Word: thais
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...related development, Porter is in negotiations with Thailand’s government to undertake a competitiveness study. The Bangkok Post reported on Tuesday that the Thai government was hiring Porter for 50 million baht ($1.3 million...
...area around Mae Sot in Thailand's wild west is a tense mix of Thai soldiers, Burmese rebels and smugglers of jade, gemstones, heroin and amphetamines. A boxer calling himself Thai may have been born in a Burmese refugee camp and speak the language of the Karen guerrillas or the Mon tribesmen over the frontier. Crowds flock from Burma for the fights, some crossing legally at the checkpoint but most just wade across the parched Moei river. In this town of mixed allegiances and sliding identities, boxing alone provides a little certainty?without exception, every match is Thailand vs. Burma...
...high point of the season is in April when Thai promoters hold a series of tournaments in makeshift rings set up in sheds or forest clearings. The contests feature up to 16 fights a day between boxers who have traveled from villages on either side of the border. Many are professional journeymen, living day-to-day and bout-to-bout from the tiny purses they earn. These matches seem a million miles from the gloved superstar kickboxing bouts held in stadiums in Bangkok. On the border, fighters simply cannot afford to lose. Many share their meager wages with managers...
...Bare-knuckle boxing has been outlawed in Thailand since 1923: too many fighters never awoke from that conclusive knockout, often delivered by a fist of hemp rubbed in ground glass. Nevertheless, tournaments are tolerated, partly because Muay Thai has a place in the country's history. Siamese soldiers perfected the martial art in the 16th century, and Thais have been flooring Burmese since as long ago as the 18th century, when soldier Nai Khanom won his freedom from captors by defeating 12 top Burmese fighters. To this day, many Thais ascribe their status as the sole unconquered Asian nation...
...those seeking a non-intestinal route to Nirvana, two long-running Buddhist meditation centers in the area run regular retreats. On the southern Thai coast, Wat Suan Mokkh runs monthly 10-day meditation courses led by resident monks and visiting teachers. The $28 fee covers food and lodging. Meditators sit for a series of 30-minute sessions, listen to talks, chant and relax in nearby hot springs. Find more details at suanmokkh.org. An hour from Samui by boat is Koh Phangan, home of legendary Full Moon parties and the austere Wat Kow Tahm meditation center. Rosemary and Steve Weissman...