Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
( 0 2224 1342; 2 Th Ratchini; tickets 60-100B; Tha Chang)
After a lengthy renovation, the Nation-
al Theatre is again open for business. Performances of
kŏhn
are held at 2pm on the first
and second Sundays of the month from January to March and July to September, and
lá·kon,
Thai dance-dramas, are held at 2pm on the first and second Sundays of the month
from April to June and October to December.
Thai Boxing (Moo·ay tai)
Thai boxing's best of the best fight it out at Bangkok's two boxing stadiums:
Ratchadamnoen
Stadium
OFFLINE MAP
GOOGLE MAP
(off Th Ratchadamnoen Nok; tickets 3rd class/2nd class/ringside 1000/1500/
2000B; klorng boat to Tha Phan Fah, Phaya Thai exit 3 & taxi)
and
Lumpinee Boxing Stadium
(Th Ramin-
tra; tickets 3rd class/2nd class/ringside 1000/2000/3000B;
Mo Chit exit 3 & taxi,
Chatuchak Park exit 2 &
taxi).
You'll note that tickets are not cheap, and these prices are exponentially more than what
Thais pay. To add insult to injury, the inflated price offers no special service or seating,
and at Ratchadamnoen Stadium foreigners are sometimes corralled into an area with an
obstructed view. As long as you are mentally prepared for the financial jabs from the pro-
moters, you'll be better prepared to enjoy the real fight.
Fights are held throughout the week, alternating between the two stadiums. Ratchadam-
noen hosts the matches at 6.30pm on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday. Lump-
inee hosts matches on Tuesday and Friday from 6.30pm to 10.30pm, and Saturday at 4pm
to 8pm and 8.30pm to midnight. There is a total of eight to 10 fights of five rounds apiece.
The stadiums don't usually fill up until the main events, which normally start around 8pm
or 9pm.
There are English-speaking 'staff' standing outside the stadium who will practically
tackle you upon arrival. Although there have been a few reports of scamming, most of
these assistants help steer visitors to the foreigner ticket windows and hand out a fight
roster; they can also be helpful in telling you which fights are the best match-ups between
contestants. (Some say that welterweights, between 135lb and 147lb, ie 61.2kg and
66.7kg, are the best.) To keep everyone honest, though, remember to purchase tickets
from the ticket window, not from a person outside the stadium.
As a prematch warm-up, grab a plate of
gài yâhng
(grilled chicken) and other northeast-
ern dishes from the restaurants surrounding Ratchadamnoen Stadium.
Shopping
