Thailand Culture and Society: Sports
General
Sporting activities are a major source of entertainment and leisure in Thai culture Religious and royal ceremonies and festivals are not complete without sports in Thailand. Traditional sports such as Muay Thai (Thai boxing), Sepak takraw (kick volleyball), Krabi Krabong (a weapon based martial art), kite fighting, horse racing, and boat racing are practiced even today with equal enthusiasm as modern sports. Modern recreational activities like golf, tennis, soccer, cricket, badminton, swimming, jogging, water skiing, and windsurfing are also popular.
Individual Sport Participation
The Thai population is generally health conscious while physical fitness is considered an important part of life. Apart from soccer, men like to participate in hockey, Thai boxing, Sepak takraw, basketball, tennis, and track and field.
The youth generally play their sports and games in fields, streets, public sports centers, or any open grounds in their neighborhoods. Boys like to play mon sorn pha, a traditional skipping game, pio, which is similar to Red Rover in the U.S., basketball, and soccer while girls generally like to a game that is similar to the American jacks, using small stones.
Private Sports Clubs
Private sports clubs and gyms are visited by a large number of the population. Numerous professional training institutes and sports centers have been built for the further development of the traditional sports. Lanta Gym, Singkasang Gym, and Chiangmai Gymkhana Club, are among a few of the clubs offering training in traditional sports amidst modern fitness facilities.
Membership fees vary widely depending on the club’s status and the facilities it offers. The joining fee of Pattaya Sports Club is 700 Baht (US$22) along with a renewal fee of 400 Baht (US$13) per year. The monthly membership fee for the Loch Palm Golf Club is around 5,990 Baht (US$190).
Private Sports Clubs Listings:
Royal Bangkok Sports Club
Henri Dunant Street
Pathumwan
Bangkok 10330
Thailand
Established in 1897 by King Rama V to entertain expatriates and promote horse breeding and horse racing, this club occupies a prime location on the Henri Dunant Road, opposite Chula Long Korn University. Memberships to the club are generally inherited and new members are seldom accepted. Members include elite and prominent industrialists, business magnates, expatriates, government officials, politicians and top corporate administrators. The club has a large golf course and playing fields and also horse racing tracks that are open to the public every Sunday. Other sports facilities include tennis, badminton, swimming, jogging, bridge, chess, billiards, hockey, cricket, polo, soccer, rugby, and table tennis. Betting is also allowed for the horse racing events starting at 50 Bahts (US$1.5), on a win, place basis only.
Chiangmai Gymkhana Club
Old Lampoon Road
Chiang Mai
Thailand 247352
Established in 1898 by British Emigrants and teak loggers, Chiangmai Gymkhana Club (CGC), the oldest club in Thailand, is located in an area of 40.8 acres in Northern Siam. Although the original club membership consisted mainly of British expatriates, this trend has changed with time. The facilities provided by the club are a 9-hole par 36 golf course and driving range, two squash courts, one soccer pitch, one rugby pitch, two tennis courts, a cricket pitch, one snooker table, jogging grounds, showers, locker rooms, and a library. The golf course is built in an area of 2,953 yards with sand and water traps, trees, and streams. The club’s main attraction is the 150-plus year old tree that has not been captured by any photographer to date.
Loch Palm Golf Club
38 Moo 5 Vichitsongkram Road
Kathu District
Phuket 83120
Thailand
Built in the vicinity of Crystal Lake in Kathu District, the Loch Palm Golf Club is centrally located between Patong beach and Phuket town.. The Loch Palm Golf Club offers an 18-hole par 72, 6,555-yard golf course that is best suited for a perfect game. A monthly membership fee is around 5,990 Baht. One of the most challenging golf courses in Phuket, The Red Mountain Golf Course, new sister course to Loch Palm Golf Course was inaugurated in 2007 to test the skills of serious golfers.
