Thai Boxing (Muay Thai)

There are two places in Hua Hin to watch Thai boxing, a sport that involves 'punching' with elbows, knees and feet as much as with the hands. 

Matches are held at the Grand Arena in front of the Grand Hotel on Thursday and Sunday nights and at Mr. Chop Rawee's Thai Boxing Garden near the City Beach Hotel on Tuesday and Friday. The matches at both venues begin at 9.00 PM and finish up a little before midnight. 5 matches are held on every night

Tickets are about 350bath at the Grand Sports and 250bath at the Thai Boxing Garden.

Usualy 5 matches are held on every night, till around 11:30. To announce each fight as well as each fighter, both GS and Thai Boxing Garden offer English speaking hosts too. During the whole evening they will explain a little about Muay Thai basics and rules and regulations of the fights.

Muay Thai is much different from Western boxing and the fighters may use their feet, elbows, legs, and knees to strike their opponent. Many young Thai men start learning boxing from an early age. It takes many years to become a champion. Only the best and toughest make to the top. Recently Thai woman have started learning Muay Thai and competing in this sport too.

Although Muay Thai is a full contact sport, injuries or major bloodshed doesn't occur very often. Muay Thai is a clean sport and it can be great to watch, especially the high kicks and other gracious movements.

This can be an enjoyable, exciting and entertaining evening in one of Hua Hin's stadiums. 

For info on matches and Thai boxing seminars or self defense courses please send an e-mail to MuayThaischool@hotmail.com.

The first Thai boxer to win a world boxing title was Pone Kingpeth from Hua Hin. Pone won the world flyweight belt in 1960. After the first nationwide Muay Thai-competition ever held, Pone Kingpeth was the first champion of Thailand. On a small square not far from the Railway Station there is a statue to the fighter.