Tourists now flock to Thailand to learn Muay Thai

Muay Thai, meaning ‘Art of Eight Limbs’, is a highly popular combat sport and martial art believed to have originated several centuries ago in Thailand. We travel to Phuket to pull on some boxing gloves

With its classical architecture, magnificent Buddhist pilgrimage sites, and pulsating night markets, the island town of Phuket on the Southwestern coast of Thailand is always busy with tourists.

Scores of visitors from Europe, South Asia, and Australia often travel to the island to swim, and sunbathe, but now, they are heading to Phuket to throw in a few punches.

For Eric Jason, a marketing professional from Singapore, his maiden trip to Phuket is more than relaxing at beaches in the afternoon, paragliding across the evening sky, or visiting night markets. “The first thing which struck my mind after landing in Phuket for my holidays was to experience Muay Thai (Thai boxing). This is my first time trying a martial art. Having heard about Thai boxing from some of my friends here, I thought of giving it a try,” says Eric.

Eric is at Club Med Phuket, an all-inclusive beach resort at Karon in Mueang Phuket District, which offers wide-ranging entertainment activities. These include traditional Thai cooking, entry-level training in Muay Thai, wall climbing, snorkelling, music, archery, trampoline, flying trapeze, among others.

Muay Thai, meaning ‘Art of Eight Limbs’, is a highly popular combat sport believed to have originated several centuries ago in Thailand. It involves the combined usage of fists, knees, shins and elbows for kicking, punching and striking. In recent years, the sport has grown in popularity among tourists visiting Thailand.

Meanwhile, Lewi Sydney, a 49-year-old software professional from Perth in Australia, and his family head to the Thai boxing arena at the entrance of Club Med Phuket. Muay Thai coach Seksan Chukliang, known by his nickname San, switches on Sarama, the traditional music that accompanies the pre-fight ritual. This may be a touristy space, but San takes training seriously: anyone who comes late for the practice session has to do 20 push-ups.

However, San has a bright smile on his face when welcoming trainees. He has been giving entry-level training in Thai boxing to tourists at the resort for the past 15 years, apart from training professional fighters. The 50-year-old says, “I was in real combat matches on 335 occasions in my three-decade-long Thai boxing career. As a teenager, though I was poor, I never missed Muay Thai training. Now, I have a few championships to my name.”