Bangkok activities and sports
Football is loved all over Thailand, especially Bangkok
If you are a keen sportsperson or you simply feel like some exercise to break up your holiday, then you will be well served in Bangkok.
Although it doesn’t necessarily have the range of outdoor pursuits that are available elsewhere in Thailand, Bangkok is unsurpassed in the way of state-of-the-art gyms, sports teams and other facilities. Many find these a great way of escaping the lifestyle associated with spending time in a large, dense city.
Fitness and swimming in Bangkok
The majority of midrange and top end hotels have swimming pools, as do many condominium blocks. If you don’t have one where you’re staying then there are a few public pools around such as Saithip Swimming Pool (140 Sukhumvit Soi 56, tel: (02) 3312 037) or the Sivalai Club (168 Soi Itsaraphap 33, Itsaraphap Rd., Thapra, Bangkok Yai, tel: (02) 412 4000 ext 205, email: sivalai.clubhouse@hotmail.com).
There are also gyms all over the city; again, many located in hotels and condo complexes. A few of the best include the California Wow chain, which has three branches - one on Sukhumvit Soi 23 (tel: (02) 665 2999, Open hour: Mon-Fri 06:00-23:00, Weekend 08:00-22:00) one on Soi Convent of Silom Road (right near Sala Daeng BTS station, tel: (02) 631 1122) and one inside Siam Paragon shopping mall (4 Fl., tel: (02) 627 5999). California Wow can be expensive to use as a one-off, although you can haggle your way down to a price of 300 baht or so, especially if you look as if you could be a prospective long-term member. In fact, there has been talk of them offering free one-day workouts for non-members!
Other options in the city include the Capitol Club & Ananda Spa (99/397 Sukhumvit 24, tel: (02) 661 1210-26, Open hour: 06:00-22:00) and Fitness First in the Landmark Hotel (Sukhumvit Road, tel: (02) 653 242) which is right by Nana BTS station.
Golf in Bangkok
With Tiger Woods being half Thai, it shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise to learn that golf is a popular activity among Bangkokians, as well as expats and visitors. Thus, there are many good golf courses in Bangkok.
Pattaya is a particularly good destination for golfing weekends and it is a mere two-hour drive from Bangkok (traffic permitting). See a list of golf courses in Pattaya.
Tennis in Bangkok
The emergence of Paradorn Srichaphan and other promising Thai tennis players, such as Tamarine Tanasugarn, has created something of a tennis boom in Thailand and there are many Bangkok tennis courts and clubs. Try the Bangna Tennis Court and Swimming Pool (57/455 Soi Bangna Comercial School, Bangna-Trad Rd., tel: (02) 393 8276) or the Kanapaibun Tennis Club on Sukhumvit Road, Soi 40.
Snooker and pool in Bangkok
Many bars throughout the city have pool tables - Gullivers on Sukhumvit Soi 5 and Khao San Road have loads, but on busy nights you may have to comply with the ‘winner stays on’ house rules as all tables are likely to be taken. For a slightly more relaxing game, try the Bulldog on Sukhumvit Road, just past Soi 2, in which the attentive staff will rack every frame for you and bring you drinks on demand. Tables in all of these places are of American dimensions, not British.
For more serious pool players, we recommend you try the Ball in Hand chain which now has two halls - one between Soi 2 and Soi 4 of Sukhumvit and another in the basement of the Times Square building, near Sukhumvit Soi 12. Both have superb quality tables, onsite pro-shops and even resident professional players who can be hired for lessons (1,000 Baht a session). These very popular venues are great for the real pool connoisseur.
For snooker, some of the best tables in town are to be found on the 4th floor of the Payathai Plaza (near Phaya Thai BTS station). In this plush place you can also order food while you play and there is a massage parlour next door.
Muay Thai – Thai boxing in Bangkok
In the home of Muay Thai, there are many training camps throughout the city. Most of these will take on only Thai students unless you can show that you are very determined and will stick to their strict regimen, or are experienced in the sport already.
Jitti’s Gym specialise in taking on foreigners, so that may be your best bet if you want to learn one of the toughest sports around. 12 Soi Chokchairuammit yak 29, Ratchadapisek Rd., (next to Ratchadapisek MRT station), tel: (02) 691 4238, mobile: 089 096 5026, email: jittigym1960@hotmail.com, info@jittigym.com.
Muay Thai Institute is perhaps the most professional outfit for Muay Thai in Bangkok. Recognised by the World Muay Thai council and boasting several respected kru (teachers), it’s a busy facility in Rangsit for Muay Thai professionals and amateurs. Fighters from around the world come here for training and tuition. Their website is also a comprehensive and well-presented resource worth looking at.
Bangkok Fight Club is a well-respected training camp that is Bangkok’s only place to learn the following: muay thai, brazilian jiu-jitsu, mixed martial arts, international boxing, self defense, combat fitness and women's kickboxing. The Muay Thai program is taught by Thai master Somchai Chimlum, an Olympic boxer and SEA games gold medalist. Tong Lor (off Sukhumvit road).
Cycling in Bangkok
You probably wouldn't immediately associate Bangkok with cycling, and when you arrive downtown in the city you certainly won’t. However, there is a great service provided by Bangkok Bike Rides, whereby you can get away from the choking smog of the city centre and out into the patches of jungle which surround Bangkok with surprising ease.
Koh kret trip with Spiceroads
You really will discover a new side to Bangkok if you embark on one of their trips and we highly recommend this service, which can pick you up and drop you off at your hotel and have all the bikes and equipment ready to use. Day trips into the countryside start for as little as 1,000 Baht.
Bangkok Bike Hash is the local chapter of the popular international expats social club. Instead of regular weekly runs they embark on monthly biking weekends at resorts within a few hours drive of the city. This enables mountain biking enthusiasts to get out and discover new trails, by following the shredded paper trials that makes this hash concept unique. See more details.
Football, rugby and other team games in Bangkok
There are many football and rugby teams in the city and the standard of Bangkok leagues is quite high - to hold down a place in a Bangkok team you’ll need to be reasonably fit and healthy. If you fancy joining a team, the many expat pubs are a good starting point as most of them sponsor a team. Try The Winking Frog on Sukhumvit Road Soi 7, The Dubliner at 440 Sukhumvit Road, in between Soi 22 and 24, or The Bulls Head on Sukhumvit, Soi 33/1.
Updated and correct: January 2012
