karun's greatest hits

Today, there is Keng Skykick, the Don Muang MP whose mandate is much narrower than Luke's but nevertheless just as action-filled.

Unlike Luke, Keng, whose real name is Karun Hosakul, enjoys a home-turf advantage as his fights are mostly carried out in Don Muang district.

Although his battles are supposed to be political in nature, Keng has never shied away from brawls that are in no way metaphorical. After all, he didn't get his "Skykick" moniker for nothing.

Karun made headlines in 2005 when it was revealed that his bachelor's degree certificate was a fake. The Election Commission immediately slapped him with a red card, thus disqualifying him from the general election.

Depression took its toll on Karun, resulting in some major unwanted incidents in his marriage. The sweet-natured MP who is much loved by the mae yoks (ageing Likay groupies) became the talk of the country when his wife went to the local police station and accused him of slapping her in front of people at Bangkok International Airport. As expected, Karun succeeded in shaking himself out of the tight spot.

Today, the rules have changed and Karun is now the Don Muang representative under the People Power Party banner. The hot-blooded young man has promised to serve his beloved Don Muang with his entire heart and soul... and feet too, if necessary. Unlike Luke, Karun wasn't charged with taking on the entire universe. But there were times when it felt that way.

In April, Karun made headlines again when he blew his top after a series of heated exchanges with the Democrat Party's Somkiat Pongpaiboon.

It appeared that Karun was lured to an unfriendly corner of Parliament full of Democrats. Democrats said Karun's fists and feet were flying and that poor Somkiat was on the receiving end.

The truth will probably never be known, but one can't help but wonder why none of the dozens of Democrat MPs in the room videotaped the rumble in Parliament. Perhaps none were using Nokia's N series. But then again, ambiguity has its advantages.

In the final analysis, it's Karun's word against that of the Democrats. Karun swore on his mother's life that he didn't attack Somkiat as alleged. One wonders why he didn't swear on his own life.

Fist-fighting among lawmakers is nothing new. Indeed, a few years ago, former police chief Prathin Santhiprapob decked a fellow senator with a left hook but was later forgiven. The respected former police officer was allowed to finish his term. Karun, whose favourite sport is cockfighting, may not get the same treatment.

There is a longstanding notion that, for whatever reason, Bangkok's districts are tough to win because voters here are supposed to be more sophisticated than people from other regions. Perhaps Karun is a living proof that this is a myth.