Thais following the Beijing Olympics 2008 from home threw themselves in a celebrative mood again on Wednesday as they hailed at the nation's latest and second medal since the Games started on August 8 -- a silver from Thai athlete Buttree Puedpong in women's taekwondo.

The 18-year-old Thai girl settled for the second place after a tough fight with Wu Jingyu from China in the women's taekwando under-49kg final on Wednesday.

Her parents showed a bit of regret (for the inch towards gold), but a lot more content after watching their daughter’s fight on TV.

"My girl has tried extremely hard, facing a defending champion like Wu," Her mother told the Thai national TV stations NBT," Before this she'd won medals only in some regional games. An Olympic silver is definitely already a huge boost for her career."

Not among the most looked-upon as Olympic medal contenders before, Buttree is the second Thai taekwondo athlete to win an Olympic medal after Yaowapa Boorapolchai won a bronze medal in the same category in the 2004 Athens Games.

The girl from Thai central province Samut Prakan has been promised a 7.8-million-baht (some US$229,400) cash prize from public and private institutions.

Besides money, Buttree is set to share the glory and fame which has been almost solely shouldered by her compatriot Prapawadee Jaroenrattatarakoon, who won Thailand's first medal and the only gold by now at this Olympics in the women's weightlifting 53kg on Aug. 10, during the past days.

The story of this new Olympic medalist is also expected to release some growing discontent among Thais back home who have been following the Games to witness some assumedly medal hopefuls fail to live up to expectations after Prapawadee's success. Some local media even began mocking at the pre-Games predictions by some Thai sports officials about a "three to five golds" prospect.

A NBT host, after broadcasting Buttree's final with Wu, told audience half-jokingly that he felt relieved and refreshed with the result: "At last, the fellows who have been talking in the studios these days have something new to comment other than 'they have tried their best.'"

But more good news for Thailand are coming out on Wednesday.

On the boxing stage, Somjit Jongjohor just beat Anvar Yunusov of Tajikistan in the flyweight quarter-final to secure at least a bronze. Earlier, Athens bronze medalist Manus Boonjamnong was set to bag at least a bronze after winning the light welterweight quarter-finals on August 14.

(Xinhua News Agency August 20, 2008)