‘Amazing Muay Thai’ campaign woos global audience
In a bid to use Thai boxing, also known as Muay Thai, to promote Thailand’s tourism as part of the government’s policy to tap the country’s soft power, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with World Boxing Council Muaythai.
“The MoU aims to use Muay Thai to attract sport fans to visit Thailand, as well as improve Muay Thai’s standards to international level to expand the audience base,” TAT Governor Yuttasak Supasorn said on Sunday. “The promotional campaign will target a new generation of sport enthusiasts and will focus on conveying a positive image of Thai culture, traditions and values.”
Yuttasak added that the TAT is following the government’s policy of harnessing the country’s soft power to promote tourism under 6 Fs and 4 Ms strategy. The 6 Fs are: food, film, fashion, festival, fight, friendships, while the 4 Ms are music, museum, master, and meta.
General Kovid Bhakdibhumi, president of WBC Muaythai, said that under the MoU, the TAT and WBC Muaythai will engage in a five-year campaign called “Amazing Muay Thai” to promote major boxing events throughout the country to domestic and international audiences.
The first boxing event under the Amazing Muay Thai programme, soon to kick off in Bangkok, will be joined by the WBC Muaythai Diamond champions, Petchmorakot Petchyindee and Mehdi Zatout; current WBC Muaythai world champions Nabil Venum and Sajjad Venum; and young stars Kwankao and Petchaektho Boomdeksian.
“Furthermore, we will promote cultural events related to the sport, such as the guru worship rite of Muay Thai boxers, which is organised on March 17 every year in Ayutthaya province, to attract cultural tourists and introduce Muay Thai to those who are new to the sport,” he said.
Kovid added that Muay Thai is becoming more popular in foreign markets such as the Untied States and Europe, as can been seen from increasing foreign audiences during live broadcast and increasing sales of Muay Thai-related products.
“In the future, we plan to host more tournaments at regional and international levels, as well as provide knowledge and training to foreigners who wish to train in the authentic Thai boxing style, which will eventually attract more international audiences and in turn improve the country’s tourism and economy,” he added.