Muay Thai, also known as Thai boxing, is a famous and popular sport in the lively country of Thailand. It is considered to be Thailand’s national sport and a significant cultural martial arts that is cherished around the world. The origins of Muay Thai date back thousands of years ago and was invented to use the entire body as a destructive weapon. It’s no wonder why Muay Thai is described as “The Art of Eight Limbs.”
Nowadays, people from all over the world travel to Bangkok to watch the strongest contenders compete against each other. Who will be the next champion of Muay Thai? We’ll tell you where you can go to find out.
The History of Muay Thai
During the Buddhist years (around the 1300s), there was a strong motive to protect the city where Siam (the former capital and kingdom) was located. An army was born, but they needed to craft a special fighting technique that would make them invincible. They practiced using their entire body as a natural fighting machine, and thus, Muay Thai was born.
How Muay Thai Gained Popularity
When the world was at war for the first time, Thai soldiers were sent to France to help the French troops. The commander would encourage the Thai soldiers to practice Muay Thai to motivate them and the others. Soon, French boxers would fight against the Muay Thai boxers and the West became curious about the fighting method.
The sport of Thai boxing has been popular throughout Thailand since the 1700s when King Narai was in power. With the increased interest from the West, it was only a matter of time for Muay Thai to become recognized throughout the world. Today, it is an Olympic sport and an acclaimed form of boxing.
The Unique Fighting Styles of Muay Thai
What makes Muay Thai different from kickboxing or any other form of martial arts? First of all, the strength and power of your strike is more important than persistence and speed.
In kickboxing, many fighters try to jab their opponent many times to gain points or tire their challenger. In Muay Thai, a strategic and powerful kick to the opponent’s face could very well end the find or enable them from striking back. Due to this many people enjoy watching the sport, they love watching the incredible moves that you wouldn’t find in regular boxing.
The Best Spots to Watch a Muay Thai Match
If you’re in Bangkok and you’re looking for a noteworthy place to watch an epic match, you won’t have to look far. Even though Muay Thai is popular all over Thailand, the largest venues are in Bangkok. Here are the three best arenas where you can witness a brutal match with some of the most famous contenders.
Lumpinee Stadium
Lumpinee Stadium is a go-to arena in Bangkok since they hold big fights three times a week. Not many people know that this stadium is actually run by the Thai government, so you know it has to be an excellent venue. Lumpinee can host 5,000 spectators since it opened its new stadium in 2014, making it one of the largest arenas. You can catch a Muay Thai fight every Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday. Tickets cost anywhere from 200-2,000 Baht.
Rajadamnern Stadium
Rajadamnern likes to boast that it’s the best Muay Thai stadium in all of Bangkok. It was established in 1945 making it one of the oldest Thai boxing stadiums that’s still around to this day. They host fights four times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. The stadium is so significant that they actually have their own weight ranking system and titles that the Muay Thai fighters try to win. Tickets range from 1,000-2,000 Baht depending on how close you want to see the match.
Channel 7 Stadium
Channel 7 Stadium is considered to be the third most dominant stadium for Muay Thai after Lumpinee and Rajadamnern. This is because Channel 7 Stadium is mostly a broadcasting venue that films fights for people to watch on TV. It is a unique experience in attending a match here and the best part is that admission is free. If you want to sit in the VIP seats, you’ll only have to pay 300 Baht. Fights are held every Sunday at 13:45h and every third Wednesday at 12:00h.
Muay Thai can be found all around Thailand so don’t be surprised if you run into a competition on the streets! Luckily, our Centre Point locations at Chidlom and Sukhumvit are less than 10 minutes away from the great Lumpinee Stadium. You can easily book a cab to watch the most epic fight and catch a safe ride back to your place of stay. There’s no way you can leave Bangkok without seeing a Muay Thai fighting match!
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