Thai martial artists have dreamt of outshining Bruce Lee, Jet Li and Jackie Chan ever since Hong Kong martial arts films became popular in Thailand in the 1970s. The influence of Hong Kong was felt in Thai cinema of the period and, mixed with American-style action, inspired the production of local action films, known as nang bu or nang tosu. Popular with many 16-mm era directors and launching the cinema careers of stars like Mitr Chaibancha and Sombat Metanee, these films told stories of cops and gangsters, set masked heroes and undercover agents against organised crime rings, or followed mercenaries into the jungle in search of missing treasure. But while their heroes often took to throwing punches amidst copious explosions and gratuitous gun violence, none of the actors showcased their martial arts skills as none were trained for that purpose. Martial arts films are a recent addition to Thai cinema, owing much to the vision of the director/producer Prachya Pinkaew, whose work with the late stunt choreographer Panna Rittikrai defined the genre through films like Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior (Ong-Bak, 2003), The Protector (Tom Yum Kung, 2005), and Chocolate (2008).

Pinkaew's idea to create a specifically Thai brand of muay thai cinema that could compete with Hong Kong kung fu and wuxia films, appealed both to local audiences, culturally conditioned to view muay thai as an expression of ‘Thainess’, and foreign ones familiarised with this martial art through Jean-Claude Van Damme's Kickboxer (Mark DiSalle and David Worth, 1989). Pinkaew's plan relied on his ability to create iconic martial arts stars that would become the instantly recognisable faces of the genre. The three martial artists originally selected for this purpose were Tony Jaa, Jeeja Yanin (Figure. 11.1), and Dan Chupong. Tony Jaa's career skyrocketed after his appearance in Ong-Bak, which, arguably, remains the best known Thai film outside of Thailand. His cooperation with foreign stars like Dolph Lundgren or Van Damme and recent cameo roles in Hollywood action films certainly make him the biggest star of the three. Dan Chupong's solid performances in films like Born to Fight (Koet Ma Lui, Panna Rittikrai, 2004) or Dynamite Warrior (Khon Fai Bin, Chalerm Wongpim, 2006) have won him a steady following in Thailand and abroad.