Muay Thai, sometimes referred to as Thai boxing, is a Thai martial art and full-contact combat sport that uses stand-up striking, sweeps, and various clinching techniques. This discipline is known as the "Art of eight limbs", as it is characterised by the combined use of fists, elbows, knees and shins. Muay Thai became widespread internationally in the late 20th to 21st century, when Westernised practitioners from Thailand began competing in kickboxing and mixed-rules matches as well as matches under Muay Thai rules around the world. The professional league is governed by The Professional Boxing Association of Thailand (P.A.T.), sanctioned by The Sports Authority of Thailand (S.A.T.).
Sombat Banchamek, also known by his ring name Buakaw Banchamek is a professional Muay Thai fighter and kickboxer from Thailand, who formerly fought out of Por. Pramuk Gym, in Bangkok, Thailand, under the ring name Buakaw Por. Pramuk.
SEA Games, officially known as the South East Asian Games, is a biennial multi-sport event involving participants from the current 11 countries of Southeast Asia. The games are under the regulation of the Southeast Asian Games Federation with supervision by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA). The SEA Games is one of the five subregional Games of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA).
Dhawee Umponmaha or known in Muay Thai as Kaopong Sitichuchai is a Thai boxer. At the 1984 Summer Olympics he won a silver medal in the men's Light Welterweight category. He was the second Thai athlete to win a medal at the Summer Olympics, following Payao Poontarat at the 1976 Summer Olympics.
The 2013 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games, officially 4th Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games and also known as Incheon 2013, was a pan-continental event held in Incheon, South Korea from 29 June to 6 July 2013 that served as a dress-rehearsal for the upcoming 2014 Asian Games, which was also held in the same city. It was the first event to be held under the "Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games" name following the merger of two OCA events – Asian Indoor Games and Asian Martial Arts Games, inherited the edition numeral of the former. Doha, Qatar was initially scheduled to host the 4th Asian Indoor Games in 2011, but withdrawn in June 2008 due to "unforeseen circumstances", with the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) chose Incheon instead as a replacement and postponed the games to 2013.
Orono Wor Petchpun is a Thai super featherweight kickboxer and bantamweight mixed martial artist fighting out of Wor Petchpun Gym in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand. He is a former Lumpinee Stadium champion and three-time champion of Thailand. He is the current It's Showtime 65MAX World champion and is based in Singapore where he is a member of the Evolve Mixed Martial Arts fight team.
Sports in Thailand play a significant role in Thai culture, with both participants and spectators engaging in a wide variety of activities. Muay Thai, a traditional martial art, is deeply ingrained in Thai history and has evolved into national sport. Aside from muay Thai, association football is the most popular sport in Thailand, followed by volleyball and badminton. There is also a diverse range of sports that are also popular throughout the country, including tennis, golf, swimming, athletics, cycling, motorsports, snooker, and sepak takraw, which is one of Thailand's two national sports along with muay Thai. Water sports such as scuba diving, kiteboarding, jet skiing, surfboarding, rafting, sea kayaking, windsurfing, wakeboarding, long boat racing, and long-tail boat racing are also popular among sports tourists and locals alike.
The International Federation of Muaythai Associations, or IFMA, called the International Federation of Muaythai Amateur until 27 July 2019, is a sport governing body of amateur and professional Muay Thai and Muay boran consisting of 140 member countries worldwide with 5 continental federations after unification of International Federation of Muaythai Amateur and World Muaythai Council. IFMA is officially recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the Global Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF), the Association of IOC Recognised International Sports Federations (ARISF), the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) International World Games Association (IWGA), and Trim and Fitness International Sport for All Association (TAFISA). Muaythai has been included in many official sport programs such as the World Games, World Combat Games, Arafura Games, TAFISA Games, SEA Games, Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games, Asian Beach Games, Demonstration Sport in the Asian Games.
The World Muaythai Council (WMC) is one of the oldest professional sanctioning organizations of Muaythai in the world for the sport. The organization was set up in 1995 by parliament resolution, and is incorporated by the Royal Thai Government and sanctioned by the Sports Authority of Thailand, under the Ministry of Tourism and Sports. The council has been charged with the responsibility for the expansion of Muaythai worldwide. This involves supporting youth interest and athletes to learn the skills of Muaythai.
The 2025 SEA Games, officially the 33rd SEA Games, or the 2025 Southeast Asian Games and also known as Thailand 2025, is an upcoming international multi-sport event sanctioned by the Southeast Asian Games Federation (SEAGF), scheduled to be held from 9 to 20 December 2025 in Thailand with Bangkok Metropolitan Region, Chonburi, and Songkhla as their main host cities. The joint bid from the three cities was awarded the Games on 13 January 2023, after Thailand was confirmed as the host country by the Southeast Asian Games Federation (SEAGF). It was the first time that the host cities were selected to host the Southeast Asian Games through a new bidding and election process.
The 2021 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games, officially known as the 6th Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games and also known as Bangkok–Chonburi 2021, is an upcoming pan-Asian multi-sport event in indoor and martial arts sports held from 21 to 30 November 2024 in Thailand, with its capital Bangkok and the eastern Thai province of Chonburi serving as joint co-hosts.
Nguyễn Trần Duy Nhất is a Vietnamese professional mixed martial artist, Muay Thai and Lethwei fighter. He previously competed in Muay Thai on ONE Championship and in Lethwei on World Lethwei Championship.
The year 2021 was the 240th year of the Rattanakosin Kingdom of Thailand. It was the sixth year in the reign of King Vajiralongkorn, and is reckoned as year 2564 in the Buddhist Era.
Nabil Anane, is a Thai-Algerian Muay Thai kickboxer based in Thailand. He is a former IFMA youth world Muay Thai champion and competed in Lethwei at the World Lethwei Championship.
The men's 81 kg muaythai event at the 2022 World Games was held from 15 to 17 July 2022 at the Boutwell Memorial Auditorium.
Muaythai was featured in the World Games official programme for the first time at the 2017 World Games in Wrocław, Poland. It has been played at all editions since then. Muaythai was added to the World Games following the decision of the IWGA Annual General Meeting in May 2013.
Muaythai was featured in the World Combat Games official programme for the first time at the 2010 World Combat Games in Beijing, China. It has been played at all editions since then. The International Federation of Muaythai Associations is governing body for muaythai at the World Combat Games.
Ratchadaphon Wihantamma known as Sawsing Sor Sopit is a Thai Muay Thai fighter. She is a former WMC, World Muay Thai Organization women's featherweight world champion. Wihantamma also gained several medals in IFMA World Muaythai Championships, World Combat Games, Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games and Asian Beach Games.
Phillip Deploma Delarmino is a Filipino Muay Thai fighter who is a gold medalist in the 2021 IFMA World Muaythai Championships.
Max Muay Thai is a stadium and organizer of Muay Thai based in Pattaya, Thailand broadcast from its own stadium on Channel 8 every Sunday. The promotion has been credited for elevating the level of entertainment of Muaythai and to have modernized the way it was presented in the Thailand. The stadium was an important venue outside of the elite Muay Thai scene in Bangkok. After a fire destroyed the stadium, operations ceased in December 2020.
