Over 300 Muay Thai fans from 21 nations have signed up to learn the combat sport at the official launch of the “Amazing Muay Thai Master Class in UK 2024”, which took place at a hotel in Reading in southern England on Saturday.
The launch was overseen by Thai ambassador to the UK, Thanee Thongphakdi, and Pimol Srivikorn, head of Thailand’s sports soft power subcommittee. The class aims to promote Thai martial arts and culture.
Pimol revealed his gratitude for the diverse range of people, spanning from 6-year-olds to adults, who lined up to participate in the class, taught by renowned Muay Thai professional boxers like Suppachai Muensang, also known as “Super Bond”, Nilda Meekhun, and Nong Oh.
He mentioned that similar classes will be organized in other countries to not only endorse Muay Thai but also Thai culture and cuisine as components of Thailand’s soft power. He plans to suggest that the government extend visas for up to a year for foreigners interested in learning Muay Thai in Thailand.
Pimol also stated that the sports soft power subcommittee will work on enhancing the quality of the Muay Thai boxing camps by awarding certificates to those meeting their standards. He reported that three boxing camps have already received such certificates.
Suppachai, on the other hand, expressed his excitement about the passion of those who applied to learn Muay Thai and assured them that he would strive to instruct them to the best of his abilities, drawing on his vast knowledge and experience.
However, he expressed disappointment that while foreigners value Muay Thai, many Thai people look down on the profession and its boxers. He called for support from both the public and private sectors for the martial art.
Nilda Meekhun predicted that in the future, more foreign fighters will compete against Thai boxers, emphasizing the need for Thai boxers to continuously improve and train to face challenges from foreign Muay Thai boxers.
