Muay Thai Bangkok

Which night should you go?

Pick any night and there's a fight on. Rajadamnern Stadium, the world's first Muay Thai stadium, puts on a card all seven nights, and Lumpinee Boxing Stadium on Ramintra Road has ONE Friday Fights every Friday. Here's the week.

Ask Tanner which card suits your trip, and he holds the seats.

How much are Muay Thai tickets in Bangkok?

Muay Thai tickets in Bangkok start from ฿1,000 for a standard seat at Rajadamnern Stadium. Ringside is ฿2,500 at Rajadamnern and ฿12,000 at ONE Friday Fights at Lumpinee, and the top seats at Rajadamnern, the VIP balcony and the couple suite, run up to ฿10,000 on RWS Saturdays.

Ringside or standard? Pick ringside if you want to hear every kick and feel the heat of the fight. Pick Club Class for a clear view of the whole ring with food and drinks close by. Pick Third Class for the cheapest ticket: there are no set seats, so you sit where you like, high up with a 360-degree view.

Ask Tanner for ringside on the night you want.

How do you book Muay Thai tickets?

Booking takes two minutes online. Rajadamnern Stadium sells its seats on its own website, and ONE Friday Fights at Lumpinee sells through Thai Ticket Major, ONE's official seller.

• Pick the night: choose the date, the fight card and the seat zone, then pay online.
• Rajadamnern box office: it opens every day at 3pm.
• Sells out: the Saturday Rajadamnern World Series sells out fast, so book it online before you go.
• Only 15 seats: the Superior Panoramic Balcony on RWS Saturdays has just 15 seats a night.

Ask Tanner to book the Saturday show before it goes.

What's on at Rajadamnern Stadium each night?

Rajadamnern Stadium has a different Muay Thai fight night every evening. It opened in 1945 as the world's first Muay Thai stadium, with 3,500 seats round the first circular ring.

• Rajadamnern World Series (Saturday): the big show. Doors at 6pm, fights from 7pm, with open scoring after every round so you can follow the score.
• Rajadamnern Knockout (Monday, Tuesday, Friday): short, fast 3-round fights with a loud crowd and fan cams.
• New Power (Wednesday) and Petchyindee (Thursday): classic 5-round Muay Thai, loved by local fans.
• Kiatpetch (Sunday): 3-round and 5-round fights on one card.

Every night also has the immersive show at 8.10pm: a 1,000-year story of Muay Thai projected on the dome. Insider tip: stay in your seat for it, it's the moment the whole stadium goes quiet.

Not sure which card? Ask Tanner: for a first night, he puts you at RWS on Saturday.

When are the fights at Lumpinee Stadium?

Lumpinee Stadium fights are on Friday nights: ONE Friday Fights run every Friday at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium, with doors at 5.30pm and the show at 6.30pm.

• Where: 6 Ramintra Road, Anusawari, Bang Khen, in the north of Bangkok.
• Tickets: from Thai Ticket Major, ONE's official seller. Seat prices are in the table above.

Ask Tanner for Friday ringside at Lumpinee.

What is a Muay Thai fight night like?

A Muay Thai fight night in Bangkok is loud, fast and full of old ritual. Before each fight, the fighters perform the Wai Kru Ram Muay, an old ritual dance, while a live Muay Thai orchestra plays. Then the bouts start: three or five rounds of punches, kicks, elbows and knees, the "art of eight limbs".

The crowd shouts with every strike. Club Class sits close to the food and drink kiosks, and the VIP Lounge has its own private bar. Get there before the first fight, so you see the ring fill up and catch the immersive show.

Ask Tanner for seats close enough to hear the gloves.

What should you wear to a Muay Thai fight?

Wear light, cool clothes to a Muay Thai fight in Bangkok, with comfy shoes. Bangkok nights are warm, so a T-shirt or a light shirt is right in every section.

• Arrive early: be in your seat before the first bout.
• Stay cool: drink water through the night.
• Show respect: be respectful during the Wai Kru dance and the other rituals.
• Travel light at Lumpinee: for ONE Friday Fights, leave big cameras, zoom lenses, selfie sticks and big bags at the hotel.

Keeping the night going? See Bangkok's after-parties, and ask Tanner where to head after the last bout.

How do you get to the Muay Thai stadiums?

Getting to Muay Thai in Bangkok is simple by car. Rajadamnern Stadium is on Rajadamnern Nok Road in the old town, and Lumpinee Boxing Stadium is on Ramintra Road in the north of the city.

• Rajadamnern by train: take the BTS to Ratchathewi or Victory Monument, or the MRT to Sam Yot, then a short taxi ride.
• Rajadamnern by boat: get off at Talad Bobae pier or Phan Fa Lilat pier.
• Lumpinee: go by car to 6 Ramintra Road, Bang Khen.
• Your own driver: a luxury van waits outside and takes you home after the last fight, so nobody hunts for a taxi at the gate.

Ask Tanner to have the van waiting at the gate.

Is a fight night worth it?

Yes, it's worth going to see Muay Thai in Bangkok. It's Thailand's national sport, seen at the stadiums where it grew up, with live music, old rituals and top fighters every night. For a first time, pick RWS on Saturday or ONE Friday Fights on Friday, and take Club Class or ringside.

The best Muay Thai in Bangkok is at these two big stadiums: Rajadamnern Stadium for fights every night and the classic 5-round cards, and Lumpinee Boxing Stadium for the ONE Friday Fights show.

In town for a festival too? See what's on in Bangkok, and ask Tanner to fit a fight night around it.

Where did Muay Thai grow up?

Muay Thai is Thailand's national sport, and Bangkok's stadiums made it the show you see today. When Rajadamnern Stadium opened in 1945, it became the world's first Muay Thai stadium, with 3,500 seats round the first circular ring.

• The first circular ring: Rajadamnern built it, so every seat looks straight at the fight.
• The first ranking system: fighters were ranked, so fans could follow who was the best.
• The first championship belt: the Rajadamnern belt was the first Muay Thai belt in history.

Today a fight night mixes that history with a modern show: big lights and a story projected on the stadium's dome.

Ask Tanner for a seat at the stadium where it all started.

How do you plan your fight night?

Build the night around one fight card, then add the ride and the stay. For a first trip, Tanner's pick is simple: RWS on Saturday, Club Class or ringside, the van waiting outside.

• Getting there: a luxury van with a driver who waits all night.
• Arriving: airport fast track at Suvarnabhumi or Don Mueang, ฿2,400 a person: a greeter meets you at the gate and walks you through the fast immigration lane.
• Your base: a private pool villa from ฿18,500 a day.

See every big race date in sports in Thailand, including the Bangkok Marathon. Plan it with Tanner.

What's Muay Thai in Bangkok in short?

• Rajadamnern Stadium has Muay Thai fights seven nights a week.

• ONE Friday Fights is at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium every Friday, show at 6.30pm.
• Book Rajadamnern on its own website, and ONE through Thai Ticket Major.
• Saturday's Rajadamnern World Series is the big one, and it sells out fast.
• Rajadamnern opened in 1945, the world's first Muay Thai stadium.
• Tanner's pick for a first night: RWS on Saturday, Club Class or ringside.