Bangkok activities and sports
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 have the range of outdoor pursuits that are available elsewhere in Thailand, for modern and state-of-the-art gyms, sports teams and other facilities, Bangkok is unsurpassed in Thailand.
Fitness and swimming
Many of the mid range 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 on Sukhumvit Soi 56 or the Sivalai Club, Soi Anantaphum, Itsaraphap Road.
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, one on Soi Convent of Silom Road (right near Sala Daeng BTS station) and one inside Siam Paragon shopping mall. California Wow, though, 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.
Other options in the city include the Capitol Club on President Park, Soi 24 Sukhumvit Road and Fitness First in the Landmark Hotel, Sukhumvit Road right by Nana BTS station.
Football, rugby and other team games
There are many football and rugby teams in the city, and the standard of Bangkok leagues now is quite high – the days of fat hairy old blokes playing with a hangover are long gone, and to hold down a place in a Bangkok team now you’ll need to be reasonably fit and healthy. To join 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 on Sukhumvit Road in between Soi 22 and 24, or The Bulls Head on Sukhumvit Soi 33/1.
Golf
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 Bangkok Thais, as well as expats and visitors, and there are many good golf courses around the city. 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 Bangkok.
Tennis
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 tennis courts and clubs in Bangkok. Try the Bangna Tennis Court and Swimming Pool on 57/455 Soi Bangna or the Kanapaibun Tennis Club on Sukhumvit Road Soi 40.
Snooker and pool
Many bars throughout the city have pool tables – Gullivers on Sukhumvit Soi 5 and Khao San Road has 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, on-site pro-shops and even resident professional who players who can be hired for lessons (1000 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 the home of Muay Thai, there are many training camps throughout the city. Most of these will take on only Thai students though, unless you can show that you are very determined and will stick to their strict regimen, or perhaps if you are experienced in the sport already.
Jitti’s Gym in Banglampoo, near Khao San Road (13 Soi Krasab, Chakraphong Road – phone 02 823 551) specialises in taking on foreigners, so that may be your best bet if you want to learn one of the toughest sports around.
Cycling
You probably wouldn't immediately associate Bangkok with cycling, and when you arrive downtown in the city you certainly won’t, but 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. You really will discover a new side to Bangkok if you embark one of their trips and we highly recommend this service, who 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.
