There are two schools of thoughts about how Muay Thai became a national sport of Thailand . Some say that during the time of the Burmese invasions of Siam (Thailand), warriors indigenous to the land fought off their would-be invaders using their bodies as weapons, thus the legend of the most-famous and revered Thai boxer, Nai Khanom Tom.
In the 1700s during the fall of the ancient capital, Burmese soldiers captured and imprisoned many Thai citizens. Among the imprisoned populace were Thai boxers. However, the King of Burma granted Nai Khanom Yom his freedom and the freedom of the other Thai boxers after he defeated ten Burmese boxers. Not only did Nai Khanom Tom destroy his capturer's elite warriors in a spectacular fight to the finish, he also defeated a boxing instructor from a neighboring city.
 The other school of thought holds that Muay Thai developed as Thai people moved from China . Whether indigenous or introduced by immigrants, all agree that while much of the history of Thailand and hence the origins of Muay Thai were destroyed during the Burmese invasions, the emergence of Thailand and the national sport of Muay Thai go hand in hand.
The effectiveness and popularity of Muay Thai as a combat skill was further reinforced during the reign of King Naresuan, who required all Thai soldiers to train in the fighting art. Later, Phra Chao Seua, The Tiger King, also played a role in the development of Muay Thai as the national sport of Thailand, through his support of prizefights and the creation of early 18 th -century training camps. In the 2,000 years that have transpired since the earliest known occurrence of Muay Thai, the popularity of the close-combat art has exploded beyond Thailand's borders, making Muay Thai an internationally recognized sport.
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Nai Khanom Thom,
who according to legend defeated 10 Burmese fighters to win his freedom from captivity around the year 1774
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