Muay Thai



Typical Thai Boxing (Muay Thai) - note the use of feet, elbows and knees

Lois and I had the opportunity to visit an international Thai Boxing School on Saturday (our preparation day – in other words - day off).  They gave us a demonstration and then we had dinner there.  The School is owned by the niece of the Counselor in the Mission Presidency.  The counselor "Mani Seangsuwan" is a native Thai returned missionary from my era. After his mission he married and immigrated to the United States.  After raising his children, he and his wife volunteered as Senior Missionaries. He wrote a book entitled "Monk to Mormon Missionary" about his life experiences in order to finance his senior mission.  He and his wife were called to go back to Thailand.  They served here for two years and returned to Utah.  After a short, while they decided to return to Thailand on their own.  President Seangsuwan serves as a counselor to President Senior in the Mission Presidency.  This particular Thai Boxing school caters to foreign students.  Over the weekend they had four foreign students - one from Cambodia, Malaysia, Philippines and Singapore.  They charge ~ $40 US Dollars per Day for training and accommodations (2 meals a day with room that has a fan). The building sits on a large lot.  Building is grand looking with two story columns out front.  In the back are two covered boxing rings.

As we were eating a former missionary that was in my group (38 years ago) arrived.  Jeff Rock is a retired US government Foreign Service Worker who is again living in Thailand.  If I remember correctly he has lived in Fiji, China, Tiawan, Thailand and Malaysia.  He also did a 1 year stint in Iraq after which he retired.  He has a business here in Thailand and lives her full time.  He is very comfortable here in Thailand.   We returned to the mass rapid system station in a Taxi with Jeff. We went back into town.  He took a different train and went to his apartment north of the city center. The mass transit system sure makes getting around a lot convenient than it was years ago.