Muay Thai, Muay Thai, Muay Thai, Muay Thai......

Thai boxing is advertised in the most eye and ear catching was known to man, which makes it most possibly the most obnoxious fashion as well. Trucks with skinny Thai boxers inside a ring constructed on the roof tool around the streets in Phuket, belching the same short message continuously until you scream it out loud when you're woken abruptly from a horrible nightmare, which may indeed have involved Thai boxing. Not that I am particularly inclined to enjoy violence whether some may dub it a "sport" or not, but when our dive instructor Neil informed us that another instructor Tom was fighting on Tuesdays match, I was game to support the guy and get a little culture. The audience was almost evenly split between Thais and farang (foreigners) groups jovially interspersed, but the overall feeling was friendly bloodlust, if such a thing exists. The boxers enter with flowers draped around their necks and a stiff rope around their heads, bowing at each post of the ring, paying homage to any number of causes, their opponent, ancestors, the king ( side note- I was recently told that the king of Thailand is the most supported King alive today. He has a 99.5% approval rating.) Thai boxing style is, from my untrained eye, similar to the western style, except it involves kicking and "other crazy shit", quote from my friend Jesper. I was wincing and scrunching up my face up until Tom climbed into the ring, then I was an uncool parent trying out their child's video game, bobbing and punching at the air while offering general curses and cheers. In the end, Tom was robbed.