Muay Thai in Patong

Posted by Andaman Sam on July 22nd, 2011 filed in Activities

No trip to Thailand is ever complete without spending at least one evening at a stadium witnessing the Kingdom’s famous sport Muay Thai. After several years here I finally decided that I too should experience this national sport and made my way to Patong’s Soi Sai Namyen.

Each fight started with a ceremonial dance known as ‘ram muay’ where the fighter wore a headband given to him (or her) by his trainer. This dance is done to show the respect that a fighter has for their trainer and is a very important part of Muay Thai. After each dance the fight began.

Not used to attending a sport like this I was amused by the music and finger cymbals that were played throughout each fight that were coordinated to match the kicks, elbow thrusts and knee jabs given by each fighter. To my surprise punching is not regularly used in Muay Thai, unlike boxing known to me from the west, and is considered a weakness in this fascinating sport.

For those who don’t mind violence an evening at one of Patong’s Muay Thai stadiums is a must and can be a very entertaining experience. Those brave enough can even train and fight themselves.