Muay Thai - Thai Boxing, Bangkok

went to Lumphini on 30th April.. gave that a miss since the price is too expensive…

ticket for non Thai - 1000Baht, 1500 Baht, 2000 Baht (ring side)
ticket for Thai - 250 baht (written in Thai - òõð, not number)

they have 7 fights that day..

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I went to watch a Muay Thai fight for the first time which was very interesting. There was a whole bunch of fights and i didn't even stay to finish them all because it was taking a really long time... i sat in the VIP seating next to some hot British girls, which was a definite plus... Most of the fights consisted of what looked like 12 year old kids kicking the crap out of each other... it was a good experience but next time i'm going to sit with all the Thai people up top because it looks alot more fun up there......

You have to go and see thai boxing ( muay thai). It's fun to watch. It's the Thai national sport, very traditional. It's considered a martial art in Thailand. Matches usually have no more than 5 rounds, each during about 3 minutes. You can see it in the stadiums of Lumpini or Ratchadamnoen in Bangkok. Ticket prices range from 220 to 1000 Baht.

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If you're in Thailand you should see a Muay Thai boxing match. I went at Lumpini stadion in Bangkok, which is a very big one.
Muay Thai is Thailand number one sport and the Thai people go berserk.
I myself am not a big boxing fan but this was still a highlight. The matches are done with many rituals and there is a live band playing traditional music.
The atmosphere is amasing.

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Its well worth taking a evening to watch the Mauy Thai its a form of kickboxing and features boxers of all weights, as a foreign visitor you get priority seating and get to meet the fighters after .

Give yourself plenty of time to get there in the taxi as traffic is very heavy that time of evening

The sport of Muay Thai, or Thai Boxing, is immensely popular in the Kingdom. Fights are broadcast on TV almost nightly, every sizable city has a boxing ring, and the top fighters are all household names. Boys start training as young as 7 to become professional boxers. The biggest and most prestigeous stadiums in the country are Lumpini and Ratchadamnoen in Bangkok, which hold fights on alternating nights so that there is a program every night.

In Muay Thai, there are five three-minute rounds with two-minute breaks in between, and every fight is preceeded by a symbolic dance by both fighters to pay homage to their teachers. Fights are accompanied by live music played by a ringside band with traditional instruments.

I attended a program at Lumpini in January 2005 that included 8 fights (although we missed the first 2). Ticket prices had just been raised (at least for tourists), so ringside seats were 1500 Baht and second level were 800 Baht. We opted for second level, which turned out to be right behind the ringside section, still very close to the action. The fights were fast and furious, with 3 ending in a knockout. Although it was quite expensive, it was definitely worth the experience.

Thai Boxing is pretty vicious stuff. Westerners rarely make it to the top echelons as they fail to realise the Thai's are trained for years and years and years to absorb blow after blow, kick after kick. The punishment they take is incredible - and part of a successful fighter's make up is their ability to plod through the onslaught.

Ratchadamnoen is more of a "homely" stadium versus the larger Lumpini on Rama IV (The Wembley Stadium of Muay Thai), and thus has even more character. These friezes outside remind me of the stuff you get at Highbury and the classic Art Deco football grounds of England - that are now going by the bye. They also remind every would be gambler taxi driver that Muay started off as a technique to murder the whack out of Burmese and invading Cambodeans.

Tourists do pay a lot more than locals for seats - I'd suggest you don't waste your money on ringside at 1000 THB plus. Go for the terraces and sit with the locals.

Watch the fun and games of the illegal ringside gambling, with guys donning twenty plus mobile phones running undercover books. Best not to place a bet, the odds are incomprehensible. Believe me.

The stadium shop here is great for all things Muay - shorts, head gear, gloves, training equipments, books and videos. Though its only open when the fights are on.

Fight times / details here:
http://www.bangkok-hotels-guide.com/bangkok-hotels-guide/Muay.htm

Muay Thai or kick boxing is very popular in Thailand. When the boxers enter the ring they do various prayers and circle the ring many times. It;s very interesting, but can be a little bloody. Many of the boxers we saw entering the ring had to be taken out by stretchers. Still it's an insight into Thai culture and should be seen.

There are two boxing stadiums in Bangkok. We went to the one by Lumphini Park.