Thapae Stadium

📍 Location of Thapae Stadium 🚘 Directions to Thapae Stadium

About Thapae Stadium

The experience of watching Thai Boxing for the first time can be quite exhilarating. The standard seats, priced at 600,000, offer a good view of the action and are recommended over the more expensive seats. The VIP area, although more costly, is situated behind a not-so-clean window, which can impair the view. The boxing itself is a thrilling spectacle, especially for first-timers. The event features seven fights in total, some of which are international bouts. However, it's advised not to place bets with the people who offer them, as they tend to always choose the winner.

However, not all experiences are positive. Some visitors have found the fights to be less than authentic, with young fighters who seem to fall at the first punch. These fights can be disappointingly short, lasting less than five minutes, but are drawn out to an hour with songs and commentary. This has led some to label the event as a tourist trap.

Others have had similarly negative experiences, describing the fights as being between children who can't fight. Some fights have ended in knockouts within the first minute, not due to skill, but seemingly due to the young age of the fighters. This has led to some visitors leaving the stadium after just the second fight.

Despite these criticisms, there are those who find the Muay Thai fights very entertaining. The arena may not be much to look at, but the raised ring ensures there are no bad seats. The fights are non-stop action, one after the other with no breaks in between. Tickets are advertised for 500 baht but can be found for 400 Baht around the Old City. The event is advertised to run from 9 p.m. to midnight, but usually ends just after 11.

For those seeking an authentic kickboxing experience, the Thapae stadium offers fights every night except Sunday. However, the fights are often between young fighters or women, and the crowd can be sparse, especially on a Friday night. The stadium is conveniently located and the tickets are cheap at 400 baht.

However, some visitors have found the experience to be less than satisfactory. The staff have been accused of refusing bets when the visitor's choice of fighter is likely to win. The entrance fee ranges from 400 to 600 baht, but visitors are expected to tip the fighters and pay for the restrooms. The fights are mostly performed by children under 15, with only a few by strong fighters. Only two fights out of seven were found to be interesting to watch.

If you're looking for great fights with decent fighters, some suggest avoiding this venue. It's been described as a tourist trap, with most of the fights being between children and girls. The main fight may not even occur. Instead, it's recommended to visit places where Thai people go to watch fights, such as the Lumpini stadium in Bangkok, or in front of MBK every Thursday where real fights with good fighters take place for free.