Ong-Bak
Directed by Prachya Pinkaew
In a poor Thai village, the sacred statue of Ong-Bak watches over its inhabitants, who feel safe and secure in its presence. When a former villager steals the statue's head to sell it to the underworld, the villagers are fearful of the consequences and pin their hopes on Ting (Tony Jaa), a gifted but reluctant Muay Thai boxer. Ting is charged with travelling to the seedy streets of Bangkok, to fight and reclaim Ong-Bak for his village.
Where to Watch Ong-Bak
- RichardDecember 12, 2025I saw this in cinema in Thailand while on holiday and it was unforgettable. The film introduced Tony Jaa to the world and seeing his raw Muay Thai on the big screen was electric, no wires, no CGI, just bone crunching stunts, elbows, knees and acrobatics that felt live. The story is simple: Ting leaves his village to recover the stolen head of the sacred Ong‑Bak statue, plunging into Bangkok’s underworld. What makes it stand out is how the action is staged, street chases, brutal fights and set pieces that showcase Jaa’s athleticism. In the cinema, the crowd’s energy amplified every hit and leap. Compared to slick martial arts films of the era, Ong‑Bak was refreshingly raw. It knew exactly what kind of movie it was, a showcase for Muay Thai and Tony Jaa’s talent.
Ong-Bak Trivia
Ong-Bak was released on October 23, 2003.
Ong-Bak was directed by Prachya Pinkaew.
Ong-Bak has a runtime of 1h 45m.
Ong-Bak was produced by Akarapol Techaratanaprasert, Prachya Pinkaew, Sukanya Vongsthapat.
In a poor Thai village, the sacred statue of Ong-Bak watches over its inhabitants, who feel safe and secure in its presence. When a former villager steals the statue's head to sell it to the underworld, the villagers are fearful of the consequences and pin their hopes on Ting (Tony Jaa), a gifted but reluctant Muay Thai boxer. Ting is charged with travelling to the seedy streets of Bangkok, to fight and reclaim Ong-Bak for his village.
The key characters in Ong-Bak are Ting (Tony Jaa), George / Humlae (Petchtai Wongkamlao), Muay Lek (Patrarin Punyanutatam).
Ong-Bak is rated R.
Ong-Bak is an Action, Thriller, Crime film.
Ong-Bak has an audience rating of 8.4 out of 10.
Ong-Bak had a budget of $1.1M.
Ong-Bak has made $20.1M at the box office.