Will Thailand succeed in combining tourism and knockout?
technical?
The government of the country of smiles is currently working on the development of a visa focusing on sports tourism.
This would be issued to foreign travelers coming to learn Muay Thai.
Mixing kicks, punches, elbows and knees, Thai boxing, nicknamed the “art of eight limbs” in reference to the eight parts used in the arms and legs, has its origins in ancestral martial practices and is extremely popular in the country and across the world.
And Muay Thai will not be the only reason for obtaining this new visa.
On X (formerly Twitter), Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin assured that the government was “
ready to support other soft powers, such as dance, music, learning Thai cuisine, etc.
".
A whole program focused on the cultural influence of the country, therefore.
And, good news: this new visa would allow visitors to stay on site for 90 days, compared to the 60 days of the traditional tourist visa.
The Thai Prime Minister also assured that “
providing a special visa to those who wish to learn Muay Thai is only a starting point
.
» He said he wanted to boost the Thai economy “
by using Thainess and exporting it all over the world
” – “Thainess” referring to Thai identity and culture.
An official certificate for Muay Thai instructors
Still with this in mind, a website dedicated to Thai boxing allows travelers to choose a Muay Thai gym.
And the supervision of the practice is regulated: any aspiring instructor will have to pass an exam with the Skills Development Department, to obtain an official certificate.
Will this new visa interest French travelers?
According to the National Tourism Office of Thailand, just under 45,000 people, all nationalities combined, still visited the land of smiles in 2016 to practice Thai boxing.
Among them, there were 5,852 French people.
Far behind the British, who seem more interested in the practice: still in 2016, there were 11,219 of them who traveled to Thailand to learn Muay Thai.
And also behind the Australians: 6,800 inhabitants of the country of the kangaroos made the trip for the same reasons in 2016. Note that these figures are the most recent communicated by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports to the Tourist Office.
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