Buriram is a city undergoing rapid development and in recent years has become a key player in the Thai tourist market. It boasts one of Thailand's top football/soccer teams, Buriram United, and is home to some of the country's best Muay Thai fighters. Aside from being a Thai sports hub, Buriram city and the surrounding Buriram province offer a variety of attractions for local and foreign tourists alike. To accommodate the growing tourist market, Buriram offers an array of well maintained, often newly built hotels, resorts and guesthouses. Here's a breakdown of things to do in Buriram city and in Buriram province. To help you in your travel plans, I've … [Read more...]
Ya Kiatpetch Muay Thai Gym
Ya Kiatpetch Muay Thai gym is located in the Satuek Districk of Buriram Province. The gym has only opened in the last year, but don’t let that deter you, as it has a stable of large, active stadium fighters as well as a handful of kids making their start in Muay Thai. Ya, as the name suggests, works for Kiatpetch Promotions as a scout. Prior to opening his gym, Ya was one of the co-owners of Sak Buriram Muay Thai gym. Sak Buriram however, is over crowded and can’t accommodate children, so Ya decided to open up his own gym in his native, Satuek. The gym houses four to six active stadium fighters. In addition to that, there about ten active … [Read more...]
Muay Thai History – Words of Wisdom from Wun Watthanaya
"Do you want your kids to be fighters?" “Oh yes, of course.” I had to interject. We had three international students visiting the gym; they were studying Muay Thai as a way to alleviate poverty and currently were based out of Khon Kaen University. Along with interviewing the fighters, they wanted to talk to my father-in-law about his thoughts too. He wants his kids to be Muay Thai fighters? I’ve been married to his son for nearly ten years and have only heard the opposite from him. “Wait, Dad…what about Boom? You wouldn’t let him leave home to fight and you used to always tell me to … [Read more...]
How To Travel To Phutthaisong, Buriram
Anyone training Muay Thai will typically choose, Bangkok, Pattaya, Chang Mai, Phuket, Hua Hin or places close by for their training; Isaan is somewhere not many Westerners will venture due to it being fairly unknown. This is now a very easy trip for me, having travelled many times to Isaan to train, fight and see friends. Getting To Phutthaisong From Bangkok The journey starts from Bangkok. By MRT go to Chatuchak MRT station and take Exit 1. If you’re traveling by BTS, you need to go to Mo-Chit station and exit towards Chatuchak Park. Once you come out of MRT Exit 1, there will be motorbike taxi drivers sitting around waiting for their next job. … [Read more...]
Capturing The Root And Soul Of Muay Thai With Jacob Klensin
I realized that I was seeing things that should be shared, and when I found myself learning how to do that properly, and feeling like I was good at it, I never stopped. -Jacob Klensin Through his detailed and emotive work, Jacob Klensin allows us all a deeper peak into the world of Muay Thai and MMA. The photographer, filmmaker and writer took time out of his busy schedule in Philadelphia to let us in on his work and his world. You're a photographer, a filmmaker and a writer...what drives you? I studied history in college and was always fascinated by the creation of the material that will one day define how the future remembers the … [Read more...]
Age Over Gender At A Muay Thai Gym
Training in Thailand is not only intense, it is very intimate also. Many gyms provide accommodation for their fighters. The accommodation usually consists of a large single room with a few beds, thus fighters end up sharing everything: bathrooms, equipment, clothing, and sometimes even toothbrushes. Unless a family member is closely attending to the livestock, the habit is almost always strictly male. In the rare case there is a female fighter living at the gym, she is usually taken care of by an older brother, uncle, or the matriarch of the gym. Living at the gym, versus living outside the gym can change how people interact with you. This goes for both foreigners … [Read more...]
The Mutation Of Muay Thai In Isaan
“Sham is fighting the main event at Buriram iMobile Stadium," Mr. Dit, owner and head trainer of Giatbundit Gym, announces with a laugh. “Just like that, main event. Only one fight, main event…” He continues rambling on, mostly to himself. Giatbundit Gym began accepting foreigners just this past February and Mr. Dit is definitely still learning the ins and outs of it all. In Thailand there is a gradual progression into the big rings. All fighters must get their starts at either temple fairs or rice fields, and even with good connections, a spot at Lumpini or Rajadamnern must still be earned. For foreign fighters however, it is a … [Read more...]
The Soft Spoken Words of a Transgender Fighter
We were stopped at a red light in Phi Mai waiting to turn right when a motorcycle pulled up next to us and knocked on our window. I recognized the two guys from Rot-Duan’s last fight in Khorat; they were in the corner. They pointed right and we followed them outside of the city, driving along the river and through the rice fields until we arrived at a small village. From there it was a series of zig zags through the partially cemented roads until we arrived at a modest house that we were told was the gym Rot-Duan trains at. About three months prior I had ventured out to Phi Mai to see Rot-Duan. After arriving, we contacted their then manager … [Read more...]
The Side Bet
Awhile back I took MBSB correspondent Lindsey Newhall to some fights in Mahasarakham province. We left in the gym’s pick up truck after dinner and arrived to see there would be 25 fights that night. In the end, we didn’t arrive home until the monks had begun their morning chants around 5AM. A few of the matches were made earlier that day when a group of fighters showed up at the venue asking to be put on the card. Some were added to the line up under agreement that they would fight for free and could produce a side bet. One of those fighters was Giatbundit’s own Ong Lee. The whole card was poorly organized so the line up kept … [Read more...]
The Pep Talk – Fight In Order To Live (Sôo pêua chee-wít สู้เพื่อชีวิต)
"Don’t train hard because I tell you. Train hard for the benefit of yourself. You must do it for yourself, not because of me, because of you. If you do it for me you wont be successful.” -Mr. Dit, owner and head trainer at Giatbundit Gym, Buriram The southwest monsoons had arrived in Issan. Humidity reaches an almost unbearable peak before the downfall begins as cool winds and dark clouds roll in. It is a time when morale seems a bit lower at the gym - less fights and less running. Lately however, things seemed to be a bit heavier. As with most gyms, we go through our ups and downs and right now was definitely a down. I had to go out to … [Read more...]
How The Coup Affected Us— A Little Muay Thai Gym In Buriram, Thailand
I had been watching Senrak cut weight for 4 days now. It was painful. He didn’t have that much weight to cut it was more so the way in which he was doing it; run, sweat suit, repeat. The weather at this particular time was also quite vehement; not such much the heat but the humidity that left you feeling sticky tired all day long. After training he would then replenish his body with steamed fish, som tam, and Big Boy syrup— the red stuff. At this time Martial Law had already been declared in Thailand. Today was Thursday the 22nd; Senrak and Mr. Dit were to head off to Bangkok on Friday to make it in time for the Saturday morning weigh in a 6AM. Then it happened when … [Read more...]
A Typical Day in Issan
I woke up this morning very excited; one because I didn’t have to go to work, and two because Mr. Dit was taking me to interview Rotduan Sit. Seeanbreeak who is a professional Muay Thai fighter that identifies as a ladyboy. I first saw them fight in March of this year, Rotduan Sit. Seeanbreeak was scheduled to fight one of our fighters Taepbundit but Taepbundit had to pull out simply because he was fighting too often and was replaced by our golden boy Senrak who is currently fighting in the Thai Insurance Tournament at Lumpini. Immediately the ring announcer began to take jabs at Rotduan but their corner, simply put, told him to shut up. I was very impressed by this because the … [Read more...]
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