Muay Thai Haadrin

Getting into a songthaew leaving Thong Sala night market the last thing I expected was to end up in a car full of Muay Thai fighters.

The taxi driver asked us if we were going to see the fight and we said that we didn’t have tickets or really knew anything about the fight— luckily there was someone in the truck who could sell us tickets.

500baht later for the tickets and 150baht to get to the fight and back we were going to see Muay Thai in Haadrin Arena. One fighter was introduced to us in the truck-he was over from Sweden to fight.

After waiting for the taxi drivers wife to finish work- we were on the way. It wasn’t until we were at the stadium and everyone in the truck got out to walk in—that we realized that this was a family event. Two of the young guys with us were fighting along with the guy from Sweden. The taxi driver seemed to be their coach of some sorts..and the other boys in the truck helped out in between rounds of fighting - and then the three of us tagging along with the family.

We picked our seats at the ring…conveniently picking the corner that our new friends would be fighting in. The night started with one of the boys from the Muay Thai school demonstrating the rituals that the fighters do before the match with traditional music playing and wearing a headdress. Before every match the fighters walk around the ring touching the four corners and saying prayers.

There were four fights and two out of the three fighters we met won. When the night was finished we found the family and headed back for the truck. It was such a cool experience to see a family so involved in the tradition of Muay Thai- and the fact that it all happened accidentally.