Muay Thai

Thai boxing, or Muay Thai, is very popular here. So much so that every Sunday you can find it on television, somewhat akin to our American predilection to football.

It involves boxing with legs, knees, elbows, and hands. I can't say that I watch it much, but it is definitely an experience not to be missed when in Thailand. I didn't go to Lumphini Stadium, though, which is where most tourists go to watch.

Instead I went to watch at the Channel 7 studios where they film the weekly boxing tourney. These pictures are from the first match and the first moment or two of the second. The people I went with weren't having a fun time, so we left early.

***A note here for any tourist who might read my blog and think this is a good place to go rather than an official stadium - this is not a tourist attraction! You will likely have to stand, and you will not be receive any special treatment. It is very, very crowded. It is also a TV studio, which means the good vantage points are reserved for cameras. Fortunately for me, I am tall enough to see over crowds. Some of the people I went with couldn't see anything at all, others quickly got bored with the crowd and atmosphere, and they left after only a few minutes very disappointed. If you want to enjoy the view, have a seat, and be comfortable for the entire match, you are better off buying a ticket to Lumphini Stadium or any of a number of other locations around Thailand.***

To get inside, you walk around the back of the studio.

There you'll find some of the fighters getting prepared for their turn in the ring. They are rubbed with some menthol oil to heat up their muscles and reduce the impact of the punches. 

Once they are slicked up to the point of glistening, they are ready for the ring. 

Inside the ring, they perform a dance, which shows their respect to their coaches, the audience, and the sport. This involves some prayers as well.

Here you can see the TV lighting. The first matches are always younger fighters. Each match has progressively older and more experienced fighters until you see the main event.

The announcer enters the ring, declares who the boxers are and where they are from, and starts the match.

In the background bookies are calling for bets. As the match progresses, the odds change. You raise your hand to try and bet. I heard numbers ranging from a few hundred baht into the thousands (between $5 and $100). My friend was invited to bet as well, but he declined.

As I said, crowded. Short people won't find it very welcoming. Heck, I even had a hard time seeing, and I was probably the tallest person in the room.

The fight goes for five rounds, and most of the battle involves boxers in close contact. When they are this close, they use their knees to beat their opponent in the side.

In this particular fight there were a few really powerful hits, but most of the fight looked like this. Eventually, the kid in the red shorts was declared the winner.

We left shortly thereafter due to the fact that the group I was with wasn't enjoying themselves. They seemed to have expected something different (and many of them were too short to see).

I actually enjoyed it. I'll probably try to go back again once more before I return home.