Post : 08 กุมภาพันธ์ 2567 / View : 79

Muay Thai is a national heritage and the national sport of Thailand. It has been widely practiced and competed around the world since the last century. Muay Thai is well-known for its high-octane action and intensity, but the Thai martial art also has a long history and rich traditions which add to its charm. 

Muay Thai is celebrated most notably on two occasions which falls on 6th February and 17th March every year. The former is known as National Muay Thai day and is celebrated by Muay Thai practitioners to commemorate King Sanphet VIII’s coronation day back in 1702. Also known as “Tiger King” (Thai: Phra Chao Suea), King Sanphet was himself a Muay Thai fighter and promoted the Thai martial art as a sport to keep his soldiers fit. Muay Thai was largely used on the battlefields but King Sanphet’s reign was a period of peace. These were some of the earliest Muay Thai competitions which became a national pastime and were held in villages around the country.

It is interesting to note that the February 6 Muay Thai day was declared only in 2011 by Thailand’ Office of National Cultural Commission