5 Things that People NOT In the Muay Thai Industry Don’t Know About Muay Thai (In Thailand) Posted on May 10, 2020August 7, 2023 By Angela Chang A huge show at the famed Lumpinee Boxing Stadium early March became the source of a major cluster of COVID-19 infections in Thailand. When people who attended the show started testing positive for the virus (the most notable of these people was Muay Thai announcer and singer Matthew Deane), this quickly led to the shut down of Muay Thai gyms and fights. To date, gyms are still closed and fights are still not allowed to take place. In Thailand, a lot of people who aren’t involved in the Muay Thai industry started heavily criticizing Muay Thai amidst all the chaos – cities and airports being closed, a mandatory curfew from 10 pm to 4 am, mass unemployment, and just general fear. A lot of the criticism and insults aimed at the Muay Thai industry were most likely a result of looking for a place to blame. Here are some facts about the Muay Thai industry that those in Thailand criticizing Muay Thai and those outside the country don’t know about the art of eight limbs.Please support the continuation of content on Muay Ying via Patreon Photo by @gareth_harrisonThe following is a translation of a post that was originally in Thai, made by muayted789 on Facebook. The following images also belong to that media page.#1: Muay Thai stadia generate income for the country from a tourism perspective. There are no less than 200 foreigners in attendance on any given day in the major stadiums.#2: More than 100,000 people a year travel to Thailand to train and learn Muay Thai. Many of these people use their knowledge from their time here to open up gyms in their home countries.#3: Muay Thai is not just limited to being within Thai culture. It’s an important vehicle for people to know about Thailand and for them to want to go visit (and potentially bring money into the country).#4: Muay Thai is a career path for many born in less fortunate areas in the country.#5: Most forms of gambling are illegal in Thailand. Many people have accused people for partaking this illegal activity during fights, but betting in Muay Thai is legal.If you want an in-depth guide to training in Thailand, I’ve got just the thing.If you enjoyed this or found this useful, and want to continue seeing Muay Thai news (with focus on ALL fighters, not just men), training and fighting tips, gyms reviews, and general/miscellaneous content,please consider becoming a donor on Patreon.With donors, I will be able to deliver high quality content consistently as well as continue my fighting goals in Thailand. Muay Thai Thailand
Posted on May 26, 2020October 26, 2024It comes at no surprise that news about woman fighters is grossly underreported, so it’s nice to see these pictures and learn information about the women in the sport who competed when there was an even bigger disparity in terms of fight purses, opportunity and spotlight. Read More
Fighting and Training How to Beat a Muay Maat: Strategies for Fighting a Punch-Heavy Opponent Posted on April 6, 2025September 8, 2025Different Muay Thai fighting styles require different strategies to counter them effectively. One of the most common aggressive styles, especially outside of Thailand, is the Muay Maat, a fighter who relies heavily on punches as the predominant part of their style. If you’re facing a muay maat in the ring, you need a game plan to neutralize their strengths while playing to your own.Here are the best tactics to use when fighting a Muay Maat and how to maximize your chances of victory. While nothing will guarantee you to be knockout-proof, there are a few things you can work on in your training to better your chances against people who like to throw heavy punches and are good at it. Read More
Gym Reviews Sangmorakot Muay Thai Academy [Gym Review] Posted on October 3, 2025October 3, 2025Winding through the roads of one of the oldest neighborhoods of Bangkok, the driver turns into a narrow street and suddenly stops. “Your destination is on the left”, the GPS navigation announces in Thai. I quickly get off the motorcycle, thank him, and look around. I don’t see any sign of a Muay Thai gym nearby. I open up Maps on my phone, and it looks like the gym should be just a short walk away. Feeling a bit unsure, I walk through the gates of a nearby temple and ask a woman selling food if she knows where the gym is. She responds clearly and simply, telling me to keep walking straight and that the gym will be on my left. “You’ll see it,” she says confidently. I start walking deeper into the temple grounds, passing by a school and some monks. The nerves set in. Maybe I’m in the wrong place? Still, I trust her directions and keep going. Sure enough, there was a gym. Tucked behind a large shrine and lush tropical plants, Sangmorakot Muay Thai Academy (“The Shining Emerald”) greeted me with the creaks of swinging heavy bags. Read More