Panna Rittikrai Movies and Career Information

Panna Rittikrai (Thai พันนา ฤทธิไกร) (born 1961 in Khon Kaen Province, Thailand) is a Thai martial arts action choreographer, film director, screenwriter and actor. The leader of the Muay Thai Stunt team, he is best known for his work as martial arts and action choreographer on the 2003 film Ong-Bak: Muay Thai Warrior and 2005's Tom-Yum-Goong (known as The Protector in the US), which starred Tony Jaa, whom Panna mentored. Before Ong-Bak, Panna had toiled for decades as an actor, stuntman, and director of B movie action flicks in Thailand. "You've probably never heard of my movies," Panna told the Bangkok Post in a 2004 interview. "They are popular among taxi drivers and som tam vendors and security guards and Isan coolies. My loyalest fans are folk people in the far-out tambons, where they lay out mattresses on the ground and drink moonshine whisky while watching my outdoor movies." Panna started out in the movie business in 1979 as a physical trainer for actors in Bangkok. Learning a little about filmmaking and inspired by the movies of Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee, as well as stunts seen in James Bond movies, Panna moved back to Khon Kaen and formed his own stunt team, the Muay Thai