Women finally compete at Thailand’s oldest kickboxing stadium

BANGKOK – On a sweaty October night, in the quiet heart of Bangkok, kickboxing fans flocked to the foyer of Thailand’s oldest Muay Thai stadium. They took selfies outside the crimson Art Deco façade, billboards flashing images of upcoming top athletes.

This year, for the first time in Rajadamnern Stadium’s 77-year history, a woman has appeared on the big screen. Thai kickboxers such as Somratsamee Chaisuya and foreign kickboxers such as Desiree Rovira and Zehra Dogan peeked out from billboards, their eyes stared with steely gazes, their hair (sometimes dyed purple). ) were tightly woven into the scalp.