LONG NUAM BOYZ Interview by CAPITAL
Last updated: 4 Sept 2025
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"Because Muay Thai is not just a sport it represents identity, fashion, and Thai culture."
This belief led to the founding of Long Nuam Boyz, a Thai clothing brand inspired by Muay Thai. The brand was created by Thanapon Thanachainalerd, who had worked closely with a boxing equipment company before deciding to launch his own brand. His vision was simple yet bold: to prove that sports, fashion, and Thai identity can coexist.
From initially producing boxing gear and training apparel, Long Nuam Boyz has now expanded into a wide variety of products from T-shirts, shirts, and cowboy tops to bracelets, and even amulets at one point. Many of its collections have sold out, reflecting the continued demand for Thai fashion brands in todays market.
It was this success story that brought Capital to meet Thanapon one afternoon at a boxing gym, where he shared the journey of Long Nuam Boyz from its very first days to the present, where every collection receives strong support from customers.
How did your passion for Muay Thai begin?
Since childhood. I still remember watching Somrak Khamsing win the Olympic gold medal on TV. Seeing the entire country celebrate made me wonder why Muay Thai had such a powerful effect on people. Thats when I started paying attention to the sport, and from then on, Muay Thai has always been a part of my life.
After finishing my studies, I worked at a foreign-owned boxing equipment company. That gave me even more exposure, and eventually, I decided to build a brand of my own.
When did you feel you had to start a business of your own?
Working in the boxing industry made me realize something: even though Muay Thai is our national sport, very few Thai-owned brands actually exist in the market. Most production is done here in Thailand, but mainly for foreign companies.
I thought why should foreigners be the ones profiting from Muay Thai? If they can build something big from our sport, then surely we, as Thais, can too. Thats why I started Long Nuam Boyz to create a Thai boxing brand that sells both sports gear and clothing with a touch of fashion.
What was Long Nuam Boyz like in the early days?
It wasnt what it is today. At first, it was more like a mix between content creation and business. I worked with Tham (Thamthai Plangsilp) to produce videos for social media. Wed set up playful boxing challenges and give away T-shirts afterwards.
People started noticing the shirts in those videos and began asking about them. Thats when the brand began shifting more into business.
What was your business goal back then?
The core started with boxing equipment. But soon, we wanted to add more of our own personality. That led us into fashion creating products that combined international boxing culture with Thai elements.
For example, our first T-shirt featured a giant getting punched by boxing gloves, with the brands name Long Nuam Boyz written in Thai and flames across the design. Later, when actor Pae Arak appeared in 4KINGS (2021), we released a shop coat inspired by the movie. Thanks to the hype around the film and Paes popularity, the collection sold extremely well.
Some products came from our own needs. For instance, we designed Muay Thai shorts with pockets. Normally, Muay Thai shorts dont have any, which made it inconvenient after training when you needed to carry your phone or wallet. Our version solved that problem.
Even with T-shirts, we adjusted the design shorter sleeves and wider shoulders so that people could move freely and throw punches comfortably.
With such a wide range of products, how do you define Long Nuam Boyz?
We get asked this every day! People always say, So what exactly is Long Nuam Boyz?
For us, its simple: Long Nuam Boyz sells what we love. Whether its me, Pae, or Tham, we take our personal interests and turn them into collections. Thats why we have things like cowboy shirts they came from Thams interest in western style and Paes way of dressing.
Its really about turning passions into products.
How important are your two business partners?
Extremely. Were three people with very different perspectives. Pae is six years older than me, and Im six years older than Tham. That age gap means we each bring different tastes, trends, and knowledge to the table.
Pae is great with PR and has deep knowledge in any topic he gets into. Tham, on the other hand, has a strong sense of fashion and can spot what will become a trend. For example, when Labubu dolls were trending, he suggested making Long Nuam Boyz shirts for them and they sold out instantly.
Together, we balance each other and make the brand stronger.
How do you decide which collections to produce?
I even studied fashion from scratch at a fashion school to understand the process. Now, when we brainstorm, each of us brings ideas to the table. If at least two out of three agree, we move forward. If all three of us agree, its almost certain to become the next collection.
With the fashion side growing, do people in boxing still understand your brand?
Yes because one thing I learned early on was: never lose your identity. Every collection must still have boxing in its DNA. Fashionable, yes but still connected to Muay Thai.
Who is Long Nuam Boyz for?
Anyone. Our goal is to make people feel more confident when they wear Long Nuam Boyz just like how Pae and Tham feel when they put it on.
Do you think brands today need a physical store?
It depends. For Long Nuam Boyz, our vision is to one day have a boxing gym with our own store inside. That way, customers not only buy products but also experience the culture behind them.
So the question isnt whether a store is necessary but whether it adds more value than just selling online.
What about customers who arent into Muay Thai?
They can still enjoy our products. Weve even made football kits before and formed a small team to compete. We werent great players, but luckily Oat Pramote (a famous Thai personality) helped us out! (laughs)
Were open to any sport. But Muay Thai is the root that ties everything together.
What are the advantages of being a sport-meets-fashion brand?
It opens up a new market. Customers who want sportswear with more style naturally gravitate to us. Purely sports brands and purely fashion brands attract different groups so were not really competing directly with them.
What are the challenges of being a Thai brand today?
To be honest, fashion is tough. Even my art professors used to say Vietnam is ahead of us now, even though Thailand has long been seen as a fashion hub.
Thats why we stick to presenting ourselves as proudly Thai. People often tell us to switch our logo to English to sell more internationally. But I insist on keeping it in Thai because I want to see those Thai letters pop up in places like the U.S. or Japan.
Do I know for sure it will succeed? No. But if we compromise our identity, then weve already lost. Our slogan is Everyone Can Fight. So we fight by staying true to ourselves.
What has being a business owner taught you?
First, its about using passion to communicate with others. To share your identity through products that people choose to wear. Not everyone will understand, but when customers connect with us, it proves that there are people out there who share our mindset.
Second, knowledge matters. I started from zero, but had to keep learning whether from school or from experience in larger companies. So my advice for anyone starting a passion-driven business is: gather as much knowledge as you can, then use it to strengthen your brand.
Most importantly, dont get lost in trends. Always remember why you started, and hold on to your original passion. Thats what will set you apart in the market.
