It is usually

made from a special cotton yarn, which has been
carefully bound together in a special way. This item is used to represent the gym
that you are fighting out of. It is essentially a crown. Fighters never own the
Mongkon themselves, it is gym property. Also, fighters are not to touch the
Mongkon. It is placed on their heads and removed by their Kru or trainer. It serves
to remind the fighter that he is in the ring representing his gym or camp, not
himself. In the past, each gym had a distinct Mongkon, and one could identify what
gym a fighter was from by the Mongkon worn.