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Tourist
Activities in Phuket
If you don’t mind the violence, a Thai
boxing match is worth attending for the pure spectacle and
the wild musical accompaniment, the ceremonial beginning of
each match, and the frenzied betting around the stadium.
 The
training of a Thai boxer and particularly the relationship between the
boxer and teacher is highly ritualized. As the boxers enter the ring,
they perform a special pre-fight dance known as the "ram muay".
During the dance, they wear a headband given by their trainer. It is a
sacred talisman earned after many years of dedication to the art. The
dance starts with "wai khru" -- each boxer kneeling and bowing
three times, a show of respect to his teacher. With the ceremonies complete,
the fight begins. Each fight consists of five rounds of three minutes
each. Accompanying the fight is music stimulated by action in the ring,
rising and falling as the boxers battle it out. All surfaces of the body
are considered fair targets, and any part of the body except the head
may be used to strike an opponent. Common blows include high kicks to
the neck, elbow thrusts to the face and head, knee hooks to the ribs,
and low crescent kicks to the calf. A contestant may even grasp an opponent’s
head between his hands and pull it down to meet an upward knee thrust.
Punching is considered the weakest of all blows and kicking merely a way
to ‘soften up’ one’s opponent; most matches end with a
knee or elbow strike.
The origins of this martial art and sport
are thought to stretch back to the wars with the Burmese during
the 15th century. Thailand’s first famous boxer was one,
‘Nai Khanom Tom’ who was said to have single-handedly
defeated a dozen Burmese fighters in a wager for freedom.
A Thai king, Phra Chao Seua (The tiger King) is said to have
been an incognito participant in many boxing matches in the
early part of his reign. The sport has changed a lot from
the days when boxers would wrap their fists in thick horsehide
trimmed with cotton soaked in glue and broken glass for maximum
impact with minimum knuckle damage. Many changes initiated
to make the sport safer have reduced the high incidence of
death and injury. But Thai boxing is still a violent contact
sport and considered by many as the ultimate in unarmed combat.
Thai Boxing matches are held every Friday night
at the Boxing stadium in Phuket town. Occasional matches are held
in Patong. Demonstrations of Muay Thai are held in many of the tourist
areas but they are mostly for show.
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