Lumpini Boxing Stadium

More than just the national sport of Thailand, Muay Thai (Thai kick-boxing) is also an important aspect of Thai culture.

The most popular venue in Bangkok is Lumpini Boxing Stadium, a gritty and dark warehouse-like building that consistently fills up with gambling, shouting, boozing locals, mostly men, along with a handful of wide-eyed tourists. Spend an evening here to witness competitors gracefully thwack each other in a theatrical display of testosterone and tradition.

The stadium isn't huge, and unless you shell out significantly more for a ring-side seat it can be a challenge to secure an unobstructed view of the ring. With that said, we'd pass on the ringside seats because, for one, they're a lot pricier, and for two, sharing the standing room section with the throngs of local working class Muay Thai fans is half the fun. A typical fight night features some 10 bouts, beginning with younger amateurs and culminating with the main event. Don't skip the earlier fights though; the youngsters are usually trying to make a name for themselves and often put on the most entertaining fights of the evening.

Special events happen frequently so it's best to check the website for up-to-date schedules. The cost for foreigners is 1,000 baht for the cheapest standing room seats, 1,500 for a middle area with unobstructed views and 2,000 for ringside seats.

There are heaps of gritty food and beer stalls to sustain you through the spectacle. Although it does make for an entertaining night, we wouldn't altogether recommend Lumpini due to its obscenely high prices for foreigners (Thais pay about 1/3 of the foreigner prices). For a similar (but free) experience, you might check out Sunday afternoon Muay Thai at Channel 7 Studio instead.

In depth review