When mentioning Thailand, Muay Thai has got to be one of the first things that comes to mind. The word "MuayThai" literally means Thai boxing and we Thais consider it our national treasure. This thrilling fighting sport uses what's called the "Arts of the 8 limbs", which includes the hands, elbows, chins, and knees for attacks. Muay Thai started out as a battlefield fighting technique and gained popularity as a sport during the Ayuddhaya period, under the reign of King Naresuan in 1584. Every soldiers during that time was trained in Muay Thai, and even King Naresuan himself was quite a skillful Muay Thai fighter. Muay Thai further transformed itself from the battlefield into a sport under the patronage of King Prachao Sua or the "Tiger King". Under his reign (1703-1709), Thailand was at peace and with the soldiers having nothing to do, they practiced Muay Thai as a way of sharpening their fighting skills and it was also good method of releasing tensions. The "Tiger King" was an avid practitioner of Muay Thai as well, he even fought in many tournaments disguised in a mask and winning in many of the bouts. During this period, MuayThai became the country's national pastime and it was even incorporated into the national educational curriculum.

In modern days Thailand, Muay Thai is no longer part of the educational requirements (too bad!), but its popularity
is no doubt sky-high to say the least. The nonstop action of kicks, elbow slashes, and knee strikes is very thrilling
and usually gets the crowd in a frenzy. To Xperience the live excitement of Muay Thai, you have to go to either
Lumpini Boxing Stadium or Rachadamoen Boxing Stadium (see below for info). These two stadiums are the most
famous and have the best matches, which are usually broadcast live to the Thai audience at home. You can
definitely expect to see a real contest at these stadiums.

For those that are unfamiliar with Muay Thai, you'll have to know that the match consists of five, three minutes
rounds. Before the match, the figthers performs what's called a "Wai Kru", which is a dance to pay respect to the
spirits of the founders and teachers of the sport. You'll see that the figthers wears an armband and a headband
while performing the dance. The headband is called a Mongkhol, which is a sacred item that was blessed by a
monk. The Mongkhol is then ritually removed before the match begins by the trainer, who first chants a magical
spell before removing it form the fighter's head. The armband is kept on until the fight is over, as it is belived to
give the fighter protection and the extra fighting spirit.

Lumpini Boxing Stadium
Address: Rama IV Road, Bangkok
You can take the MRT subway to Lumpini station
Tel: (02) 252-8765, 251-4303, 253-7702, 253-7940
Fight Schedules:
Tuesdays and Fridays from 6.30 p.m
Saturdays afternoon from 5-8 p.m.
Saturday nights from 8.30 p.m.

Rachadamnoen Boxing Stadium
Address: Rachadamnoen Nok Avenue
Tel: (02) 281-4205, 280-1684-6
Fight Schedules:
Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Sundays, starting at 6.30 p.m.
Enjoy the gory excitement! We love to hear from you about your Thai Xperience, please do share!