Muay Thai to make heritage list

Culture Minister Teera Slukpetch said the ministry had registered on its list 12 items in the field of performance arts and 13 items in traditional craftsmanship, leaving four other fields to be included: oral tradition and language; traditional festivals; rituals and religions; and traditional sports, plays and martial arts.

In this last field, Teera said that he had assigned the Office of the National Culture Commission to study Thai boxing for possible registration.

Many countries had already registered their own authentic performances and local traditions, he explained.

This registration would tell the world about Thai heritage, promote knowledge and local traditions, conserve them for younger generations, and help their commercial development.

While neighbouring countries such as Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia had their own boxing styles, Thai boxing was highly popular in other countries- as evidenced by the many foreigners coming to take Thai boxing lessons in camps here, he said.

Therefore the Culture Ministry had to find the way to protect these traditional arts such as Thai boxing by registration, he added.