Phanuwat 'Coke' Chunhawat was born in a small town two hours outside of Bangkok, Thailand. At a very young age he went to live with his grandparents, but they could not afford to take care of him as he got older. Around the age of 12 he went to live at a Buddhist monastery. The monks there took care of him and allowed him to fight his first Muay Thai match at a New Year's festival in the upcountry. He won that fight with no training and began thinking about a career as a fighter. As a young man of 13 in Bangkok, Coke had no money and could not find much work.
 
A friend of his approached him and asked if he wanted to train at the Fairtex Muay Thai camp in Bangkok. He decided to go ' a decision that would change his life forever. With a little luck, years of hard training, and a great inner will to succeed, Coke became one of Thailand's top fighters, competing in numerous television stadiums in Thailand, and eventually the famous Ratchadamnoen and Lumpini stadiums, amassing an astounding 250+ fights with the majority of them at Lumpini, where only the best are allowed to fight. At his best Coke was ranked #2 and had already defeated many legendary champions, but because Muay Thai in Thailand is sometimes political, he was never given a shot at the title. Coke visited the US to teach Muay Thai in 2005. In 2007, he became a permanent resident and now lives in Oakland

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