Thinking of watching a Muay Thai fight in Bangkok? Here are 4 must-know viewing spots!

Text and photos by Buji

Last year, a friend returned to Taiwan from a trip to Thailand and signed up for a Muay Thai class. Upon asking, it turned out she had been deeply captivated by a Muay Thai match in Thailand and wanted to learn it herself upon returning to Taiwan. Thanks to her strong recommendation, along with some media reports Buji had seen and a growing curiosity, Buji—who had never watched a Muay Thai match before—quietly decided that this trip to Bangkok would include seeing one. But where can you watch Muay Thai? Buji found that matches in Bangkok are mainly held at two stadiums, with two additional places where you can watch for free.

1. Rajadamnern Stadium near Khao San Road.

This stadium is a bit old—it was established in 1945. Netizens say it feels like an older movie theater. You can walk there from Khao San Road. Up!'s official website is currently down... but they have a Facebook page.https://www.facebook.com/rajadamnern,Match days are Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday..

▲The entrance of Rajadamnern Stadium, showing signs of age (Photo / Captured from Rajadamnern Stadium’s Facebook)

▲Inside Rajadamnern Stadium, with slightly dim lighting that gives off a nostalgic vibe (Photo / Captured from Rajadamnern Stadium’s Facebook)

2. The other one is the one Buji went to—Lumpinee Boxing Stadium.
(Official website http://www.muaythailumpinee.net/en/).

This stadium was first established in 1956 and is located near Lumpinee MRT Station, making it very convenient and easy to get to. However, since the authorities felt the location was somewhat outdated,in February 2014, it moved to a new venue near Don Mueang Airport. Those planning to go should make sure not to go to the wrong place. Matches are only held on Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday.

Originally, Buji wanted to experience the old-school atmosphere of Rajadamnern Stadium, but the timing didn’t work out. Plus, a friend who had been there strongly recommended Lumpinee Stadium, so off to Lumpinee Buji went. But the new Lumpinee location isn’t very convenient—there’s no nearby MRT, so you can only get there by bus or taxi.

Buji and D took a taxi directly from the ASOK BTS station to Lumpinee Stadium. The metered fare was about 250 baht (make sure to take a BY METER taxi—it’s cheaper!), plus around 120 baht for the expressway toll, totaling roughly 350 baht. It’s not super cheap, but it’s acceptable. And the more people in the car, the better the deal. The ride from ASOK took about 40 minutes, but that included some traffic (around 10–15 minutes of congestion).

▲The exterior of the old Lumpinee Stadium, which is also very retro (Photo / Captured from Lumpinee Boxing Stadium’s official website)

▲The new Lumpinee Stadium, which opened in February 2014, has a very modern and sleek exterior (Photo / Captured from Lumpinee Boxing Stadium’s official website)

▲The interior of the new Lumpinee Stadium features bright lighting and modern facilities (Photo / Captured from Lumpinee Boxing Stadium’s official website)

Did you notice that the match schedules for these two stadiums are intentionally staggered, probably to avoid splitting the audience? Exact start times may also vary depending on whether it’s a holiday or not.Non-holiday matches usually start at 6:30 PM and go as late as 11:00 PM, while weekend matches start in the afternoon. People planning to go should not only check which day of the week it is but also the exact starting time!

Tickets for both stadiums are priced at 1,000, 1,500, and 2,000 Thai baht (foreigner prices are pretty steep, lol). But for first-timers, Buji recommends the 2,000 baht seats—they’re totally worth it!2The 2,000 baht seats are right next to the ring, giving you an up-close view of the fighters’ moves and the sounds of the punches, and you can even take photos with the fighters.Actually, when buying tickets at the counter, there are people (not exactly scalpers, but similar) who sell tickets—you can haggle with them. Buji and D managed to get tickets for 1,700 baht each.

Seeing this, you might be wondering: why did Buji title this as “4 great places to watch,” when the article mostly talks about “two main stadiums”? That’s because the two stadiums introduced above are the more historic ones with more frequent matches—they’re the ones most visitors go to.

So what about the other two? They’re a bit lesser-known (maybe just to Buji—let’s shift the blame a little), namely theMuay Thai matches at Channel 7 TV station and the ones in front of MBK Mall.. The following introduces Up one by one.

