What are the best muay thai brands out there when it comes to muay thai gear and equipment in Thailand?
This post will focus on the top, high quality and well known brands that operate out of and are established in Thailand.
From the ‘OGs’ of the muay thai fight gear game such as Thaismai, Windy and Sandee, the big international brands such as Fairtex and Twins, to the ‘new kids on the block’ who have seen skyrocketing success and popularity such as Top King and Yokkao.
This post will provide an overview of each of the Top Thailand based muay thai brands.
Listed below and discussed further on in this post the Top 9 muay thai brands out of Thailand (not in any order or ranking) are:
- Thaismai
- Fairtex
- Twins
- Top King
- MUAYTHAI
- Yokkao
- Windy
- BOON Sports
- Sandee
Is Thailand-Made Muay Thai Gear the Best?
Generally speaking, yes the muay thai gear being produced by the well established names in Thailand can be considered the most high quality and reliable muay thai gear.
The main reason being that as the gear is produced in Thailand by people who understand the needs of the muay thai practitioner.
Therefore those who design and make the gear understand the specific needs that the gear needs to meet and for the purpose for which it is intended – muay thai training and fighting.
Let’s take a look at each of the top muay thai brands individually and discuss the benefits and merits of each as well as their history in Thailand.
Please note the list of the top Thai brands below are not in order or rank.
Thaismai
Thaismai is one of the older Thai brands that was established under the “Thaismai Shop” name in 1960. After being re-branded in 1980 it was later called Thaismai sport, which is the current name of the brand today.
In 1992, in a move to expand the brand both locally and internationally, the company was incorporated under the name of “TSM Sport Export Company Limited”.
Thaismai gloves and shorts were used in the original Lumpinee stadium and while being a long established brand in Thailand. While they do export for the overseas market, Thaismai have not invested a lot into marketing their name and brand outside of Thailand.
Thaismai can be considered the Godfather of muay thai gear in Thailand. Despite having such a long history and well established name in Thailand, their gear is not the easiest to find and shop for.
The best place to buy them would be at their physical store in Bangkok which has been operating out of the same location for the last 35 plus years.
The store is located at:
2354/19,21 Charoen Krung 84 , Bang Kho Laem (9,255.54 km)
10120 Bangkok, Thailand
While their physical store may be tiny, the store itself has a lot of history and unique top quality gear that cannot be found anywhere else.
In terms of gear, Thaismai produce the full range of muay thai gear and training equipment. They are famous for their gloves and shorts. With Thaismai gear you get a long established brand that battled tested and a proven name since the 1960’s.
Fairtex
Fairtex is one of th emost recognized brands for muay thai gear in Thailand and the world today. Fairtex Garments Factory Company Limited which is the parent company of the Fairtex Group was established in 1971 by Phillip Wong.
Operating out of Thailand, Fairtex distributes to more than 50 countries worldwide. The FAirtex brand is used by organizations in the industry such as K-1, WBC Muay Thai, WEC, Elite XC, Strikeforce, Legend FC, Martial Combat,Pancrase, The Contender, and Thai Fight.
The Fairtex name is well known is Thailand for the muay thai boxing camp as big names in the muay thai world such as Yodsanklai Fairtex, Jongsanan Fairtex and current female ONE Championship kickboxing and muay thai champion, Stamp Fairtex.
The Fairtex brand itself produces high quality majority hand made muay thai training gear such as kick pads, heavy bags, gloves as well as shin guards.
The focus of Fairtex is on produing high quality gear for fighter safety and durability of the gear itself while also maintaining a focus on aesthetics.
It only takes a brief look at any Fairtex gear that they take aesthetics very seriously and their gear is really outstanding and please to the eye as well as being reliable and durable.
Twins
Twins Special or also more commonly known as Twins was established in 1992. The Twins brand is well known for production of quality materials for muay thai training and fighting.
The Twins brand is especially known for their popular high quality gloves. In fact the Twins brand of gloves are the only brand allowed at Lumpini Stadium, the most prestigious muay thai stadium in the world. The Twins brand is also used at Rajadermnern stadium as well.
Most of the product lineup from Twins is manufactured at the Twins Special Factory complex in Thailand. This brand produces everything from headgear to gloves to shin guards, almost all of it crafted from real premium leather for exceptional durability. Twins also manufactures a wide range of accessories like hand wraps and fight wear.
Twins Special has exclusive quality in its craftsmanship and materials with recognition from all international sanctioning bodies and athletic commissions approving the use of the products for a wide range of competitive disciplines.
Protection, Durability as well as aesthetics are key factors that make Twins one of the most popular and demanded brands in muay thai gear and especially for gloves.
Top King
Recognized by the Professional Boxing Association of Thailand and the World Professional Muay Thai Federation, Top King is another of the most beloved manufacturers of Muay Thai equipment throughout the world.
While Top King is one of the newer brands on the muay thai scene in Thailand, having been started in 2009, the brand is well known for produing some of the highest qulity muay thai shorts, gloves and shin guards preferred by many top fighters and muay thai camps.
Top King is perfect both for the practice ring and for competitions, being used in some of the most popular tournaments around the world, including the tournaments held in honor of the King and Queen.
The brand’s quick rise to success can be attributed to the experience of the founder, who left Twins, to start up Top King. And as expected the qulity craftsmanship which stems from the Twins name and family have followed through to the newer Top King brand.
MUAYTHAI
The MUAYTHAI brand of fight gear is one of the oldest long established brands in Thailand. Virtually unknown outside Thailand, MUAYTHAI brand is known for produing high quality reliable gear.