Sports City 2002
20/262-4 Moo 9 Prachachuen Road
Bangtalad, Pakkred
Nonthaburi 11120
Thailand
Built in Nonthaburi in 2002, the Sports City is one of the finest clubs in Thailand. Sports facilities provided by the club include: four tennis courts, eight indoor shockproof badminton courts, one indoor shockproof basketball court, a 25 meter lap pool, 125 meter Jacuzzi fitted relax pool, and a 152 meter indoor floating jogging track. The fitness center is well equipped with more than 80 state-of-the-art machines to help monitor, strengthen, and tone the muscles. The club also provides professional instructors for studio classes like yoga, aqua, aerobics, dance, hip hop, step, Maya-thai boxing, cycling, and yogilates. Hygienic steam and sauna rooms are also provided with around 700 locker rooms for members’ convenience. There are three different class levels: Beginners, Intermediate and Advanced. The golf center has a three story driving range and a 1,700 sq meter short game area.
Pattaya Sports Club
3/197 M-6, Pattaya 3rd Road
Banglamung, Chonburi
Thailand 20150
Pattaya Sports Club (PSC) was started in 1979 by Vietnamese expatriate Bill Gilmore. Initially the club had only 31 members from Thailand and other nationalities, but today the club has grown to have more than 20,000 members. Although the club was started as an avenue to promote sports and support local charities, the club has now grown to be a full-fledged professional club. Competitions are held for professional players, but amateurs are also allowed to use the facilities. It is mainly famous for Thai fishing facilities, providing 18-meters fishing boats with guided tours. The club also arranges deep sea fishing trips. Softball facilities are also available with a nominal fee. The club also features a bridge club and lawn bowling greens. In 2006, golf facilities were also added.
Capitol Club
99/397 President Park Sukhumvit Soi 24
Klongton, Klongtoey
Bangkok 10110
Thailand
Capitol Club is a private club located in Sukhumvit Soi, Bangkok. It is a 6,000 square meter building with a 13-meter white-colored dome that is the main tourist attraction of the club. The Fitness dome has an eight-meter high rock-climbing wall with four climbing stones, a 70 square meter aerobics floor, and most modern fitness equipment. There are daily fitness schedules for beginners and advanced levels in yoga, aerobics, Latin dance, Tai-chi, step, fit ball, Pilates, stretching and aqua-aerobics. Other sports played at the club are, tennis, racquet and squash. The club offers four membership categories: individual, corporate, term and family memberships.
School Sports
Physical education is part of the National School Curriculum in Thailand. The most widely offered sports in schools are football, volleyball, tennis, swimming, bowling and athletics. M.R.I.S.A. (Mekong River International School Association) is an organization for sports and cultural exchange in International schools. International school Eastern Seaboard (Thailand) is a member of MRISA and sends its middle and high school teams for sports and cultural exchange programs. The sports offered are soccer, basketball, volleyball, and softball. The International school, Bangkok, hosts sports leagues like BBA (Bangkok Basketball Association) and a youth soccer league. The school has its own rugby, swimming, basketball, tennis, badminton, volleyball, soccer, softball and track and field teams that participate in interschool competitions. Some schools and colleges have made 90 minutes of daily athletic activity mandatory.
University games held in the country from October 2006 to January 2007 were the largest university sports competition in which more than 120 universities had participated. Thai collegiate sports are popular as spectacular events played and watched ardently by the youth. Jaturamitr Samakkhi is one such soccer competition that has become an identity symbol for the schools participating in the event. Another famous college championship is the Chula Thammasat Traditional Football match, which is played every year in January between Thammasat University and Chulalongkorn University.
Professional Sports
Muay Thai, the martial "art of the eight limbs" and traditional boat racing are Thailand’s national sports which are gaining popularity throughout the world as spectator sports. Another popular native sport of Thailand is Sepak Takraw, which is quite similar to volleyball. Takraw, an economic game requiring a net, rattan ball and played with feet has now been incorporated into the SEA games and the Asian games. Katoey (ladyboys) volleyball teams were the highlight of the National championships and were even filmed for their achievements. Another Thai indigenous sport, Kite fighting, is famous since the era of king Ramkamhaeng and is also known as Chula and Pakpao competition. Thai Kite Heritage Group was established in 1986, with an aim to promote the traditional Thai kite flying sport internationally.
Piyapong Piew-on, top scorer of the Thai National Team is better known as the National Soccer Hero of Thailand for his achievements. While, "the knees that knocked holes in the sky" is the phrase used for Dieselnoi Chor Thanasukarn, the Muay Thai champion, as a mark of love and admiration of his fans, Nai Khanom Tom is remembered to this day as they celebrate "National Muay Thai Day" on March 17th ever year in his honor.
