Since the 13th century, martial arts and other traditional sports, both in recreational and competitive forms, have always been important parts of local fairs, regional festivals and national celebrations. These types of sports are now being conserved and promoted in the National Sports Development Plan along with the development of basic sports for all and sports for excellence such as the Olympic sports.
International Sports (Olympic Sports)
The history of international sports in Thailand is not very long. Toward the end of the 19th century, some were introduced into the country and were participated on a small scale. Competitions in international sports started at the beginning of the 20th century, mostly in schools that followed the modern education system. International competitions and exchanges of sports teams rapidly followed, both as friendly matches and international championships. However, it was not until the 1950s that Thailand could be judged as a country really involved in international sports, as seen by the participation of Thailand in the 1st Asian Games in New Delhi in 1951 and in the Olympic Games in Helsinki in 1952.
Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games): Recognizing that the countries of Southeast Asia were far behind in international sports competitions, Thailand in 1960, with the support of five other countries in the Southeast Asian region, started up a regional Games called the SEAP Games (Southeast Asia Peninsula Games) in order to raise the standard of international sports in the region. Four more countries in Southeast Asia were later added to the Games and the name changed to the SEA Games in 1977. Held every two years, the Games have produced satisfactory results in promoting international sports and friendship among the Southeast Asian nations.
Asian Games: Since the 1st Asian Games in 1951, Thailand has participated in all following Games. The successes of hosting the 5th in 1966, the 6th in 1970, the 8th in 1978 and the 13th in the 1998 reflect our deep involvement in these Games, especially the last one in which more than 7,000 athletes and officials from 42 countries participated in 38 sports.
Olympic Games: Since the first participation in the Helsinki Olympic Games in 1952, Thailand, through its National Olympic Committee, has sent athletes to participate in all following Games (except in the 1980 Moscow Games)
Sports for All
Making use of sports and exercise as means to promote the quality of life of the people has been a policy of Thai governments for several decades. Two main areas of promotion are :
1. Sports as Leisure Activities
2. Sports for Health
Sports as Leisure Activities :
As international sports become more and more stressful, both physically and mentally, non-organized forms of sports requiring fewer rules and less demand for winning have become more and more popular. Promotion of leisure sports has been intensively launched in the past two decades by the government through the construction of multipurpose sport halls, fitness parks and outdoor sport fields, accompanied by the provision of basic sports equipment throughout the country down to the village level. Half of the sports equipment targeted for centres in the villages have been fulfilled all over the country, and the number of sports fields (play grounds) has grown. In the meantime, the private sector has become more and more interested in the promotion of sporting activities amongst their workers. Many of them have even furthered their promotions into business in the form of sport or fitness clubs, some for members and guests only at many five-star hotels and resorts, as well as the Royal Bangkok Sports Club. However, many welcome the public; details can be found in tourist guidebooks or tourist information brochures.
Active recreation is well blended with tourism in Thailand. One can enjoy sight-seeing as well as various water sports at many beaches along the east and west coasts. There are many areas suitable for adventure activities in the northern part of the country along the Myanmar and Laos borders.
Sports for Health: ΓÇ£Sport is a miraculous MedicineΓÇ¥ is an old saying of the Thai people. The promotion of sports for health in Thailand aims at :
Health and fitness promotion for the public;
Prevention of some illnesses resulting from lack of physical activity;
Treatment and rehabilitation of the above illnesses as well as the acceleration of recovery from several diseases ; and
Promotion of sports in special groups of people, namely the physically handicapped, the mentally retarded and those who have had organ transplants.
The two main governmental bodies responsible for the promotion are the Ministry of Public Health and the Ministry of Tourism and Sports. They work hand in hand in providing Sports for Health facilities such as equipment for physical fitness tests, issuing of public relations materials concerning sports and exercise for health, training in sports for health personnel and instructors, and organizing activities such as ΓÇ£Run-Walk for HealthΓÇ¥ and ΓÇ£Sports for Health ExhibitionsΓÇ¥. Some private organizations are also very helpful in the promotion of Sports for Health, namely the Sports Medicine Association of Thailand and the Sports Science Society of Thailand.
Sports Science and Sports Medicine
To develop and implement sports science and technology such as exercise physiology, sports nutrition, sports psychology, sports biomechanics, sports medicine, sport engineering and technology, the application of these sciences is aimed at developing the capabilities of sports personnel, equipment, apparatus and venues. These objectives of sports science and technology are indicated in the National Sports Development plan, which all sport bodies will use as their guidelines.
