Best Places to Watch Muay Thai in Bangkok
If you’re like us and are fans of Muay Thai, there’s nothing that can beat watching a live fight in Bangkok.
When we went to Thailand in December of 2023, we were lucky to catch one of the best fights of the year (ONE Friday Fights 46: Tawanchai vs. Superbon), with a stacked card of all the top fighters in Muay Thai. After years of watching ONE Championship fights on YouTube, we were super stoked to finally get a chance to watch a ONE fight in person at Lumpinee Stadium.
ONE Championship - Lumpinee Stadium
The best way to get tickets to a ONE fight is via their official website. However, at the time, tickets were so popular for this particular fight they sold out on the official ONE website early. Not to fear though, there are many alternate ticket sites. After a bit of research, we tried to purchase tickets from a site called ACB Muay Thai Stadium and fortunately, it turned out to be legit (and cheaper than the original tickets!?). So, if you are looking for tickets that may be sold out on the official website, don’t lose hope; other ticket sites will often bulk purchase a whole row or section as third-party sellers. If these options don’t work, you may also be able to ask your hotel concierge if they are able to obtain tickets for you.
Lumpinee Stadium is located a little outside central Bangkok. I have to admit, it’s not the easiest to get to but if you take the BTS Sukhumvit Line to Wat Phra Sri Mahathat station, you can then hop on a bus for about 30 minutes, or, if you’re willing to, walk 22 minutes and you’ll get there.
The stadium itself has great view points and no seat is a bad seat. It was surprisingly easy to watch the fighters no matter where you were in the stadium.
Tips to note at Lumpinee Stadium:
Bring a sweater or jacket. The stadium has the coldest A/C I’ve experienced in Bangkok and because I only went in a t-shirt, I was freezing the whole time!
There are some stalls outside the stadium that sell some snacks so, if you’re feeling peckish, you can pick something up here.
Beer is sold both outside the stadium (near the snack stalls) and inside the stadium.
Tickets for this big fight was 2,900 baht (~$120 CAD) for Category 2 tickets, but most other shows that are less high-profile go for these prices on average:
Ringside: 3,500 baht ($150 CAD)
Cat 1: 2,750 baht ($117 CAD)
Cat 2: 2,000 baht ($85 CAD)
Cat 3: 1,000 baht ($42 CAD)
Again, no seats are really bad in Lumpinee Stadium, so, going for the cheapest tickets will be just fine. We highly recommend a ONE fight if you are interested in Muay Thai or just want to experience something you can only really find in Thailand.
RWS Rajadamnern Stadium
Another great place to watch Muay Thai in Bangkok is at Rajadamnern Stadium. Although we didn’t get a chance to check this place out, we hear it is just as fun to watch a Muay Thai fight here. The experience seems to include more tourists than locals and the website seems to reflect a more touristic audience. However, reviews of the RWS Rajadamnern experience have all been great. Another advantage is that Rajadamnern Stadium is easier to get to as it is essentially smack-dab in the centre of Bangkok.
Prices range from 1,000 THB (general seating) to 2,500 THB (ringside). Foreigners often pay more than locals but that is just how it is. VIP or Ringside tickets apparently are not worth it as you are paying a premium and may need to crane your neck to see the ring properly. Clubside tickets, with a higher viewpoint are what’s recommended.
Ultimately, whichever seats you choose, you’ll be guaranteed to have a crazy good time! Watching a fight live was up there with the best experiences we’ve had in Thailand!
