On 17 March, Ayutthaya, the ancient capital of Thailand, once again takes its place at the centre of one of the most recognisable dates on the Muaythai calendar with the celebration of Nai Khanom Tom Day 2026. Each year, the occasion brings together ceremonies, exhibitions and activities linked to the discipline in an event organised by the Tourism Authority of Thailand and supported by the World Muaythai Council under royal patronage and the International Federation of Muaythai Associations -IFMA-.

The occasion revolves around the figure of Nai Khanom Tom, whose name is directly tied to 17 March in the history and symbolism of the sport. Muaythai documentation presents that date as the day dedicated to his memory and as one of the discipline’s main occasions of tribute, with the presence of high-ranking practitioners, a central Wai Kru ceremony and a gathering that, in different editions, has brought together participants from several countries.

Who Nai Khanom Tom was and why his figure endures

According to the tradition reflected in accounts of the origin of this commemoration, Nai Khanom Tom was taken prisoner by the Burmese after the fall of the Ayutthaya kingdom in 1774. In that context, his name became linked to a bout held before the Burmese king in which he was chosen to face rival fighters and, in the most widely repeated version, defeated ten opponents, an episode that eventually turned him into one of Muaythai’s great historical figures.

Accounts that revisit his story describe him as a Siamese warrior associated with courage, endurance and the defence of the Thai fighting art. They also place him as a deeply rooted figure in the country’s culture, to the point that his name appears repeatedly in Muaythai publications and in popular stories about heroes and warriors connected to the protection of the kingdom and its traditions.

Ayutthaya and the Wai Kru at the heart of the celebration

The commemoration is regularly held in Ayutthaya, a place that in these narratives is tied both to the life of Nai Khanom Tom and to the roots of Muaythai. The city hosts a programme that includes activities throughout the day, exhibitions and bouts, along with a setting closely linked to the historical weight of the old Siamese kingdom in the memory of the sport.

One of the day’s central elements is the Wai Kru ceremony, a ritual of respect for teachers, ancestors and the Muaythai lineage. The event’s own explanation underlines that “wai” means to show respect and “kru” means teacher, so this part of the celebration serves as a public expression of gratitude towards those who passed down the knowledge of combat and towards the tradition from which it comes.

A day with international reach within Muaythai

Event material also shows that Nai Khanom Tom Day has gradually taken on an international dimension with the presence of thousands of practitioners and fans arriving from different countries. Several recent descriptions refer to a global gathering of fighters in Ayutthaya, with the participation of foreign athletes, Thai champions and representatives from the federation structure linked to IFMA, creating a picture that brings together ceremony, sporting practice and contact between communities from different backgrounds.

That outward reach exists alongside its domestic importance within Thailand, where 17 March appears as the more popular of the two dates associated with National Muay Thai Day. It is also referred to by other names, including Nai Khanom Tom Day, National Muay Boran Day, National Thai Boxing Day and Boxer’s Day, and several references note that on that night stadiums across the country dedicate fights to the memory of Nai Khanom Tom and to the legacy of the so-called ‘art of eight limbs’.