Rarely does a Thai boxer have the physical size to grow into a middleweight, and those who do get past the lighter weight divisions often lose their natural agility and find it hard to compete against the hard chiselled bodies of the foreign fighters.
Suriya with his trainer and mentor Sagat Petchyindee.
But there are exceptions like Suriya Petchphayathai _ who won an Olympic bronze medal in boxing in 2004 under his real name Suriya Prasarthinphimai _ and who recently made a stunning return to the Muay Thai top division at Lumpinee Stadium.
Suriya, 32, had just completed several years of duties in the Thai military and his comeback to Muay Thai was against Brazilian hot-shot Leo Sasipraphagym, 23, who had high expectations of making his mark at the famous Bangkok arena.
The fight didn't get past the first round though, as Suriya outclassed the Brazilian landing a perfect punch in the first round that stopped the contest with a TKO.
The future looks bright for Suriya who says his "second life" as a Muay Thai professional will be more successful than it was a decade ago.
"Unlike most Thai boxers, I haven't been living in boxing camp all my life training every day and fighting in tough competition every six weeks," Suriya said with a contended smile.
"I don't carry the same scars of my warrior brothers. Time has been on my side and I've had the good fortune to live another life. I still have all my body strength, skills and the hunger to be the world's best in Muay Thai."
Suriya says he has set aside the next three years to beat the world's best middleweights in Muay Thai championships and to triumph against those in the light-heavyweight division.
"I would like to win a WBC green belt to show that I'm the world's best. I'm ready and know my time [as a world Muay Thai champion] is coming soon," he said.
One of the reasons for Suriya's confidence in his fighting destiny is that in his corner he has Sagat Petchyindee, one of most famous Muay Thai fighters/trainers of all time.
Sagat is the trainer responsible for handling the unbeatable pint-sized Sam-A Kaiyanghadaogym who has just completed a stellar year by taking all the awards for best Muay Thai fighter for 2011.
Sagat fought 317 first grade contests and lost very few. He took on the best during the 1990s and his ring war attritions with America's Peter Cunningham are legendary in the annals of martial arts combat.
Suriya says Sagat is "much more than just a trainer. He's special."
Through reluctant to articulate on his understanding of spiritual warriors in modern day combat, Sagat is publicly open to the "ceremony of knowledge transmission" that he undertakes with all his fighters before each contest.
Sagat doesn't just have faith in the power of his numerous protective amulets, he's an absolute believer in being able to tap into the "winning powers" of ring warfare.
Explains Sagat: "Sam-A has talent but he's prepared in the physical and the spiritual dimensions. That's the winning formula."
Suriya likes to keep it simple. What he knows from his own experience is that champions need both skill and courage.
"Muay Thai is like boxing in the Olympics," asserts Suriya. "The rounds are limited. You have to stay focused and the big lesson is never to hold back."
Suriya has also observed the "evolution" of Muay Thai over the past 20 years from the his early days as a young teenage boy when he had his first Muay Thai fight.
"The Thais are incredibility competitive in the weights from flyweight to welterweight. That's their fighting life," he contends.
There are few Thai fighters willing to box as middleweight and most that do lose their edge because there is little competition for heavier weight contests in Thailand.
Today there is fierce Muay Thai competition in Europe, the US and Australia from middleweight up to super-heavyweight.
While it's most unlikely that there will be a Thai heavyweight Muay Thai champion, Suriya says the incentive of high purse money will soon entice more of the heavier weighted Thai boxers to fight overseas.
Suriya is confident that he can beat any of the middleweight foreigners.
"The foreigners who box Muay Thai have the advantage of being taught how to throw a hard punch. "In Thailand, Muay Thai fighters are trained how to kick, knee and grapple and pick up punching techniques as a secondary weapon," he said.
Suriya says he has the "perfect balance" between punch power and the hard physical of legs and elbows.
But his secret weapon is Sagat who is his trainer and mentor.
"I'm lucky to get a second life in Muay Thai. I'm lucky to be heavy enough to fight when Muay Thai is so popular all over the world. I'm lucky to have found Sagat," Suriya said.