Career
He is a two-time Olympian (1996 and 2000), a finalist in the 100 m backstroke at the 2002 Asian Games, and a multiple-time medalist at the Southeast Asian Games since his debut in 1995. Phuangthong"s Olympic debut came at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. Phuangthong also teamed up with Torlarp Sethsothorn, Ratapong Sirisanont, and Niti Intharapichai in the 4×100 m medley relay.
Leading off the backstroke leg in heat four, Phuangthong recorded a time of 59.13, but the Thais settled for sixth place and twenty-second overall in a final time of 3:56.80.
At the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Phuangthong decided to drop half of his backstroke double, and experiment with the 200 m butterfly. He posted FINA B-standards of 58.48 (100 m backstroke) and 2:03.11 (200 m butterfly) from the Southeast Asian Games in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei.
On the second day of the Games, Phuangthong placed forty-third in the 100 m backstroke. The following day, in the 200 m butterfly, Phuangthong challenged seven other swimmers in the same heat, including 19-year-olds Zoran Lazarovski of Macedonia and Juan Pablo Valdivieso of Peru.
He held off Croatia"s Lovrenco Franičević to earn a fifth spot and thirty-eighth overall in 2:04.15.
At the 2002 Asian Games in Busan, South of Korea, Phuangthong finished seventh in the 100 m backstroke at 59.04, holding off Singapore"s Gerald Koh by 0.37 seconds. Shortly after the Games, Phuangthong announced his retirement from swimming. He is now working as an assistant coach for the International School of Bangkok.
