World City Guide

Sport

Bangkok and Thailand are synonymous with Thai Boxing (Muay Thai), the traditional sport of kick-boxing, where feet, knees and elbows can be used as well as fists. Its popularity means that fights are held every night of the week around the city, particularly at Ratchadamnoen Stadium, Ratchadamnoen Nok Road (tel: (02) 281 4205), on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday nights, and Lumphini Stadium, Rama IV Road (tel: (02) 251 4303), on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday nights.

Two other sports are also popular in Thailand. Kite fighting takes place in the hot season where opposing teams fly male Chula and female Pakpao kites in a surrogate battle of the sexes. Visitors can witness spectacular events most weekends at Sanam Luang. Takraw is played using a woven rattan ball where a circle of men use their feet, knees, thighs, chests and shoulders to acrobatically pass the ball to each other, endeavouring to keep it airborne and to kick it into a suspended basket. Tournaments are periodically held at Sanam Luang. The local press will have details.

The Thailand football league (website: www.thaifootball.com) has two divisions, the premier and the first, and the teams have names such as Air Force, Bangkok Bank and the Navy and Telephone Organisation of Thailand. Information on games can be obtained from the Football Association of Thailand (tel: (02) 670 2550; website: www.fa-thailand.org).

Tickets for all sporting events can be bought at the venue up to an hour before the match starts.

Fitness Centres: Many of the centres throughout the city are attached to hotels and are for members only. However, daily membership of B200 is available at the JTC Health & Fitness Club, Jewellery Trade Centre, South Tower, 919/1 Silom Road (tel: (02) 267 1718).

Golf: Thailand has many excellent golf courses and some are open to visitors. The Royal Golf & Country Club (tel: (02) 738 0131; website: www.royalgolfclubs.com), is located within easy reach of Bangkok, southeast of the city at 69 Moo 7, Sukhumvit 17, Bang Sao Thong, Samut Prakan – best reached by taxi. It has a beautiful 18-hole course, with green fees for visitors of B1,500 during the week and B2,400 at the weekend. Membership is available for B309,000. The Rose Garden Golf Club (tel: (034) 322 769; website: www.thailandgolfparadise.com/rosegarden) is located 32km (20 miles) southwest of the city at Tha Talad Sub District, Sampran, Nakhon Pathom – reached along National Highway Number 4. It has an 18-hole championship golf course with green fees of B700 during the week and B1,300 at weekends (closed Mondays).

Swimming: Siam Water Park to the north of the city, on Sukhaphiban 2 Road (tel: (02) 517 0075), has waterslides and artificial surf. Nawasri Pool, 209 Ramkhamhaeng Soi 21 (tel: (02) 318 0134), is open to non-members.

Tennis: Tennis clubs that open to the public include Asoke Sport Club, 302/81 Mooban Tawaamit, Asoke-Din Daeng (tel: (02) 246 2260), Sawadee Soi, 35/5 Soi 31 Sukhumvit Road (tel: (02) 258 4502), and Central Tennis Court, 13/1 Soi Attakarn Prasit, Sathorn Tai Road (tel: (02) 213 1909).