Muay Thai

Muay Thai. The national sport of Thailand and they absolutely love it. On my second week in Bangkok I met an 68 year old fella called Boss in the market that sells steaks! Imported from New Zealand, they are a welcome treat in between eating chopped up chicken or pork. His English is very good and we get on very well, he teaches me Thai and I eat there once every few weeks. Through him I met an old Muay Thai fighter 'Lo'. He doesn't fight anymore but he knows everything about whats happening in the sport. There are many boxing stadiums in Bangkok but they charge alot of money to farangs to get into these places. Which is fair enough if you are on holiday - a 1000 Baht entry fee is only £22 roughly. I'm not on holiday though and 1000 Baht goes a long way. So Lo gets me in for free! Being an ex fighter he seems to just walk in, I keep expecting to be stopped and asked for money but it never happens. I've been down to channel 7 studios to watch the Muay Thai a few times now and it is quite a spectacle. Lo pushes us to the seating section and haggles with a diminutive man who then gives us ringside seats for 100 - 150 Baht. So we get entry and ringside seats for 3 quid!

The fighting is without a doubt the toughest sport I've seen. Elbows and knees add a completely different dynamic than punches and kicks. The crowd are fun to watch as well. They cheer for every single punch, kick, knee, elbow, trip, throw, knockdown... pretty much anything that happens in the ring gets a roar from the crowd! Although gambling is illegal in Thailand, it's going on in the crowds. Every now and again an official turns around and shouts at them for gambling, he turns back round and it carries on!! Like naughty school kids! It's a wicked sport and it can be over in a flash. The championship bouts have been the most exciting and brutal but every fight is a clash between two highly tuned professional fighters.

Below is a video from channel 7 studios. I have lots that I might post at some stage but this one gives you a good idea of the atmosphere and the contest. Round 4 in a fight for a belt. The champion is in the red shorts and the contender in the blue. It was a great fight which actually ended in a draw.