THAI Section - The University of Hong Kong

THAI WEEK at HKU 2007

To celebrate all things Thai, the Thai Section held its very first Thai Week from 12 to 16 November 2007. The programme included three events:

Tuesday, November 13, 2007, 5:15 pm, S802, Meng Wah Complex
Thai Film Show: Beautiful Boxer (2004)
This award-winning film chronicles the real-life story of Thailand’s famed transgender kickboxer Nong Toom. Believing that he is a girl trapped in the body of a boy, Nong Toom takes up the masculine and lethal sport of Muay Thai (Thai Boxing) to earn a living and finance his dream of becoming a woman. Starring kickboxing champion Asanee Suwan as Nong Toom, the film includes several gripping action sequences shot in Thailand and Japan.

Thursday, November 15, 2007, 12:30 pm, Sun Yat-sen Place
“Muay Thai” Thai Boxing Performance
This event was held in conjunction with the Office of International Student Exchange’s Study Abroad Fair.
Muay Thai, also known as Thai boxing or kickboxing, has a long history in Thailand and is the country’s most popular spectator sport. Muay Thai is thought to have originated in the early part of the Ayutthaya period (1350-1767) as a form of unarmed combat and is unique among other kinds of fighting disciplines in its approach to close quarters fighting.

Friday, November 16, 2007, 5:30 pm, Global Lounge
“Loy Krathong” Thai Lantern Festival
Loy Krathong, the tradition of setting banana-leaf boats with flickering candles adrift in rivers and waterways to pay homage to Mae Khongkha, the goddess of waters, is celebrated annually on the full moon of the 12th month in the traditional Thai lunar calendar. The School of Modern Languages and Cultures’ very first “Loy Krathong” night included a beautiful traditional Thai dance performance as well as the opportunity for guests to release their own krathong and sample some delicious Thai snacks.

Thai Week at HKU 2007 was co-organised by the Royal Thai Consulate-General in Hong Kong, and Swish Club (Thai Boxing and Fitness). Sponsors included the Tourism Authority of Thailand, Green Thai and Thai Farmer Restaurant.