DARE to be Different – Thailand what a Shame

DARE to be Different – Thailand what a Shame

Published on April 6, 2012 by The Editor in DARE, Opinion

DARE are Banned – That Means They Are On The Road And Thailand Are Wasting A Great Opportunity

It started with rumours, it couldn’t be true could it? Then as the day progressed we started seeing stories like the one below:

“SAT officials met this week to discuss whether holding an MMA event was lawful or not following a request from a private company and they finally agreed that under the 1999 boxing law, it is unlawful to stage an MMA event in Thailand.

“Organising a MMA event here would hurt the image of Muay Thai,” Sakol said.

There have been two MMA events held in Bangkok and neither were approved by the SAT, according to Sakol.

He said the SAT was asking the Interior Ministry’s legal advisors to consider action against any MMA organisers.

“If you want to do this kind of business, you should do it in another country,” Sakol said.

“Organising MMA here could mislead the public into believing that Muay Thai is brutal.”

MMA is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, while standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Muay Thai, kickboxing, taekwondo, karate, judo and other styles.”

Look it’s fairly obvious to almost everybody that a nation that features shows nationwide where children, boys and girls of probably no more than 7 or 8 beat the crap out of each other in Muay Thai events could care less about violence and anybody who thinks that Muay Thai isn’t brutal is a frickin’ half-wit. Of course it’s brutal, the aim of to knock three bells of shit out of your opponent. That doesn’t mean it’s bad, but come on!

So, that’s not the reason is it?

As for Muay Thai, I like it and there is no reason why MMA and Muay Thai cannot live side by side, but I guess the gambling syndicates and the professional businessmen who make very large sums of money controlling Muay Thay don’t like competition. What’s crazy of course is Muay Thai is in any half decent sized town in Thailand and MMA has just one event in Bangkok every few months. Hardly a threat then.

What of course they have just done is cut off their nose to spite their face. I have been to Bangkok twice in the last few months to watch DARE and I know of many, many others who also did the same thing. Now I have no reason to go to Thailand. I live in Asia, I can go to any number of beautiful countries. Thailand was fun, great fun, but you know what, I can watch MMA in Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore to name just a few.

Thailand has stung me too many times, 5 or so years ago my Wife and I almost spent the equivalent of £250,000 on a home in Hua Hin, but before we could make a decision they changed the visa rules from 90 days to 30 days. They have messed with these Visa’s a lot, in 2008 during first closure of the Airport due to the red shirts we had to travel into Thailand by land, this led to us getting less days on our Visa than we had days booked in the hotel because through no fault of our own we came in overland instead of by plane.

And it has been like this with Thailand for too many years, different interests fighting against the growth of a special beautiful nation. And this is another one. And, the way that I have seen reports singling out ‘farangs’ because they run these events. So, what? The DARE organisation is a Partnership, the President of DARE Fight Sports Rathti Thitidonpipat is a very successful Thai Business man, who sought out partners with experience in running MMA events elsewhere. A very sensible move and it has paid off. DARE in less than a year has become a Brand known world wide, due to running spectacular events and fabulous marketing.

DARE themselves are not crying over spilt milk. They know what they were doing was good for Thailand, was good for Muay Thai fighters who maybe wanted to step onto a world stage in a new sport that could only lead to more and more exposure for Thailand.

Thailand is already well known as a place where people from all over the world come to train in successful MMA/Muay Thai gyms, Such as Phuket Top Team, Tiger Muay Thai and Legacy MMA, and there are many more, Muay Thai and MMA live side by side in these gyms, both sides benefit.

MMA champions world wide still fight in Muay Thai tournaments so it’s not as if the Muay Thai fighters at DARE were being removed from circulation.

Here’s what DARE Fighting Sports President  had to say Rathti Thitidonpipat about DARE being Banned in Thailand.

ABOUT GETTING BANNED

The ban on DARE by the Sports Authority of Thailand was obviously a big surprise for the rapidly growing martial arts community of Thailand.

Whatever the reasons behind the ban might actually be, it turned out to be the greatest expansion opportunity for DARE as we have since received numerous new invitations, partnership requests and business proposals from all directions.

We are rollin!

HOW DO WE SEE THE FUTURE OF MMA IN THAILAND?

As one of the safest and fastest growing combat sports in the world, once more audience and officials are being educated about Mixed Martial Arts it is inevitable that MMA will grown into a mainstream sport. Whether the events are held here in the Kingdom or not.

Rathti Thitidonpipat

President,

Dare Fight Sports

And that is the beauty of DARE, while all around them, people are crying about DARE being banned, they (DARE)  are loading the tents in the van and heading out to set up the cage somewhere where it will be appreciated, somewhere that will enjoy the glow of the worlds sports press, the pride in hosting an event screened live around the world and on Pay Per View in many nations, that will host what is after all the Worlds Fastest Growing Sport – MMA

The people behind this decision in Thailand are making a mistake, they are acting in a very backward manner and I for one hope that who ever is behind this injustice wakes up and see’s the error of their ways. MMA is coming, you cannot hold back the tide, it will come, many people in Thailand are training in MMA. You already had one of the most talked about events in Asia running very successfully in Bangkok, bringing many people from overseas into your country, spending money on a lot more healthy a pursuit than many of your visitors. Now, isn’t that funny. You welcome millions of people to Pattaya for what? Sex! that’s what! And, yet people who wish to enjoy a sporting endeavor are not welcome. It’s madness.