In truth, this likely took place due to the fact that the kingdom was at peace during the reign of The Tiger King. To keep his standing army occupied, he encouraged them to train as well. It is therefore no surprise that Muay Thai saw another surge in popularity during this time.

The 19th Century and King Rama V

Also known as King Chulalongkorn, King Rama V ushered in what many consider to be the golden age of Muay Thai. When he ascended to the throne in 1868, he was already an avid fan and practitioner of the art. Once again, the country was at peace. He encouraged the population to continue to practice Muay Thai not only as a form of self defence, but as a means of recreation and personal advancement. Another interesting development here is the transition from rather informal settings to the adoption of Muay Thai schools and centres throughout Thailiand. Many of these camps were given the last name of their head instructor as an honour and a source of pride. Students flocked to such locations from all over the country.

Due to such a widespread institutionalisation, the rewards and titles given to the victors were much more recognised. In fact, many matches were ordered by what can be termed a “royal decree” in modern times. Positions such as “Muen Muay Mee Chue” and “Muen Muay Man Mudh” are not easily translated, but can be considered the equivalent to “Major of Boxing” in the English language.

King Rama VI

Muay Thai continued to gain in popularity during the reign of King Rama VI (1925-1935). This leader is credited with formalising the sport into the familiar style that is known today. Up until this point, time was kept by floating a pierced coconut shell on water. When the shell sank, it was a signal that the round was over. King Rama VI introduced regular timekeeping for more accurate matches. Several other advancements also took place. These included:

Rope gloves known as Kaad Chuek.

Hardened groin protectors.

Three-rope rings and padded corners.

However, it should be noted that the rope gloves allowed the hands to become even more formidable weapons. After a number of deaths occurred during live bouts and even sparring matches, these ropes were forbidden and modern training gloves were used as replacements.

The Transition into the Western World

Muay Thai also began to gain an international reputation before and during the reign of King Rama VI. One of the first times that westerners were exposed to this sport was in 1913 when British boxing and Muay Thai were taught as part of the curriculum at Suan Kulap College. This is believed to be the first instance when the art form was referred to as Muay Thai (it was previously widely known by the more traditional term of Muay Boran).

During the 1920s and 1930s, such formalisation continued. Examples of this can be seen in the establishment of different weight classes. Throughout most of the history of Muay Thai, these classes did not exist. By segmenting groups of fighters in this manner, more balanced competitions could take place while a greater number of champions would likewise emerge. Also, groin guards evolved from rather crude pieces of tree bark or even sea shells to the modern protective devices that are seen today.

Modern Times

Muay thai continued to gain fame throughout the 20th century and by the 1990s, its international prestige was recognised through a series of accreditations. 1993 saw the establishment of the International Federation of Muay Thai Amateur (IFMA). No lees than 128 countries joined this league. It is now also a member of the Olympic Council of Asia.

In 1995, the World Muay Thai Council was established; the largest professional Muay Thai organisation in the world. It currently boasts over 70 member countries and thousands of active practitioners.

Another significant development occurred as recently as 2006 when Muay Thai became a member of SportAccord (an umbrella group for Olympic and non-Olympic sports). Due to the rules that no sport can have a country of origin within its official title, the name of this art is now technically considered to be Muaythai to accommodate such a requirement.

Likewise, Muay Thai was included within the International World Games Association (IWGA) in 2014. Due to this status, it will be included at the 2017 International World Games in Wroclaw, Poland. The first University Muaythai World Cup was recently held in 2015 in Bangkok, Thaliand.

A Massive Following

No comprehensive history would be complete without mentioning the influence that the media has had upon the popularity of Muay Thai. It can be argued that one of the films which introduced this art to the mainstream public was Kickboxer (1989) starring Jean-Claude Van Damme. Soon, other films and video games followed this path. Throughout this time and during the 1990s, thousands of schools emerged across the globe. Clothing companies including Infithstyle Inc. have aided in this recognition; providing garments and equipment to a growing number of athletes from around the world.

So, it is clear to see that the art of Muay Thai has a history that is as colourful and interesting as the techniques and competitors themselves. As the sport continues to evolve, we should only expect to witness an even larger number of followers emerge into the future. Like many martial arts, the rather humble and utilitarian roots of Muay Thai gave birth to what can only be called one of the most popular sports in the world today.