Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said he would work to make it easier for Muay Thai trainers to travel overseas to teach the Kingdom's trademark martial art and ease the path for foreigners who want to train in Thailand, as the government devotes some of its attention to boxing diplomacy.

The Prime Minister made the remarks during a ceremony at Government House in Bangkok earlier this month. Prime Minister Srettha welcomed and honored legendary Muay Thai champion Buakaw Banchamek and the Founder and Chairman of ONE Championship, Chatri Sityodtong. ONE Championship has emerged as one of the world's leading promoters of martial arts competitions, rivaling the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).

ONE Championship will be staging a star-studded night of boxing at Lumpini Stadium in Bangkok on December 22, which will be broadcast and streamed worldwide on its media network.

During the past half-century, Thailand has produced about a dozen world champions and countless top contenders in Western-style boxing, all in the lower-weight divisions. Almost all of them had scores of Muay Thai fights before transitioning to the Marquis of Queensbury rules.

However, during the past two decades, the rise of UFC sparked interest in a range of fighting styles and disciplines outside of Western-style boxing. Among them are Muay Thai, sometimes called Thai boxing or kickboxing.

Muay Thai is similar to Western-style boxing in that the fighters wear gloves and battle inside a roped ring for three-minute rounds. But in Muay Thai, fighters are also allowed to use kicks, strike with their knees, and grapple with opponents.

In years gone by, some Muay Thai techniques were banned and made illegal by state boxing commissions and legislatures in the United States and some other Western countries. That prevented Muay Thai trainers from teaching the sport overseas.

But times and rules have changed, so Thailand sees opportunities to share and spread its traditional fighting style worldwide.

The Prime Minister promised to make it easier for Muay Thai trainers to teach overseas legally. He said the Foreign Affairs Ministry would look into facilitating their ability to work in foreign countries legally. He also said the Immigration Bureau would make it easier for foreign tourists to visit and train in Muay Thai.

Photo courtesy of https://www.thansettakij.com/