Plot so thin, it passes unnoticed.

everything you have heard about this movie is true.

If you're interested in the topic at hand, you should just watch it and judge yourself because the reviews have gone very biased by people that didn't even watch it and just hate (or love) the creator. I liked it, it was well written, narrated, and directed and it was about a topic that interests me.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

When you look at Thai Martial Arts movies, you know what to expect in almost every films... Excellent brutal fight scenes, extremely Craptastic unoriginal storyline. I have watch almost everything when it comes to the 90s American martial arts industry, so i had to look elsewhere for entertaining. I must say American flicks are not very original either, but i love the classic formula of "get beaten down by the bad guy, train, come back" or the other famous formula of "get revenge for your brother/friend's murder" But when it comes to Thai movies, its almost always about some artifact of a small village that got stolen and our hero has to go after it. Or sometimes its even worse... It started with Tony Jaa, and i did love Ong Bak and The protector for there awesome fights, but after that i saw many movies with the same formula and lesser fight scenes.But with Cheiya, this is not the case at all. For once i saw a Thai movie that made me felt something, like those Korean or Japanese movies, in the vain of Fighter in the Wind.This movie tells the story of 3 boys went to the same place by extremely different roads. I got to admit some parts seem a bit exaggerated and this movie is not perfect, but its extremely interesting, i loved following the story, i loved the characters, and i hope future Thai movies will be in that style. The whole "artifact stolen" has got very old...

I think it's underrated too. It's a very beautiful movieWith satisfied feeling ,it should be a big MOVIE more than being. If Hollywood like Karate kid or some Ninja revenges may be it's not your satisfactions.The movie's theme on three Thai traditional Muay Thai boys' friendships to gangster&impressive story ... Overall, it's a superb mixing to be a great movie.Absolutely check this out.Thai people should be proud on your traditional Muay Thai master for keeping this martial art to our generation pass the ruin time of gambling mafia and modern time. And this is a beautiful storyline for proving the great legend.

After I saw the commercial of this movie, I was expecting a solid Muay Thai action movie like those from Tony Ja. But I am totally wrong, there are only very limited action scenes. And all the fighting are composed with very short cuts which I personally dislike. I enjoy more median or long cuts that really show off the Marital Artist's talent like those you saw in Tony Ja or Bruce Lee's movies. OK, despite the wrong reception from the commercial, let's view it as a story telling movie. 3 bothers seek their dreams and went to 2 different directions... the plot is OK (not bad) for an action movie, but the director's story telling is just as awful as it could be. That guy certainly don't know where needs emphasizing and where should save the cuts. All those long boring scenes are unbearable to watch. Please don't waste your money and time. I certainly regret I did.

The movie was scheduled to closing The Bangkok International Festival but I missed that. After I finally see that.I was in awe of the show.3 friends from the southern Thailand, learned Muay Chaiya. Piak , Pao , Samor went to Bangkok to fight in the Professional MuayThai Boxing.Their career were included crimes.I saw the world of gangster in Boxing, life of night singer.In my opinion, its screenplay is very good because the director was professional writer before. (He was the crew in some Apichatpong film too.) It better than other Thai film and maybe better than some Hollywood film.Screenplay is very good ,so the film is the same..Kongkiat directed very well. He constructed a lot dimensions and artistic of violence.Likes Chan-Wook Park style, violence in this film is so much but he directed the view which had a reason.The friendship in childhood reminded me of City of God(Fernando Meirelles).Violences in gangster reminded me of Goodfella(Scorsese). And some photographing linked to WongKaWai style.I liked it so much especially the mixing of variable things.That made it the one of Best Thai Film of all time alongside 15kumdeaun11, Monster, Tin Mine, The Overture...Very good film,highly recommend who disappointed Tom Yum Koong. But Chaiya isn't only show Martial Art.It shows the heart of real Fighter.