Muay Thai opens a path beyond prison walls as INSPIRE…THAI FIGHT creates new chances

Muay Thai is no longer seen only as Thailand’s national martial art or as a sport for local entertainment. It has evolved into a global soft power industry with enormous economic value, creating a new business ecosystem that requires a growing number of skilled people.

The combination of business opportunities in Muay Thai and the return of reformed people to society lies at the heart of the INSPIRE…THAI FIGHT initiative, which is helping fill gaps in the sports sector while offering a fresh way to improve the quality of life of those who have gone astray.

Thailand now has more than 5,000 boxing camps operating nationwide, with around 500 to 700 certified by the Sports Authority of Thailand. This reflects rising demand for a wide range of personnel, from professional fighters and trainers to referees and even camp managers, as the market continues to expand.

The INSPIRE…THAI FIGHT project builds on the vision of Her Royal Highness Princess Bajrakitiyabha, who established the Kamlangjai Project in 2006 to give opportunities to inmates. Over time, the project has produced tangible results and has even been able to help send athletes on to the international stage.

Air Chief Marshal Somkid Sukbang, Senior Chamberlain to Her Royal Highness Princess Bajrakitiyabha, said the partnership between the Department of Corrections and THAI FIGHT Co Ltd, organiser of a world-class competition, had brought professional Muay Thai fighters into prisons across the country to train inmates.

He said the presence of boxing camps in prisons had directly helped reduce drug-related problems and had also contributed to a drop in the prison population from 500,000 to 200,000. Many prisoners serving long terms of 20 to 30 years often lose opportunities for education and work.

Chan Vachiradath, deputy director-general of the Department of Corrections, said a career as a fighter demands intense training and a very high level of discipline, and also takes considerable time to develop. Inmates, he said, are in a position to devote themselves fully to self-improvement. At present, boxing is being promoted in 18 correctional facilities, and those joining the programme must be well-behaved, free of disciplinary problems, and must already have served at least half of their sentence.

He added that repeat offending often stems from a lack of work and income. This project therefore helps fill that gap by creating a stable occupation and source of income, which is a crucial foundation in preventing people from falling back into crime.

Muay Thai, he said, is also highly effective in shaping the mind and building discipline. The rules of the ring have helped transform prison culture. Where there may once have been problems involving dominant figures or prison toughs, sport has instead fostered sportsmanship and a sense of brotherhood, greatly reducing fights and conflict.

Phadejseuk Sor Ban Insee Luk Phra Yom Muay Thai Gym is one example of an inmate with genuine boxing skill who has had the chance to return to the ring at the age of 42. His return to competition earlier this year served both as proof of his ability and as an opportunity to see his family again for the first time in 10 years. He now commands fight fees reaching into the hundreds of thousands of baht.

There are also six other inmate fighters preparing to compete under the project. They begin each day early, running, resting, training, skipping and working on pads, with three hours of training a day under the supervision of coaches and trainers.

Nopporn Watin, President and CEO of THAI FIGHT Company Limited, said the project was not limited to producing fighters for competition. Instead, it aims to use Muay Thai as a bridge of opportunity that can transform lives and open up future careers.

Inmates who complete the training are not restricted to becoming fighters. They can also use their knowledge to work as trainers, referees, instructors, or even to open their own boxing camps.

These skills are in strong demand both in Thailand and overseas, because Muay Thai is growing around the world. Large numbers of foreigners admire the art and techniques of Thai boxing. The THAI FIGHT LEAGUE, in its rope-bound Muay Thai format, will be used as a stage of opportunity to identify those with the potential to enter the profession.

The work, he said, develops people in a complete way, both physically and mentally, improving fitness, reducing stress and passing on the values of knowing how to lose, how to win and how to forgive.

“Sometimes Muay Thai can change a person’s life, and change many things,” the THAI FIGHT chief executive said. “The hard training period helps give them discipline and helps them find good things when they go back out into the world.”