Where can you go for muay thai fights?
DAMN YOU!
Beat me to it!!:dubious:
Thanks again, everyone. I’m leaving on Thursday morning, arriving on Friday evening, and I’ve carefully recorded all your suggestions. Report to follow in a couple of weeks.
Lumpini Stadium, near the Suan Lum Night Bazaar, on I think it’s Tuesday, Friday and Saturday nights; and Ratchadamnoen Stadium on Ratchadamnoen Nok Road, not TOO far from Khao San Road, on I think Monday, Wednesday and Thursday nights and late Sunday afternoon. I’m not a fan, so check at your hotel if that’s still holds true. Supposedly, THE best of the best slug it out on Tuesday nights at Lumpini Stadium and Thursday nights at Ratchadamnoen Stadium. You WILL be gouged on the ticket price but receive no extra service or special seating. Be sure to buy your ticket from a ticket window and NOT from someone outside. Some “helpful” English-speaking “staff” will probably tackle you as soon as they see you, but they’ll probably steer you to the correct farang-ticket window. I guess they get a commission, dunno. There have been a few reports of scamming by them, so don’t give them your money.
One more thing about Soi Cowboy and Patpong. If you do go there, when it comes time to leave, DO NOT get into a taxi parked right at the entrance. The “helpful” cab drivers will try to steer you into them. Simply ignore them – in Thailand, even a polite “no” is taken as a “maybe,” so it’s best to pretend they’re not even there; hard for farangs to get used to doing, but it’s standard practice among the Thais – turn right, walk a very short distance and hail a taxi driving down the street. Never get into ANY Bangkok taxi that refuses to turn on the meter, and for parked ones outside of Soi Cowboy and Patpong, never believe them when they say they’ll turn on the meter. In fact, never get into a parked taxi period unless it’s at something like a shopping mall’s designated taxi queue. Same with whatever hotel you’ll be staying in. Many hotels have taxis waiting around outside for tourists; always best to walk a few meteres and hail one from the street. They’re plentiful.
And speaking of taxis: That’s a big scam at the airport upon arrival. Ignore ANYONE inside the airport, no matter how official they may look, who offers to get you a ride into the city. There’s an airport taxi service right outside; follow the signs. You pay the metered fare plus 50 baht and any tollway charges. Take one of those and no one else’s.
Have a good trip! Regardless of the impressions all the warnings can leave, it really is a fantastic place.
I will! I didn’t see any really scary warnings, so I’m not worried.
Another question: do American debit/ATM cards work in Bangkok?
I believe they do, but I would not rely on them solely. Twice I’ve had my ATM card eaten by a malfunctioning machine, and it took two weeks to get it back! But that was long ago. It’s certainly not a common occurrence, and from the very few recent stories I’ve heard, it sounds like you can get it back more quickly these days. Still, I always carry traveller’s checks when I go out of Thailand and never screw with ATMs. Call me old-fashioned, but an ATM is not going to eat my traveller’s check.
I happened to find myself in the live lesbian sex show in Sheba’s Bar in Soi Cowboy last night – my feet just carried me there! – and noted an elderly farang couple taking it in, so don’t be shy. But even if you don’t go into a bar, it’s worth a stroll down the soi just to see it. There’s so much neon there these days that you’ll think you’re in Las Vegas!
Actually, only one of those times was in Thailand. The other was in Hawaii. But it can happen anywhere!
I think the OP must be here by now, so this will be too late. But hopefully he won’t run into this: Drugged and Mugged in Bangkok, almost a third of the way down the page. This is an old scam, not uncommon here, but I believe it to be more prevalent in the Philippines and Hong Kong. Especially Hong Kong, where the mark is told a friend is a dealer in a Macau casino and can show him some cheating tricks. I’ve not heard of anyone being drugged in this scam before, though.
The comments at the bottom of the page are all about the Bangkok scam.
And speaking of Soi Cowboy, there’s an interesting short video here that gives you a little idea about what the place looks like if you’ve not seen it before. The guy who shot it has tried to contrast what it looks like in the light of day with when it gets going at night. It’s perfectly work-safe.