THAI boxing, the most famous of the indigenous Thai sports, is not just kicking boxing. Elbows, fist sand knees are part of the arsenal, although biting, spitting, hair pulling and head butting are penalized, Muay Thai, the proper name for the sport, was originally taught to Siamese soldiers for use in hand to hand combat which explains the anything goes nature of the rules,
There are two permanent boxing stadiums in Bangkok, the Rajadamnern and the Lumpini, which generally hold fight programs on alternate evenings. Tickets range from 70 baht ($2.80) to 1,200 baht ($48) for ringside seats, which are primarily filled with farangs Thai for “foreigners”. The true fight fans are back a few rows, standing, waving fistfuls of baht while shouting ‘out odds that change with each solid blow. “Four to five! Four to five!” (Thud! Whack!) “Eeeecee! Three to one”
Article extracted from this publication >> February 19, 1988
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