Visitor guides
Muay Thai in Phuket: a visitor's guide
Muay Thai is not a tourist attraction that Phuket invented. It is the national sport, fought professionally all over Thailand, and in Patong you can watch it six nights a week.
- Where
- Sai Nam Yen Road, central Patong
- When
- Monday to Saturday, first bell 21:00
- Tickets
- 1,800 THB RINGSIDE, 1,500 THB STADIUM
- Doors open
- 19:30
What you are actually watching
Muay Thai allows punches, kicks, elbows, knees and work in the clinch, which is why it is called the art of eight limbs. Bouts are scored round by round, and a fight can end early by knockout or when the referee stops it.
Before the first round each fighter performs the wai khru ram muay, a slow dance of respect to their teacher and their corner, wearing a mongkol headband. It is not a warm-up for the crowd; it is part of the sport, and the live band that plays through the fight sets its rhythm.
Phuket boxing, Thai boxing, Muay Thai: the same thing
Visitors ask for it under several names. Phuket boxing, Thai boxing and Muay Thai fights in Phuket all mean the same sport: professional Muay Thai, fought in a ring under Thai rules. It is not western boxing, although the stadiums are called boxing stadiums.
On Sai Nam Yen Road in Patong the Muay Thai stadium is Patong Boxing Stadium, which is why you will also see it written as Patong Stadium or Patong Boxing Stadium Sainamyen. They are one place.
When the fights are
Cards in Phuket run through the week rather than only at weekends, so a single evening of your trip is usually enough to see one. At Patong Boxing Stadium the week runs Monday to Saturday, the stadium is closed on Sunday, and fights start at 21:00.
The card for each announced night is published as a poster, with the date printed on it. Fighters and the number of bouts change with the real programme, which is what makes it a fight card rather than a schedule of performances.
What an evening costs
At this stadium there are two prices and they do not move: 1,800 THB for a RINGSIDE seat and 1,500 THB for STADIUM, the same for adults and children alike. Every ticket includes a stadium shirt.
Beyond the ticket, budget for food and drink and the ride. If you are staying in Patong, Kata or Karon, the free shared van removes the second of those: it collects you from your hotel and takes you back after the fights.
Planning the evening around it
The fights start at nine, which in Patong is early enough to eat first and late enough that the day's heat has gone. The stadium is a few minutes' walk from Bangla Road, so dinner, the fights and whatever you do afterwards all sit within a short walk of each other.
The doors open at 19:30, so come early rather than exactly on time. You can watch the fighters get their oil massage and warm up and take photos while the stadium fills up — a different experience from walking in during the second bout. The bar with food, a Muay Thai gear shop and a BB Gun (airsoft) play area are all inside the stadium, so the wait is part of the night.
How to behave, briefly
There is no dress code and no silence expected: shouting for a fighter is the normal way to watch. What is not welcome is anything disrespectful during the wai khru, when the fighters are performing a ritual rather than posing for photographs.
Betting is a visible part of some stadium crowds in Thailand and is regulated; as a visitor, watching is enough, and nobody expects you to join in.
Questions people ask
Is Muay Thai safe to watch with family?
It is a combat sport, so there are strikes, and sometimes blood. Families do come, a child pays the same price as an adult, and an infant on a lap needs no ticket. If small children are sensitive to noise, bring ear protection.
How long does an evening last?
A night has 6 to 8 bouts, each scheduled for a small number of rounds with breaks between them, starting at 21:00 and over by midnight at the latest. One ticket covers every bout, and you are free to leave when you have had enough.
Can I take photographs?
Yes, from where you are watching. RINGSIDE puts you close enough for a phone to be worth using; from STADIUM a wider shot of the ring and the crowd usually works better.
Keep reading
All guides
The best Muay Thai stadium in Patong: how to choose
How to choose a Muay Thai stadium in Patong: what a real fight night looks like, what a ticket at Patong Boxing Stadium costs, and what to check before you pay.
Muay Thai rules for first-time visitors
Muay Thai rules explained for a first fight night: what scores, what the wai khru is, why the music speeds up, and how a bout is won.
What time is Muay Thai in Patong?
Muay Thai in Patong starts at 21:00, Monday to Saturday, and the doors open at 19:30. What to do before the first fight, how long an evening lasts, and how the fight nights are announced.
Ready to pick a night?
Choose your fight night and pay online. Your voucher is emailed straight away.