In March this year, ABAT Executive member General Narin Tabprasit was voted in unopposed to succeed General Taweep Jantaroj as the new President.

But the appointment was marred by allegations that the election was not conducted according to the rules.

Just days later, AIBA hit Jantaroj with a two-year suspension from boxing activities and the ABAT Executive members, including Tabprasit, with a one-year suspension for their put in attempting to postpone the AIBA Congress which took place in Almaty, Kazakhstan, in October last year.

AIBA annulled the results of the election in March and decreed that it must be held again, according to the rules, before June 30.

AIBA are thought to view Tabprasit as a close ally of Jantaroj, who has a long-running feud with AIBA President C K Wu of Taiwan and played a role in backing England's Paul King in his unsuccessful attempt to replace Wu from his position at the AIBA Congress last year.

However, ABAT did not hold another Presidential elections before yesterday's deadline and have now had their membership temporarily suspended.

"Since the Amateur Boxing Association of Thailand has not held a new election for the Presidency of the organisation by June 30, 2011 as requested by AIBA, the Executive Committee Bureau decided to provisionally exclude ABAT from AIBA membership with immediate effect," said an AIBA statement.

"This decision will subsequently be submitted to the AIBA Congress for ratification.

"In addition, the Ministry of Sports of Thailand also removed their recognition of current ABAT two weeks ago."

The decision means that at present, boxers and coaches from Thailand will not be allowed to participate in any AIBA approved or controlled events including the AIBA World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan, this September and the London 2012 Olympic Games next year.

AIBA is now actively seeking to replace the ABAT with a new national federation as soon as possible and have stated that they are willing to receive applications from any other organisation to replace ABAT.

Such applications will be reviewed by the AIBA Executive Committee in regard to their suitability in accordance with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Charter.

The most suitable organisation could be accepted as a provisional member by the AIBA Executive Committee until the AIBA Congress ratifies such provisional membership.

The next AIBA Executive Committee meeting is set to take place from on July 31 and August 1, 2011, in Astana in Kazakhstan with an AIBA Extraordinary Congress scheduled for September 24, 2011 in Baku.

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