11 Things Not To Do When Watching Muay Thai In Bangkok

When planning your trip to a Muay Thai stadium in Bangkok, it’s always good to know what to do. But it’s just as valuable to know what not to do. After all, one mistake can cost you an entire trip. And who knows how long it’ll be before you ever get the chance to watch Muay Thai in Bangkok again.

By the end of this guide, you’ll know exactly what you shouldn’t forget or skip when planning your trip, so that you can have a great experience at the stadiums with the peace of mind knowing you covered all your bases.

1. Don’t Buy Muay Thai Tickets At The Stadium

If at all possible, buy Muay Thai tickets in advance for Lumpinee Stadium and Rajadamnern Stadium and then pick them up at the ticket window. But whatever you do, avoid buying tickets at the stadiums themselves.

You most likely won’t be able to get the seat you want because tickets for that section will be booked by those who booked in advance online. And for the more popular events like ONE Lumpinee on Fridays, the entire stadium sometimes sells out. So you won’t be able to get Muay Thai tickets at all.

Of course there is one stadium that offers an exception to this rule – Siam Boxing Stadium. The arena never sells out, and you can only buy tickets in person, not online. As for Channel 7 Boxing Stadium, it’s free to enter. Just make sure you get there early enough to get seats.

2. Don’t Visit A Muay Thai Stadium On The Wrong Day

The quality and level of Muay Thai fights in Bangkok aren’t always equal. To experience the best fights, you have to pick the best days to go to the stadiums. Luckily, the schedule of the four top Muay Thai stadiums never interfere with each other.

For the best experience, pick the stadium on the day you plan to watch Muay Thai in Bangkok. My preferences are as follows:

• Monday through Wednesday: Rajadamnern Stadium (lower level Muay Thai)
• Thursday night: Rajadamnern Stadium (good to great for traditional Muay Thai)
• Friday night: Lumpinee Stadium (best for entertainment Muay Thai)
• Saturday afternoon: Siam Boxing Stadium (best for traditional Muay Thai)
• Saturday night: Rajadamnern Stadium (good for entertainment Muay Thai)
• Sunday afternoon: Channel 7 Boxing Stadium (best for traditional Muay Thai)

Keep in mind that before picking which stadium to visit, you should first decide on what kind of Muay Thai you want to watch. My guides on entertainment Muay Thai and traditional Muay Thai will help clear up any confusion you might have.

3. Don’t Pick The Wrong Seats

Most likely, you will only have one chance to experience Muay Thai in Bangkok. This means you need to get the seating arrangements right. Depending on which Muay Thai stadium you visit, ringside is not always the best place to sit.

In fact, sometimes I recommend sitting anywhere but ringside. However, that’s just my take on things. Check out my seating guides below to find out which seats are the best at each stadium.

• Lumpinee Stadium Seating Guide
• Rajadmanern Stadium Seating Guide
• Channel 7 Boxing Stadium seating guide
• Siam (Omnoi) Boxing Stadium Seating Guide (more detailed Siam Boxing Stadium Seating Guide from my other project, SiamOmnoiBoxingStadium.com)

4. Don’t Forget To Have An Exit Plan

Muay Thai stadiums, particularly Lumpinee and Rajadamnern, are sometimes difficult to get away from. At the end of the night, thousands of people pour out of the stadiums and everyone’s racing toward one of the few taxis outside. And the drivers often refuse to turn on their meters.

The last thing you want to do is wait around for a taxi or overpay for a ride back to your hotel. Instead, have an escape plan. I’ve written about how to get to and away from Lumpinee Stadium and how to get to and away from Rajadamnern Stadium in their respective guides.

Be sure to click those links next.

5. Don’t Overlook Cultural Taboos

A lot of travel websites like to post a list of dos and don’ts for Thailand. Although they’re useful to an extent, many Thais nowadays give tourists a bit slack if they’re breaking a cultural taboo or two. This is as long as you’re not hurting or disrespecting anyone.

