Muay Thai, or Thai boxing, has been regarded as an important martial art in Thailand since ancient times.
Despite strict regulation of the sport, videos of Muay Thai street fights have gone viral in recent months, attracting millions of viewers.
Muay Thai is controlled by the Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT) and matches must be authorised by it under the 1999 Boxing Act.
However, clips released by youngsters who created a Facebook page called “Fight Club Thailand,” have attracted huge numbers of hits since being released earlier this year, showing how Thai boxing can be used for exercise and stress release.
The group’s membership has increased along with the numbers of people watching the videos, with large numbers of men aged between 16 and 40 signing up to gain experience of fighting .
The subject of strangers fighting one another is now a hot topic. Because the events are not authorised or recognised by the SAT , some fights have been stopped by the police who have threatened to take action against the organizers.
The club’s founder, Sophon Nartnukool, 27, stated that the bouts were originally arranged among friends who wanted to test their strength in Muay Thai.
He added they fought for a brief period of time and posted clips on Facebook and YouTube, resulting in a number of requests from male fighters.
Following on from that, several boxing events with large numbers of competitors were held in different venues, including night markets and on the streets .
The police have stated that this illegal activity can result in a two-year jail term and/or a fine of up to 20,000 bht.
The police have also said that safety is paramount and because of the lack of legislation, it would be unclear who would be responsible if a death occurred.
However, the authorities have not tried to take legal action against organisers yet, but they have been warned to be careful and co-operate with the SAT.
Sophon said that the street fights were an opportunity for men to challenge and prove their strength, and he had yet to see anyone participating in the bouts cause problems.
He went on to say the fighters have to fight each other with Thai boxing for one round of three minutes. There is no winner or loser after the fight ends, so gambling does not become an issue.
The club regulations dictate that the fighters learn who their opponents are shortly before the bout begins, with bans on punching and kicking certain parts of the body.
Initially boxing gloves were not worn, but are now used along with gumshields and jockstraps, so as to enhance safety.
A good proportion of bouts do not last the full three minutes through either lack of preparation or the sight of heavy bleeding.
However, club members are determined to improve their fitness and durability to make future bouts more competitive.
The organisers are forced to constantly change venues, but Sophon has vowed that his teams will continue organising the fights.
They believe that Thai boxing belongs to the Thai people, who have the right to participate and practise.
(Thanks to Bangkok Post and Kyodo News)