Saen Sor Ploenchit (Thai: แสน ส.เพลินจิต, born May 18, 1971) is a Thai former professional boxer who competed from 1990 to 2003. He held the WBA flyweight title from 1994 to 1996.
Sor Ploenchit was born as Somchai Chertchai (สมชาย เชิดฉาย; nickname: Neng; เหน่ง) in Amphoe Thanyaburi, Pathum Thani province. Due to poverty, he had to do all sorts of jobs, from carrying water for 1 baht per bucket, and helped his family sell defective and discarded fruits at cheap prices at the Talat Si Mum Mueang, the largest wholesale fruit market in his native. He became a boxer in his childhood, beginning from Muay Thai under the names "Superneng Loh-ngoen" (ซุปเปอร์เหน่ง โล่ห์เงิน) and "Doennna Loh-ngoen" (เดินหน้า โล่ห์เงิน), before turning to the professional boxing in 1990 with help from Songchai Rattanasuban.[2]
On February 13, 1994 he beat David Griman in Chachoengsao province, got the world champion title, defending it several times from famous boxers such as Jesús "Kiki" Rojas, Aquiles Guzmán, Kim Yong-kang, and Danny "Bazooka" Núñez. The most important defense was on October 17, 1995, when he TKOd Hiroki Ioka in the 10th round at Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium, Osaka, Japan. After the bout, King Bhumibol Adulyadej also sent a royal congratulatory letter to him and his team through the Thai Consulate in Osaka.[3] He then kept the title through three more matches before losing to José Bonilla, a Venezuelan contender.
He then switched manager and stable to Wirat Wachirarattanawong and promoted to super-flyweight, hoping to be world champion again.
His final fight, lost by TKO in the 6th round, was with Joichiro Tatsuyoshi, a Japanese former two-time WBC Bantamweight world champion, in late 2002.
Sor Ploenchit is a boxer style. Although he lacked the explosive power and heavy hands, he was a very skilled fighter, with a crisp jab and good agility. His style was similar to the first Thai world champion, Pone Kingpetch. He was very popular to Thai boxing fans, hence earning the alias "Pone II".[2]
After retirement, Sor Ploenchit's life went downhill, more than half the gold necklaces acquired during his glory days being revealed as fake.[4]