Thai Inmates Trained as Muay Thai Instructors

Thai inmates were given lessons in how to become boxing instructors to prepare them for life out of jail.

Forty prisoners underwent training and completed their teaching course at the Khon Kaen Provincial Prison in Khon Kaen province, Thailand.

Prison Commander Chak Limbut said the initiative aimed to equip the detainees with skills to support themselves when they are released from detention.

He said: "We wanted to create more career options for prisoners after they serve their sentences. We aim to develop them with the knowledge and skills to become Muay Thai trainers because there is currently a demand for jobs in the Muay Thai field. After the prisoners are released, they can become trainers at boxing gyms, passing on the national art and culture of Thailand."

The Department of Corrections and Khon Kaen Provincial Prison partnered with trainers from The Professional Boxing Association of Thailand to hold the course, which ran from August 5 to September 13.

Students were taught the "wai khru" ceremony to pay homage to their mentors, as well as boxing dance, aerobic Muay Thai exercises, and both beginner and advanced Muay Thai moves.

They also learned how to make and decorate Muay Thai gear such as the Mongkhon or headgear, and the Pra Jiad or armband, which cost around 500 to 1,200 baht each.

Chak said the prison will be holding another boxing course for a second batch of inmates. The success of this program has caught the attention of other correctional facilities in Thailand. The Department of Corrections is now considering expanding similar initiatives to other prisons across the country.

The program has also received positive feedback from the local Muay Thai community.