Along with the 13th Asian Games, the National Doping Control Centre was set up and is accepted as one of twenty-five IOC - accredited laboratories in the world. This Centre complies with the IOC Medical Commission requirements; the laboratory is fully supervised by experts from Barcelona and Oslo. This laboratory has two pre-accreditation tests, including specimen analysis and concluding with a summary report sent to the IOC within 72 hours. After the Asian Games, this Centre was selected by Brunei SEA Games Organizing Committee to be the Official Doping Control Centre in 1999.
Local Expansion of Sports
As the National Sports Development plans are regarded as a sports masterplan, sports development has been covered by scores of activities, strategies and directions under the government policy. Sports have spread widely through sports administration channels under local organizations, which can highlight their sports according to the policy. At present, all sub-districts (tambon) have sports centres with equipment and multipurpose fields for local sports and exercise.
Stimulation of Sports at Various Educational Levels
Sports concerned with all age groups from nursery schools to university levels, from exercises for recreation and physical education lessons to competitive sports, form different aspects of the National Sports Development plan. This plan proposes the development of basic sports, the development of sports for all and the development of sports for excellence. The aim is to urge at least 60 percent of the population to participate in sports as exercise.
The FESPIC Games
The 2nd National Sports Development Plan has emphasized the development of sports for all in the ΓÇ£special groupsΓÇ¥ such as veterans, the disabled, ethnic groups, etc. The government and private sector will provide facilities and organize activities by combining sports and recreations to fit each group. The Far East and South Pacific Games is a quadrennial event for 42 member countries/territories of the Far East and South Pacific. The Games for disabled athletes occur in the same location after the Asian Games. Thailand served as host of the 7th FESPIC Games in 1999, after the XIII Asiad. The Games were run successfully under the slogan, ΓÇ£Equality in One WorldΓÇ¥, and Thailand was recognized as one of the leading countries in giving welfare and equality to the disabled.
National Sports Day
His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej is recognized particularly by sports lovers as ΓÇ£The Great Sports King.ΓÇ¥ His Majesty won a gold medal in the ΓÇ£O.K. Class YachtingΓÇ¥, along with HRH Princess Ubol Ratana, in the IV SEAP Games in 1967 during the Pattaya regatta. The King and the Princess were presented medals on 16 December 1967, which is now designated ΓÇ£National Sports DayΓÇ¥. On this day, people all over the country celebrate the event with sports and exercise activities, and also present awards to the best sports people, sports personnel, sports associations etc. of the year.
Traditional Sports
There are many traditional sports in every part of the country, some of which have been played for many centuries. Some have developed into international sports while many others
are still played as leisure activities or as a part of celebrations or festivals. The existence of these traditional sports is a vital part of cultural conservation.
Popular traditional sports include:
- Muay Thai, or Thai Boxing: A unique martial art using every part of the body to attack an opponent and to protect oneself, this is very popular all over the country. The most distinctive characteristic of Muay Thai is that it starts with a ΓÇ£Wai KruΓÇ¥ , the act of paying homage to the teacher and trainer, followed by a ΓÇ£Rum MuayΓÇ¥ or ΓÇ£Boxing DanceΓÇ¥ to prepare oneself for the fight (as well as to intimidate the opponent).
- Takraw: Played with a round rattan ball, now most often made of plastic, this is very popular all over Thailand. There are many forms of takraw, such as one person trying to place as many balls as possible on oneΓÇÖs body, two or more persons forming a loose circle and trying to keep a ball as long as possible in the air by passing it alternately between them, kicking it into a three-sided loop basket hanging a few metres above their heads, and Net Takraw in which the head, knee, or foot can be are used to send the ball over the net to the opponentΓÇÖs area, as in badminton or volleyball.
- Kite Fighting: Kite flying has always been very popular among Thai children during the breezy hot season. As a competitive traditional sport, two types of kites, Chula (male) and Pakpao (female), fight in the air to bring down an opponent in its territory.
The promotion of traditional sports is carried out in every part of the country by authorities concerned with culture, education, tourism and sports. On some special occasions troupes from every part of the country are brought together and demonstrate the traditional sports of their region at a ΓÇ£National Traditional Sports FestivalΓÇ¥.
Sports Museums & Halls of Fame
A collection of sports medals and torches can be found in the National Sports Museum, which is located at the main hall of the west wing of Rajamangala National Stadium at the Hua Mark Sports Complex. It includes the National Hall of Fame of Thai sports heroes and heroines, members of Royal Family and ordinary players, amateurs as well as professional champions, such as Prince Bhirabhong Bhanudej, former world champion in motor car racing, Phon Kingphet former world champion in professional boxing, and Somluck Khamsingh, former world olympic games gold medalist in boxing. Moreover, sports associations located in this complex also have their own specific museums while the Amateur Cycling Association of Thailand uses the Velodrome.
