Bangkok, 23 February, 2017 – The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is staging the “Thailand Festival Experience – Mission 1: Amazing Fight” Thai boxing matches to enhance global awareness on the ancient Thai martial art, and is inviting Muay Thai lovers and martial art enthusiasts from around the world to apply for a chance to win a free trip to understand the life and philosophy behind the art of Muay Thai and learn proper techniques from Thailand’s famous Muay Thai boxer, Buakaw Banchamek.
Mr. Noppadon Pakprot Deputy Governor for Tourism Products and Business said, “This Amazing Fight event is being organised under the TAT’s Thailand Festival Experience project, which focus on enhancing the image of Thailand as a Quality Leisure Destination by offering “Unique Thai Local Experiences”.
“Through the special martial art matches, we put greater emphasis on promoting Creative Tourism through Thai culture, experiences and way of life in different regions of Thailand to create valuable and memorable trips for all visitors.”
Muay Thai lovers and martial art enthusiasts from around the world, who must also be social media savvy, can apply to be shortlisted as Amazing Fight contestants via http://festivalexperience.tourismthailand.org/ until 28 February, 2017.
TAT will select 20 candidates, 10 men and 10 women, and will announce the finalists on 10 March, 2017. The finalists will then be travelling to Thailand on an all-expense-paid trip to take part in the Amazing Fight matches, which will be divided into three rounds.
In the first round, all 20 contestants will receive training on Muay Thai techniques and the traditional Wai Kru ceremony from Thailand’s leading boxer, Buakaw Banchamek. They will compete against each other by performing the Wai Kru dance-like movements to pay respect to the Muay Thai masters at the 13th World Wai Kru Muay Thai Ceremony on 17 March in Ayutthaya. The 16 most outstanding performers will go onto the next round.
In the second round, the 16 contestants will be divided into four groups. During 19-21 March, 2017 each group will learn about the Thai boxer’s way of life and unique Muay Thai techniques in four regions: North’s Ta Sao boxing style of Uttaradit; Isan’s Korat boxing style of Nakhon Ratchasima; Central’s Lop Buri boxing style of Lop Buri; and South’s Chaiya boxing style of Surat Thani. Contestants in each group will then fight against each other, and the 8 winners will go onto the final round
The final match will feature the fight in front of the Temple of Dawn, or Wat Arun, in Bangkok. The four winners will receive a three-day/two-night package from Sri Panwa Hotel in Phuket.
All activities will be filmed and uploaded onto http://festivalexperience.tourismthailand.org/ for the public to vote for their favourite contestants during 15-24 March, 2017. The contestant with the most votes will receive a three-day/two-night package from the Anantara Chiang Mai Resort in Chiang Mai.
Meanwhile, the voters will be selected by computerised random selection, and the lucky 20 winners will receive a three-day/two-night package from the Putahracsa Hua Hin Resort in Prachuap Khiri Khan, which will be announced on 25 March, 2017.
