If you spend any length of time walking around Patong Beach in Phuket, Thailand then you will become very familiar with these words:
“Tomorrow night, tomorrow night, tomorrow night…”
And my all time favorite!
“If you see Muay Thai, you SEE Thailand!”
These are just some of the chants rung out from the mobile advertising trucks that constantly drive around the main roads of the city, promoting the “next big championship fights” to “see the best of the best!”
I was recently in Patong Beach with Bespoke Unit Founder Paul Anthony and we decided to find out exactly what all the fuss was about. If the statements were true, we might even truly “see Thailand” in the process!
Real Muay Thai Boxing In Thailand
I had always heard about Muay Thai fighting, but my knowledge of this combat sport was very limited going into the match.
Anyway, I quickly learned that Muay Thai boxing is a form of martial arts that originated in Thailand in the 16th century.
Originally used as a practical fighting technique in warfare, Muay Thai later became a national sport in Thailand and is now a very popular form of entertainment in Thai society.
The “Art of Eight Limbs”
Muay Thai boxing is often referred to as the “Art of Eight Limbs” because it involves the use of fists, elbows, knees and shins (8 points of contact) for attacking.
The use of eight points of contact in Muay Thai boxing makes it unique from most other combat sports, such as traditional boxing or kickboxing, which use two and four points of contact respectively.
Where To Buy Muay Thai Tickets In Patong
Matches are held at the Patong Boxing Stadium every Monday, Thursday and Saturday night starting at 9 p.m. and typically run til 11:30 p.m or a bit later.
Note: The Bangla Boxing Stadium hosts Muay Thai matches every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday night starting at 9 p.m. so there is always a boxing match on.
Paul and I bought tickets at the stadium about 30 minutes before the event began, but it’s also possible to purchase tickets ahead of time through the official Patong Boxing Stadium website.
Ticket Prices
There are three different types of tickets sold:
Stadium Seats: 1,300 Baht
The Stadium Seats are the cheapest tickets available, giving you access to the bleachers and standing room at the back of the stadium. The bleachers are far from the most comfortable option, but the stadium is not too big so you’ll still have a decent view of the match.
Standard Ringside Seats: 1,500 Baht
The Standard Ringside Seats are 1,500 Baht and give you access to the semi-reclining leather seats in rows 3 through 8. While technically not “ringside,” these seats give you a great view of the fight and also come with food / drink service throughout the match.
VIP Ringside Seats: 1,800 Baht
We bought the VIP Ringside Seats which gave us access to the first two rows of leather seats. As you can see, we decided to sit in the first row to get as close to the action as possible!
The VIP Ringside Seats also come with food and drink service throughout the match, plus you’ll get an official Patong Boxing Stadium training shirt.
Note: I didn’t even consider the free shirt when we bought the VIP Ringside Seats as we were mainly interested in getting as close to the action as possible, but the shirt has actually become one of my favorites and is a great conversation starter!
This is the type of view you can expect if you decide to go with the Ringside VIP Seats:
The stadium isn’t too big so you’ll get a decent view regardless of where you sit, but if you really want to get the full experience then the Ringside VIP Seats are the way to go.
Location & How To Get To The Stadium
Patong Boxing Stadium is about a 15-20 minute walk from Bangla Road or about a 5 minute tuk-tuk ride.
Here is map showing several different routes to Patong Boxing Stadium from Bangla Road:
[2/59 Sainamyen Rd Tambon Patong, Amphoe Kathu, Chang Wat Phuket 83150]
We walked to the stadium after grabbing some food on Bangla Road, but if you happen to be running late or don’t want to walk then you can take a local tuk-tuk to the stadium.
If you decide to walk to the stadium then make sure you take a screenshot of the Google Maps image above or pre-load the directions on your phone because the last few streets can be a bit confusing.
Note: The official Patong Boxing Stadium website also advertises free transfers to / from your hotel in Patong, Kata or Karon Beach if you purchase your tickets online ahead of time.
Quality Of The Muay Thai Fighting
We saw a total of seven Muay Thai fights between boxers of all different ages and skill levels. Each Muay Thai match consisted of a maximum of five 3-minute rounds with a two minute resting break between each round.
Most of the fighters that we saw were Thai, but there were also some international boxers from Australia, France and Brazil.
The first couple of fights that we saw were between younger Thai boxers (about 15 years old) and despite their young age, these kids knew how to throw a punch!
After watching a few amateur fights it was time for us to see the “best of the best” as they say…
The “Best Of The Best”
The atmosphere in the stadium was electric from the beginning and only increased in intensity as the night went on with fans cheering on their preferred fighters.
Note: Gambling is ILLEGAL in Thailand, but many of the locals place bets on the fighters which makes for a very high-energy environment. That being said, I would NOT RECOMMEND betting with locals (or even with your friends) as the last place you want to find yourself is locked up in a Thai prison!
I was very impressed with the overall level of fighting that we saw. You could tell that the fighters – many of whom train at Patong Boxing Stadium – were professional boxers and that these fights were not just set up as a tourist attraction.
In fact, I spoke with a few locals who told me that Patong Boxing Stadium is where to go for the “real” Muay Thai fights while other nearby stadiums can be more of a tourist event.
Sitting ringside gave us a great vantage point to experience the fighting and understand the strategy behind this unique style of combat.
Despite this being my first Muay Thai boxing match, it was very clear to see that the idea is to land a few well-placed attacks when the opponent is vulnerable, as opposed to trying to land as many attacks as possible.
The photo below was taken just after one of the local Thai fighters was knocked out after his opponent landed a perfectly placed kick to the leg!
Final Thoughts
We had high expectations going into the Muay Thai match after hearing about the “best of the best” for several days.
Despite our anticipations, the quality of the Muay Thai fighting and the overall experience exceeded our expectations by a long shot.
If you are looking for a fun night in Patong Beach then go check out a real Muay Thai fight at Patong Boxing Stadium!
"Wow what an experience! Getting to see a real Muay Thai fight in Patong Beach was one of the coolest things I did in Thailand. So happy we decided to buy the VIP Ringside Seats to get as close to the action as possible."Rating: 5.0 ★★★★★
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