The MUAYTHAI brand, is known for hand-made gear utilizing only top quality grade A cowhide rather than synthetic leather and latex. This is especially so for MUAYTHAI Thai pads which are also double-stitched and with the genuine leather, the MUAYTHAI kick pads can take a lifetime of punishment and remain strong and durable.
Being considered mainly a cheaper brand in Thailand while still offering highest levels of durability and robustness, MUAYTHAI is not the first choice for many top gyms and especially foreigners. Therefore there aren’t many reviews available in English about the MUAYTHAI brand.
The brand itself is well-known and widely used by rural, smaller gyms in Thailand due to their lower cost but dependability and durability with virtually no overseas marketing. This is perhaps due to the fact that the owner is not interested in exporting and dealing with foreign buyers, preferring the domestic market and custom-made orders.
MUAYTHAI is the only manufacturer that accepts orders by other brands.
While the gear is solid and high quality, the aesthetics is where MUAYTHAI falls short in comparison to other brands. Without the fancy and colorful designs available with other brands, MUAYTHAI does not seek to compete with other brands but choose to remain locally trusted.
To this day everything from MUAYTHAI is hand-made by a family of expert artisans and the leather is the best available in Thailand.
You can get more information about MUAYTHAI using the details below:
211/65 Nontree Gallery,
Village Nakhonin rd. Muang Nonthaburi Thailand
ไทย 11000
Tel:+66 82 546 5000
Website:www.thaigiftdd.com
Email:muaythai_lumpinee@yahoo.com
Yokkao
Yokkao was founded by Doungjaj Tananan in Bangkok in January 2010 and began by producing muay thai shorts and training equipment.
In February 2011, Yokkao started the Yokkao Fight Team which sponsors muay thai Fighters around the world. The earliest line-up of the fight team includedSaenchai, Sudsakorn, Buakaw and Yoddecha Sityodtong
Handmade in Thailand by professional craft workers, Yokkao gear is unrivaled in terms of quality and design with very eye catching and aesthetically pleasing designs that prove to be very popular..
The Yokkao research and development team have designed and developed an exclusive premium quality leatherthrough the collaboration with one of the best tanneries in Thailand. The premium leather is used in Yokkao’s wide range of boxing gloves and protective gear.
Although one of the newer brands on the muay thai gear scene, Yokkao has been endorsed by big name fighters and their quality as well as design and innovation has seen them rise to the tops of muay thai brands out of Thailand.
Windy
Windy Fight Gear established in 1951 is one of the oldest producers of combat equipment in the world today.Windy is one of the original companies that started producing Muay Thai equipment in Thailand along withThaismai and Sandee.
Handmade in Bangkok, the products continue to live up to the name. This brand is most famous for their gloves and headgear, but they also produce punch mitts, heavy bags, and other training necessities.
Channel 7 fights on Thai TV have Windy as their official glove supplier and Windy also supplies the gloves for a lot of the local stadiums around Thailand so their presence is still quite significant in Thailand on the local scene. However they do little to no international brand marketing and as such are not as well known as some of the bigger brands like Fairtex and Top King or Yokkao.
With the emergence of many newer big name brands in Thailand, the glory days of Windy have passed and they now only have a minor presence in Thailand. Yet with the experience of producing quality muay thai gear over the years, Windy remains a reliable source of muay thai gear that is durable and long lasting.
BOON Sports
Boon was started in 2002 by founder Scott Marr and his wife in Bangkok, the couple started by selling Muay Thai and boxing shorts on eBay.
Boon’s main focus is not on elaborate or flashy designs.
Boon is Thai for virtue and this is the foundation of the company’s line of products. While the company is small, their attention to detail and business practices have made them one of the most popular Muay Thai brands in Thailand. They are so well known that they even have a signature style—raw leather, without any screen printing or embellishments, just as equipment was first made, in the early days of Muay Thai.
Boon’s gear and equipment have come a long way over the years due to feedback from fighters and coaches in gyms in Thailand and worldwide. Their products are sought after by Muay Thai purists who prefer the non-flashy, minimalist style and premium quality.
The Boon brand, while not quite as prominent as its competitors, has grown in popularity among serious Muay Thai fans across the globe due to their back-to-basics gear designs and quality production.
Sandee
Born in 1977, Sandee Thailand is one of the oldest & most authentic combat sports brands in the world, with the manufacturing facility based in Bangkok, Thailand & worldwide distribution offices in partnership with Sandee Worldwide Limited, based in the UK.
Sandee have their manufacturing facility based in Bangkok and offer worldwide delivery centred in the UK.
Over the years Sandee have sponsored international fighters such as Jo Calderwood, Daitan Jackson and previously UFC middleweight star Michael Bisping.
“Unbreakable since 1977” is the slogan of Sandee and the name has been huge in muay thai for the last 35 plus years as one of the top brands producing quality apparel and equipment for muay thai.
Final Thoughts
Overall there are a good number of choices when it comes to muay thai gear providers out of Thailand.
While a lot of them do have a big global and online presence and store, some of the lesser known brands globally remain committed to the local muay thai scene. And as such you really need to be in the know when it comes to buying gear from them.
I hope this post has provided an overview of the muay thai brands available out of Thailand and has given some knowledge in terms of what is available.
For specific equipment, be it gloves, shin guards and shorts or clothing apparel, I would suggest reading the many reviews and watching videos available online to help in making your choice.
But in terms of the brands presented here, while some of them may be considered lower tier in Thailand, a lower tier Thai brand would still be a better purchase than some of the international brands available out of the US and UK today.
