconic cheerleaders

Thai cheerleaders often steal the spotlight with their unique costumes and distinctive cheering styles at international competitions.

Some have even become more famous among Thai sports fans than the athletes themselves.

Let’s get to know a few of these iconic figures:

“Uncle Lim” (Wirun Wichianwattanachai)

A devoted fan, Uncle Lim is present at every football match played by the Thai national team. An engineer by profession, Uncle Lim is admired by Thai football fans for his dedication, time and personal investment in boosting the national teams’ morale.

Uncle Lim’s journey began at the King’s Cup Sepak Takraw and the 2007 Asian Cup co-hosted by Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia and Thailand. 

His commitment is driven by pure passion as he considers cheering the Thai national team his mission – a mission few can maintain consistently.
 

Thuarae Chuenyim (Sornsutha Klanmali)

Thuarae Chuenyim, a famous comedian and former president of the Thailand Comedian Association, has been away from stadiums for several years now. 

In the past, he added colour to sports events with his ancient warrior outfits, trumpet sounds and booming cheers of “Poon Poon Thailand”. He first took the cheerleader’s role at the 13th Asian Games hosted by Thailand.

Cheering domestic games posed no issues, but travelling abroad required funds. 

“When it came to visas and travel tickets, everything was okay as they [sponsors] provided flight tickets. But upon arrival, sometimes, there was no accommodation and I had to stay with officials or journalists, making it less private. I also wondered if I was becoming a burden,” he said.

Thurae has been absent from the cheering scene due to his duties as president of the Thailand Comedian Association.

Tao Dack-Dae (Thailand Khumtong, formerly Bancha Khumtong)

Another standout cheerleader for the Thai national team is Tao Dack-Dae, and this time, he’s at the Paris 2024 Olympics. 

He was the one dressed in a traditional Thai costume holding a sign that read “THAILAND” at Kunlavut Vitidsarn’s final badminton match.

Tao Dack-Dae dreams of becoming an official cheerleader for the Thai national team one day. Known for a comedic commercial about unleaded petrol, he has also appeared in local TV series before transitioning to a national cheerleader.

His cheerleading journey began at the SEA Games in Chiang Mai in 1995. Initially, he bore all the expenses, selling his car and pawning personal items to fund his travels. Over time, as he became more recognised, he began getting financial support from generous benefactors.

Despite facing many hardships, Tao Dack-Dae kept hoping he would become an athlete. However, when he eventually realised that his athletic abilities were not sufficient, he chose to become a cheerleader instead.

Currently, Tao Dack-Dae serves as a committee member of the Intellectual Disability Sports Association of Thailand and a sub-committee member for sports in the Senate.