In a post on social network X (formerly Twitter) on January 14, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said the Thai government is willing to issue a special 90-day visa, instead of the standard 60 days, for tourists who wish to learn Thai boxing.
Mr Thavisin said a similar visa would also be issued to tourists who want to come to Thailand to learn traditional Thai dance, music or Thai cuisine, which are listed among Thailand's 5F "soft power" elements, including Food, Film, Fashion, Fight and Festival.
Prime Minister Srettha's plan has received positive feedback from many people on the internet, with many saying that it is a good idea to promote Thai tourism and culture without spending extra money.
However, there are also those who disagree and believe that the government should focus on one element of “soft power” before moving on to the next, instead of trying to promote many elements at the same time.
Regarding martial arts, Associate Professor Pimol Srivikorn, one of Prime Minister Srettha's advisers and chairman of the "soft power" subcommittee on sports, said that at a recent meeting, the committee recommended that the Thai government first establish common standards for Muay Thai coaches and organize training courses for them. After that, the coaches can go abroad to teach Muay Thai.
Muay Thai is gaining popularity in Japan, South Korea, Russia and the United States. According to the Thai Ministry of Tourism and Sports, the market value of the country's sports-related tourism industry in 2018 was estimated at 120 billion baht (over 3.4 billion USD), and is growing by an average of 5% each year.
Minh Hoa (reported by Thanh Nien, VNA)
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