Thailand Youth Muay Thai Championships Kick Off in Ayutthaya
The Thailand Youth Muay Thai Championships 2026 began on October 16 at Ayutthaya Hall, offering over 1.5 million baht in prize money to select national team members for the IFMA Youth World Championships in Greece. The event includes age and weight divisions for boys and girls, plus a Wai Kru category, with 369 athletes from 78 clubs competing. Officials highlighted Muay Thai’s cultural value and the youth’s role in spreading its spirit worldwide.
The competition features male and female divisions for ages U-14 (12-13), U-16 (14-15) and U-18 (16-17) with various weight classes. A Wai Kru ritual category is also included for the same age groups. Seventy-eight Muay Thai clubs sent a total of 369 athletes, including 228 male and 107 female boxers and 34 male and 30 female Wai Kru participants. Each participating team receives a 1,000 baht allowance, while champions earn 10,000 baht, runners-up 5,000 baht, and joint third-place finishers receive 2,500 baht each. Pramuen Raknak said Muay Thai is a unique martial art and cultural heritage that teaches respect, patience, sacrifice, discipline and sportsmanship, adding that youth are the foundation of the sport’s future locally and internationally. Lt. Gen. Phachar Rattanakul, chairman of the Muay Thai promotion working group, emphasized the responsibility of representing Thailand and conveying the spirit of Muay Thai to the world.
