Chapter 16: Muay Thai Fights in Bangkok & Driving a Tuk Tuk
- Doug Newton
- 3 days ago
- 6 min read
Muay Thai Fights in Bangkok: Inside the City’s Most Electric Night Experience
It was a long 15-hour journey from Athens to Bangkok, with a layover in Abu Dhabi. Traveling east around the world is less than ideal because of the time zone changes, and this one hit me the hardest. I could have gone the other way around the world, but I wouldn’t have been able to see my friends from earlier in the trip, so I decided to power through traveling west to east.
Bangkok is four hours ahead of Athens, and I didn’t get to my Airbnb until about 2:30 a.m. the night I arrived. When I finally got settled, I wasn’t tired since I had slept on the plane, and I was hungry, so I decided to wander out into the city to find some food and explore a bit. Even at 3 a.m., the city was still pretty lively, and I was able to find a bar to have a quick beer and my first pad Thai in Thailand. I’m a big Thai food fan, it’s often my Sunday night takeout, so this was everything I’d been looking forward to and more.
The food was delicious, the people were welcoming, and the beer was cold. It was everything I needed to tire myself out. I made my way back to the Airbnb by 4:30 a.m. and finally went to bed. Needless to say, I slept in the next day. I was traveling by myself at this point, so I didn’t feel guilty about sleeping until noon. No alarms, no plans, just recovery mode.
There was one thing I really wanted to experience during my time in Bangkok: seeing a Muay Thai fight. Fortunately, they have fights every night, so I bought a ticket the next day. I had some time before the fight, so I decided to head out and explore the city on foot.
Many parts of Bangkok are an interesting juxtaposition of beautiful traditional Thai architecture and dated infrastructure. You’ll often see an elegant gold-and-red arch next to a run-down, grungy building. Power lines run above ground, loosely coiled and clustered at every corner, reminding me of the rat’s nest of tangled cables behind my old computer setup. It definitely made me realize how much we take city planning in the U.S. for granted.
Wandering through the densely populated streets, there’s a clear American influence on the city. Amid the signs for restaurants and shops, you might spot a large sign for a Texas-infused Thai restaurant or a Starbucks and KFC on either side of a giant gold dragon sculpture. Beneath the signage, red Thai lanterns line the overhangs above the sidewalks. I found it entertaining to be immersed in the culture, with bits of corporate America sprinkled in.
The traffic is really bad in Bangkok. Some people ride the old red Mitsubishi buses, but most get around on scooters or motorcycles, weaving in and out of traffic. You can even order a scooter taxi through the Grab app (the Uber of Thailand). The scooter pulls up, you hop on the back, and zip your way through a sea of cars to your destination.
Seeing how chaotic the streets were, I didn’t have the confidence to jump on the back of a random scooter, so I opted for my new favorite mode of transportation: a tuk-tuk. These wonderful three-wheeled inventions are open-air taxis, with the driver seated in the front and a bench seat for a few passengers in the back. Think motorized pedicabs. I decided to take my first tuk-tuk ride on my way to the Muay Thai fight.
I highly recommend riding in a tuk-tuk. It’s so much fun. The drivers are usually entertaining, and since mine knew I was from America, he asked me all about it. Some drivers deck their rides out with speakers and lights, and at night, those are the really fun ones to be in. More on that later.
My driver dropped me off at the stadium about thirty minutes before the doors opened, so I wandered around the block and found a little hole-in-the-wall spot to grab some pad thai and a beer. It was clearly a small family-run restaurant. The elderly mother, who didn’t speak any English, was cooking on a hot wok behind the counter, and her friendly daughter, who knew some English, helped me place my order. Another delicious Thai meal in a cozy spot was exactly what I needed before the fight.
After my meal, I made my way back to Rajadamnern Stadium, the world’s first Muay Thai stadium when it opened in 1945. It has clearly gone through renovations since then, because when I walked in, it was much more modern than I expected. I was expecting an old metal bleacher type of stadium. Instead, the arena featured bright LED screens, full light-show capabilities, and a full TV broadcast booth. It felt like I was walking into a fight in Las Vegas.
The card featured eight three-round fights. During each bout, a live band in the arena played up-tempo traditional Thai music known as Sarama, and the way the fighters moved around the ring seemed to match the pace of the music.
The beginning of every fight is very ceremonial, with both fighters performing what’s called the Wai Kru Ram Muay. This is a sacred ritual in which the fighters circle the ring three times, bowing at each corner as a sign of respect to their teachers, family, and ancestors. The ritual culminates with each fighter performing a personal dance in the center of the ring before touching gloves to start the fight.
Muay Thai is easily the most exciting fighting I’ve ever watched. The first round is a little slow as each fighter settles into a rhythm, but after that, it’s non-stop. Knees, kicks, punches, sweat spraying off both athletes as each strike connects and the crowd roars. It’s all the best parts of the UFC with none of the grappling or wrestling on the ground. I saw a few knockouts, one of which came from a roundhouse kick to the head. It was incredible to watch.
Another entertaining aspect of the fight was the betting section. There’s an entire section in the arena where everyone stands, constantly making hand gestures to bookmakers to place live wagers as the fight unfolds. I wanted to get in on the action, so I started asking a few people how it worked, but I couldn’t find anyone who knew English well enough to explain it. Unfortunately, I never got a bet in.
The fights were everything I had hoped for and more. Every bout was exciting, and the atmosphere in the arena was electric the entire time. If you ever find yourself in Bangkok, I highly recommend seeing a Muay Thai fight at Rajadamnern Stadium.
On my way home, I obviously opted for my new favorite form of transportation. That’s right, a tuk-tuk. This one had all the bells and whistles: loud speakers, glowing lights, and a performance exhaust to make it that much more obnoxious.
My driver was really cool, so when we got back to my Airbnb, I figured I’d ask if I could try driving his tuk-tuk, not really expecting him to say yes. He didn’t even hesitate. He just said, “Sure!” and began to explain how the controls work. I was going to offer to pay him, but it turned out I didn’t even have to.
The way these things operate is so interesting. They have motorcycle handlebars, with the throttle on the right hand, and an H-pattern manual shifter between your legs that you operate with your left hand. The clutch is on your left foot, like a manual car, and the brake is on your right foot.
Letting off the clutch with my left foot while giving it gas with my right hand was very confusing, which is why you can hear me grind the gears at one point in the video. Nonetheless, I did pretty well, and I couldn’t stop laughing the entire time because I couldn’t believe he was letting me drive. It was so much fun!
These were certainly the highlights of my time in Bangkok. Next up was Phuket, where I was ready to slow things down, relax on the beach, and enjoy the local vibe.
See ya when I see ya,
-Doug
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