A total of 50 students attended the course in pursuit of their official C-Level Muay Thai license, undertaking a series of lectures as well as practical demonstrations.
The focus of the course was to develop the requisite skillset to enable the students to become qualified trainers of the sport themselves, therefore allowing them to teach others when back in their homeland.
This included general combat techniques involving punching, kicking and the correct use of knees and elbows as well as learning the secience behind muscle relaxation, a key component in reducing fatigue, stiffness and injury.
The course was held at the Bhukitta Boutique Hotel in Phuket Town and was arranged and facilitated by the Sports Authority of Thailand, who elected to chose Phuket as the desired location due to its strong ties to the national sport.
Pride
The official course opening and welcome address was held at the hotel on July 16, overseen by Thammawat Wongcharoenyos, President of the Sports Association of Phuket.
Notable guests joining Mr Thammawat included Wandee Isarangkun Na Ayutthaya, a senior level director from the Office of the Boxing Committee of the Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT), and Thanawut Petchchara, Director of the Phuket Provincial Sports Authority Office. Additional SAT officials, lecturers and the 50 students sitting the course were also in attendance. It was not specified in reports, however, whether the students were Thai nationals or from overseas.
During his opening remarks, Mr Thammawat explained that the sport of Muay Thai is very much regarded as a national art form and key component of Thai culture. He furthermore expressed his pride at Phuket being selected from a number of national venues to host the course, citing the strong Muay Thai links and presence across the island as potential deciding factors.
Mr Thammawat thanked the SAT and those specifically involved in designing and delivering the course, explaining its importance in allowing participants to stay abreast of developments in the sport, including in areas such as sports science and understanding and implementing prohibited substance regulations. Adhering to ethical standards within the sport is of critical importance, he added.
In concluding his remarks, the Sports Association of Phuket chief also strongly encouraged all participants to fully immerse themselves in the course in order to maximise the opportunity to learn from such qualified experts.
Soft Power
The course is another example of how the sport of Muay Thai is being used as a key component by government officials in their ongoing soft power drive to attract increased tourists numbers and revenue to Thailand, while simultaneously enhancing the country’s image on the international stage.
The promotion of Thailand’s national sport was high on the agenda under former Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, with then deputy chairperson of the National Soft Power Strategy Committee, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, revealing an official push to have Muay Thai become an Olympic sport.
A range of initiatives, such as incorporating a ranking system similar to Taekwondo’s belt system, developing more national level Muay Thai competitions and supporting teachers of the sport to enhance their professionalism were all pursued keenly under Ms Paetongtarn’s watch in her previous role. Special 90-day visas were introduced in the second half of last year for overseas vistors wanting to visit Thailand and practice the sport.
In March 2024 Mr Thammawat and colleagues from the Sports Association of Phuket embarked on a trip to Beijing, China to meet with thousands of Muay Thai students and gym owners. Approximately 100 of these students and gym owners then travelled to Phuket a month later to learn about the sport and receive official accreditation as part of a program known as “TY Training The Trainer @Phuket Thailand,” held at T&Y Muay Thai gym on Soi ta-iad in Chalong.
Furthermore, Thailand sent eight Muay Thai experts to Saudi Arabia in April 2024 to train that country’s military and national boxers, and a Muay Thai masterclass was conducted in England a month later where foreign students learned from internationally recognised Muay Thai masters, such as Rodtang Jitmuangnon, Buakaw Banchamek and Superbon Singha Mawynn.
It is expected that such inititaives will continue to inspire foreigners to visit Thailand to further their studies, officials explained, which could significantly boost Thai tourism.
Behemoth
Another key driver behind the sport’s increasing popularity is combat sports promotion behemoth ONE Championship whose viewership in Thailand reportedly surpassed the 2024 Paris Olympics, as well as the combined figures for the Thai League and English Premier League.
According to a report commissioned by Nielsen last month, ONE Championship generates an estimated US$470 million (B15.3 trillion) annually in economic value for Thailand through its slate of combat sports events, including its primetime cards at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok.
“Without a doubt, ONE is the largest and most consistent driver of tourism, investment and awareness for Thailand on the global stage via our weekly broadcast to more than 190 countries and our rabid fan base of 500 million people around the world,” ONE Championship chief executive Chatri Sityodtong said in May.
“Our live events, coupled with our superstar heroes and global content engine, continue to drive Thailand’s economy forward and bring prestige, honour and glory to Thailand,” he added.
Muay Thai has an extremely strong presence in Phuket, with 43 officially registered camps across the island, including the famous Tiger Muay Thai and Bangtao Muay Thai & MMA gyms. Phuket also boasts two top-class standard boxing stadiums in Patong Beach Boxing Stadium and Bangla Boxing Stadium.
A raft of local and international talent has either been based in Phuket or graced the various Muay Thai gyms here at some stage on their way to starring on the global stage through promotions such as the UFC and ONE Championship; Alexander Volkanovski, Anatoly Malykhin, Loma Lookboonmee, Rafael Fiziev, Petr Yan, Valentina Shevchenko, Celest Hansen and Israel Adesanya are just a handful of such examples.