Gallery: Teen muay Thai fighters share tales of life in the ring
For Thailand's muay Thai fighters, there's no greater triumph than a championship win inside one of Bangkok's two legendary stadiums: Rajadamnern and Lumpini.
But the privilege of throwing cobra punches and spinning heel kicks in an iconic Bangkok ring doesn't come easily. A win can earn fighters thousands of baht and the chance of a place in muay Thai history.
On a recent fight night at 66-year-old Rajadamnern, Bangkok's oldest muay Thai stadium, the vibe is nervously electric in and around the dressing rooms.
At the other end of the tunnels, hundreds of Thais -- mostly men -- line the stands and shout encouragement to their favorites as bets are made. Tourists, who pay a significantly higher price for the novelty of checking out a fight, are put in their own separate "VIP" ringside viewing area.
We spoke with six teenaged muay Thai fighters -- all of who won their matches at Rajadamnern that night -- to hear about their personal struggles and victories.
Though their stories vary, the one constant among them is an unnerving stare. They never break eye contact while being interviewed, radiating a level of intensity that comes from years of training to produce mongoose-like reflexes.
In other words, they might be small, but don't even bother thinking you could take one of them.
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Name: Weeraphonlek
Age: 16, started muay Thai at age 12
Weight: 110 pounds
Hometown: Surin, trains in Bangkok
Best muay Thai memory: "A fight I won at Lumpini Stadium. The guy I beat was much bigger than me, so I felt really good about the win. I've won lots of fights but I've lost many too. I want a chance to fight them again though."
Motivation to fight: "I started learning muay Thai because I was getting bullied at school. I wanted to be able to protect myself. I was good at it, so now I fight because I love it and to help my family out. Tonight I made 10,000 baht for winning my match."
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