Thai boxing matches at the Rajadamnern Muay Thai Stadium in Bangkok

Back in 2018 (6 years ago already!), I got to attend an evening of Thai boxing matches in Chiang Mai.

Back in Thailand, I considered attending a fight night on Koh Phangan before realizing I’d have time to do it in Bangkok just before leaving the country.

I noticed there are events at the Rajadamnern Muay Thai Stadium. My brother Bruno, who practices Thai boxing in France, confirmed it’s an iconic venue.

I’m not sure if it’s like this all year, but in June/July, there are events every night.

How to book tickets for the Rajadamnern Muay Thai Stadium?

To book, you have three options:

• Go through an agency that handles everything, including transportation
• Buy your tickets online
• Buy your tickets on-site

Since I didn’t feel like looking for an agency and getting around Bangkok (with the Grab app) is super easy, I chose to buy my tickets online.

It would have been just as simple to buy them when I got there.

Which seat to choose?

There are several types of seats with different prices.

For my part, I was torn between:

• Ring side (the seats right at the base of the ring, closest to the action)
• Leo Section, which was described as the “locals” seats with the most atmosphere.

Since I was ring side at my evening in Chiang Mai, I ended up going with Leo Section to get a better overall view.

You should know the stadium is pretty small, so you’ll have a great view no matter which seat you pick.

The seats in Leo Section are not numbered; you sit wherever you like. Here’s the view I had from my spot.

That’s indeed where the best, most “local” atmosphere was—I was right next to the frenzied bettors.

If I had to do it again, I might have chosen a seat in Clubclass.

Actually, the difference, which I didn’t grasp when booking on the site, is that in Clubclass, you get a seat. Whereas in Leo Section, you sit right on the concrete bleachers.

After 3 hours, your butt starts to hurt a bit 😀

The evening

Upon arriving, I was impressed by how professional it felt compared to the venue I’d been to in Chiang Mai. I don’t know if the fights are broadcast live, but there’s professional camera equipment and a big screen showing replays. Great for catching the slow-mo of the best moments.

There were eight fights in total.

Not being a big combat sports fan, I have to admit I was pretty bored during the first four fights, which all ended without a KO.

Just as I was thinking about leaving, the ring canvas was changed from white to black. I figured it might be a sign of a shift.

And sure enough, the next four fights were way more intense. All ended in KOs, except the last one, which was nonetheless impressively intense.

In the end, pretty happy with that evening. It’s probably not essential to arrive right when it starts; the show builds up to a crescendo.

Here’s a little clip of the last fight for you.