Other Notable Athletes:
Buakaw Por. Pramuk (Boxing)
Samart Payakarun (Boxing)
Khaosai Galaxy (Boxing)
Kaoklai Kaennorsing (Boxing)
Wijan Ponlid (Boxing)
Piyapong Piew-on (Soccer)
Datsakorn Thonglao (Soccer)
Paradorn Srichaphan (Tennis)
Popular and Dominant Teams - Soccer
The top teams dominating Thailand’s soccer league and the biggest rivals are BEC Tero Sasana Football Club and Krung Thai Bank Football Club. BEC Tero Sasana FC, established in 1992, is a two-time winner of the Thailand Premier League, while Krung Thai Bank FC has won the Thailand Premier League three times.
Women
Thai women actively engage in professional sports. Trecia Roberts is a famous Thai hurdler while Khassaraporn Suta is a known weightlifter. The Thailand National Women’s Cricket Team represents Nepal in international women’s cricket matches.
Major Spectator Sporting Events
Royal Trophy (Golf)
Date: January
Location: Bangkok
Description: Started for the first time in 2006, Royal Trophy is a professional golf championship for men. The three-day competition takes place at the Amata Spring Country Club in January. The competitors for the trophy come from Europe and Asia. Eight teams play a series of 16 matches for the Royal Trophy, presented by His Majesty, the King of Thailand. The prize money for the trophy is US$1.5 million. The Championship is scheduled to be in Thailand until 2010.
Thailand Premier League/Thai League (Soccer)
Location: Venues throughout Thailand
Description: Thailand Premier League (TPL) or the Thai League, founded in 1994, is one of the most prestigious soccer championships in Thailand as well as in Asia. It is organized by the Football Association of Thailand (FAT) and usually played by 12 clubs.
Buriram Boat Race
Date: November
Location: Mun River
Description: This race is held annually every first Saturday of November in front of Satuk district office on the Mun River. In ancient times, King Ekathotsarot of the Ayutthaya period once held a boat race to train oarsmen for war. Earlier, royal boat races were held in Thailand to drive away the floods in the eleventh lunar month, i.e. October, when the rainy season came to an end and the Chao Phraya River flooded in the Ayutthaya region. Later on, boat races became symbolic of royal ceremonies and Buddhist festivals. Teams of Buriram and other provinces participate in the race to find the champion of Mun, which is also accompanied by traditional processions, cultural performances, food stalls, and elephant swimming races.
Bangkok Marathon
Date: November to December
Location: Bangkok
Description: This annual event is also known as "Krung Thep" or "City of Angels.". The marathon starts and finishes at the Sanam Chai Road in front of the Royal Grand Palace. The Bangkok Marathon, sponsored by the Standard Chartered, is divided into four categories: 42.195 km main marathon, the wheel chair marathon, 21.10km half-marathon, 10,550km quarter-marathon and 5km walk-fun run. All local and international runners are allowed to participate in the race. The winner of the Bangkok Marathon is awarded the King’s Cup along with a cash prize. The high temperature and humidity make this marathon rather difficult even for the serious runners. Over 30,000 runners participate in this event. Michael Mukoma holds the record time for the marathon at 2:18.5 while Violetta Uryga holds the women’s record time of 2:46.40
Pattaya Queen’s Cup Marathon
Date: July
Location: Chonburi Province, Pattaya
Description: Although Pattaya’s Marathon course is one of the toughest, as it runs along hilly terrains, it attracts sports enthusiasts from different corners of the world. The race route goes along Jontien Beach to Beach Road through the Pattaya Hill. Different races are organized for participants in the following categories: Pattaya marathon, wheelchair marathon, students’ race, half marathon, and quarter marathon. The running course, situated at a beach resort in Pattaya, is one of the best in South East Asia. Several events are organized along the way, like acrobatics, fire dancing, and other street performances.
Thailand Open (Tennis)
Date: September
Location: Bangkok
Description: Started in 2003, the Thailand Open has both men’s and women’s tournaments.
Pattaya Women's Open (Tennis)
Date: February
Location: Dusit Resort Pattaya, Chonburi
Description: Started in 1991, the Pattaya Women’s Open is a Tier-IV tournaments played on hard courts.
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