Last week, my friend Carmen asked if I wanted to go see Muay Thai. Her friend, a young woman, was fighting for the first time, and she was going to go and support her.

While I’m generally a “Hell yeah!” in support of women taking bold action, this time, I declined. The world is inundated with violence right now (well, always, really), and frankly, I didn’t want to subject myself to more of it.

In addition, one of the lasting memories I’ve had of Thailand over the years was attending a Muay Thai event in which children participated. The images have haunted with me for more than a decade.

National Sport & Cultural Heritage

Sometimes called Thai boxing, Muay Thai is a martial art and full-contact sport that uses fists, elbows, knees, and shins to strike an opponent. The winner is the fighter who lands the most full-contact blows.

Muay Thai is not only the country’s national sport, but it is also deeply ingrained in Thai culture. The word Muay, derived from Sanskrit, means “unity.” The word Thai comes from the word Tai or “free.” Muay Thai has been around since the 7th century.

The Thai government has been lobbying the International Olympic Committee to include it as a new Olympic sport. While short-listed for the 2028 Games in Los Angeles, it was yet again denied. (Passed over in favor of flag football, no less.)

Financial Underpinnings

Enthusiasm for Muay Thai is increasing both as an amateur and professional sport. The Bangkok Post estimates that Muay Thai gambling is worth 40 billion baht annually (US$1.2 billion). Price fixing is also common, with fighters earning between 60,000-150,000 Thai baht (US$1,800-$4,500) for throwing a fight.

This financial motive doesn’t just incentivize fight organisers, but parents as well. Thousands of Thai families are thought to rely on the income from child boxing. In fact, studies suggest that half of the children who fight contribute to their family’s finances. (Source: US Department of Labor, the National Youth Office, and the International Labour Organization (ILO).

Some of the documentaries I watched this week contend that, compared to other choices, namely working in a sweatshop or in the sex trade, Muay Thai may be the better bet for children from poor families. This is, indeed, sobering. Surely there must be other options that make educating a child worth it for families struggling to survive.

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