A thousand-year history: from the entertainment of crowds and kings to a sport.
Muay Thai appeared in the ancient martial art called "pahuyt". The emphasis was on the possession of three types of weapons: sword, bow and spear. The fighter had to be able to use his legs, knees, and elbows correctly in the presence of weapons, but if the weapon was broken or knocked out of his hands, then fists were included in the fight. There was also a wrestling technique: suffocating and painful techniques.
The Chinese chronicles of the Tang Dynasty contain one of the references to this combat system. There is a report to the emperor from an unknown official in 649. In the report, he talks about the unusual way Thais fight with two swords and at the same time use their legs and elbows. At the end of the report, the official concluded that one should not rush into a war against the Thais until Chinese military specialists study this technique.