▲The logo of Channel 7 TV station. As long as you see this logo on buildings near Chatuchak, you’ll know you’ve reached the Seventh TV Station. (Photo / Sourced from Wikipedia)

3. The Thai boxing matches at Channel 7 are free of charge!

This TV stationis located near the Chatuchak Market and holds free Thai boxing matches every Sunday**at 12 noon, as well as on the third Wednesday of every month at 12 noon.Each event features around five or six pairs of fighters. There’s an actual Thai boxing ring where live matches are broadcast. If you’re lucky, you might even appear on TV. If you want to watch, it’s best to arrive early to queue up for entry — reportedly, seats run out within half an hour of opening, leaving only standing room.VIP seats cost 300 Thai baht,allowing you to sit right at the front for a close-up view. I think that’s quite a good deal.

Most people take the BTS to Mo Chit Station or the MRT to Chatuchak Station and then walk about 15 minutes to get there. Another option is to take the MRT or BTS to those stations and then hop in a taxi directly — it costs roughly 40 or 50 baht to reach Up. Watching Thai boxing here can also be combined with a stroll through the nearby Chatuchak Market — what a great combo trip idea. I’ll have to try it next time too. And the best part? It’s free!!!

▲Exterior of Channel 7 TV station (Photo / Sourced from the internet)

**Supplement:A user named Asphodel from the Backpackers’ Inn forum mentioned that she recently went to watch a Thai boxing performance at the Seventh TV Station. She arrived around “12:45 PM on a Sunday, but by then the matches had already started and the place was packed. So she guesses that if you plan to go, arriving before 12 PM might be a good idea.”

“As for transportation, it’s not far from either the BTS or MRT. If taking the BTS, please use Exit 4 at BTS Mo Chit (heading toward the MRT direction). If taking the MRT, exit at Chatuchak Park Station Exit 3, walk along the road passing by the BTS main station, turn into the alley at the intersection, continue straight (there will be a bend), and then keep going straight — the Seventh TV Station will appear on your left.”

4. There are also free Thai boxing matches at the plaza in front of MBK Center in downtown Bangkok.

The schedule isevery Wednesday evening from 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM,with a minimum of six matches per session. Unlike the three boxing gyms introduced earlier, this match venue is outdoors, without air conditioning, but it’s conveniently located in the city center and very easy to access. Here is the related Facebook page.https://www.facebook.com/mbkfn/timeline。

▲Thai boxing matches at MBK Center every Wednesday evening. (Photo / Sourced from MBK Fight Night Facebook)

▲%Just take a look at this location, and you’ll know where this lively spot is. (Photo / Sourced from MBK Fight Night Facebook)

How to get to the plaza in front of MBK Center? It’s very simple.Just take the BTS to National Stadium Station, and under the overpass as you exit, you’ll see it.If it’s too crowded, the view from the overpass might actually be pretty good too. I’m going next time too.

And lastly, I remembered there’s another place where you canwatch Thai boxing — though it’s a “Thai boxing show” rather than a “Thai boxing match.”That would be the Thai boxing show atAsiatique Riverfront Night Market,a relatively new attraction in recent years. But since it’s a performance-style show, it feels less authentic, so I’m not all that interested... though many people who’ve watched it say it’s really good. The show includes introductions to the history of Thai boxing and its heroes, presented as a story that spans from ancient times to the present. Photography isn’t allowed during the performance, but you can take photos with the performers afterward.

▲The ticket booth for the Thai boxing show at the riverfront night market. (Photo / Taken by Buji)

This is the website for the Muay Thai show at the Riverside Night Markethttp://muaythailive.com/cn/index.php, with one performance every day from Tuesday to Sunday, from 8:00 PM to 9:30 PM, and doors open at 7:30 PM. Adult tickets are priced at 1,200 THB and 1,500 THB. But nowadays many homestay operators online also sell tickets for this Muay Thai show at much lower prices. Travelers who want to go might as well buy their tickets in advance online to save some money!

※For a firsthand account of watching a Muay Thai match and an explanation of the rules, you can check out:So close you can almost get sprayed with sweat!! A live report from watching a Muay Thai fight at Lumpinee Stadium in BangkokRecords.

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