How do I know this? Because Thais have told me firsthand over the last ten years. That said, there are a few cultural taboos you shouldn’t break.

• Never touch anyone’s head. For example, if a fighter walks by and you want to congratulate him on winning or cheer him up after losing, don’t pat his head. Give him a high five instead.
• Don’t tap anyone on the shoulder to get their attention. If you’re at a Muay Thai stadium and need to squeeze by someone or through a group of people, say excuse me loud enough for the person to hear you. For bonus points, lower your head while walking by them.
• Don’t put your feet on top of anything. Feet are considered the lowliest and dirtiest part of the body in Thailand. So avoid putting your feet on railings, backs of chairs, center consoles in taxis, etc.
• Don’t use your feet to point at anyone. Because of what I’ve said above about the feet, don’t use them to point at anyone, including images of the Thai royal family or monks. If you drop money, don’t try to stop it from blowing away with your feet, as the king’s image is on the bill.

6. Don’t Skip Learning Some Basic Thai

If I can pinpoint the one thing that increased the quality of my life in Thailand from my first trip in the country to my life here now, it’s learning Thai. You can pick whatever format suits you best.

But I recommend getting some face-to-face time with a native Thai speaker from Thailand before coming here. Even if it’s just to learn the basics of travel Thai like ordering food, telling the taxi driver where to go, or getting Thai prices (not the marked up tourist prices) on goods and services.

You might think that listening to basic Thai phrases on YouTube will help you, but Thai is a tonal language. You need real feedback from a native Thai speaker because one mispronunciation can change the entire meaning of what you say. This is why I recommend taking a few Thai lessons on italki with a native Thai speaking teacher. Get $10 in free italki credits now.

7. Don’t Forget A Thai SIM Card

I remember back in the day coming to Thailand before I moved here and being able to completely unplug. Nowadays, the unfortunate reality is that you need to stay connected, even while on vacation in Thailand.

Without Internet access you can’t use GPS (to make sure your taxi driver isn’t overcharging you by taking the long way), post photos and videos to your favorite social network, or keep in touch with friends and family back home.

The easiest way to stay connected is to buy a SIM online from Klook and it pick it up at the airport. You can also rent a pocket wifi router from Klook, allowing you to connect more than one device.

8. Don’t Forget Travel Insurance

Accidents, mishaps, and illnesses happen while on vacation. Luckily, there are plenty of companies that offer coverage for visitors to Thailand – Travel Insurance Masters is one of them.

For around $220, you can insure your entire trip, even getting 100% coverage for trip cancellations and up to 175% coverage for trip interruptions. Plus you’ll get coverage for any medical emergencies that might happen, like food poisoning or a fall off a motorbike.

9. Don’t Forget To Book Your Hotel In Advance

There’s probably a good chance you already booked a hotel in Bangkok. But if not, book a hotel close to the Muay Thai stadium you plan on watching the fights at. This way, you can get to and from the stadium without having to worry about Bangkok’s harrowing traffic or taxi drivers who refuse to turn on their meters.

10. Don’t Forget A Rabbit Card

If you’re going to stay in Bangkok for more than a week and you plan on using the BTS (skytrain) every day, get a Rabbit Card. With a Rabbit Card you can skip the long ticket lines, which get absolutely crazy during rush hour.

If you buy your Rabbit Card online, you can pick it up at Gate 1 of Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok. And whenever you need to top it up, you can do so at a BTS station or even McDonald’s or Burger King.

11. Don’t Forget To Learn A Little Bit More About Muay Thai

Knowing what not to do it just as important as knowing what to do as a first-time visitor to a Muay Thai stadium. So, take some of my advice above and apply it to your next trip to Bangkok when you’re here to watch the Muay Thai fights. You’ll be thankful you did.

And if you want to dive even deeper into the sport, check out my guide on what Muay Thai actually is or discover more about Muay Thai’s rich history next.