Sports in Thailand

In Hua Hin and Chiang Mai, the fastest growing 51 year old sport is pickleball played at beautiful True Arena in Hua Hin and a beautiful garden park in Chiang Mai.  For more information or help in starting a club in your area go to Hua Hin Pickleball Club on Facebook.  You can learn about the game on Youtube.

I am hopeful that rock climbing will become more popular here in Khao Kalok which is near Hua Hin.  Just found a rock face at the mountain namesake and a sign for Khao Kalok Climbing Camp. There is a movie being filmed there right now!

I cycle to a chin up bar down the street from me 4-5 times per week when the shade is just right.  Would like to see more Move Strong Outdoor Fitness Systems in place throughout Thailand.
There are no badminton/pickleball courts locally.  Missed opportunities in this tourist area and for keeping people active.
Major hotel contacted about making an unused tennis court into 4 pickleball courts but not interested!

Nice to see starter posts getting discussion going here, since it's typically a bit inactive.

I don't do sports here; I'm busy with young kids, and I'm getting out of shape.  I will write about what Thais tend to do in Bangkok, though.  Of course that varies by person, and given the city is as large as it is people do everything, so it's more a matter of me saying what seems most common to me, with some error involved in that.

Football (soccer) is popular to watch, and some people are involved in groups that play it, including an indoor version.  Biking has been picking up popularity lately, although it seems dangerous to do that anywhere on Thai roads.  Typical work-out sports in gyms are common (weightlifting, various classes, or machines use, etc.).  There are various pools to swim laps, or courts to play tennis, and swimming may be more popular than most other sports.  There doesn't seem to be awareness or much in the way of facilities for racquetball and squash, although a few courts must be here somewhere.

In terms of what one sees, and perhaps in terms of participation count, aerobics is common, led as informal classes in public spaces, a lot more common than running.  And public parks often offer rough versions of workout equipment, a bit less sophisticated than those found in gyms.  More extreme sports like rock climbing are gaining some traction, and there are climbing gyms here now, but I'd expect up-take to be limited.  I've never heard of pickleball.  It's not exactly a sport but I liked to play disc golf in the states, and it was common enough there 15 years ago, but it hasn't caught on here.  It takes lots of space to set up such a course, and there is some risk of by-standers getting hit by discs (like frisbees, more or less), so maybe that's as well.

Gyms would fall into either older local versions or modern, Western categories, more expensive places adjoining office buildings along Sukhumvit or such places (there is one in our office building).  There would be local options of different kinds, the kinds of places one could find out about in searching questions in forums (more specific questions and discussions in more active forums than this one, for example about where to lift weights, or to swim).  A university near where I live has open hours for lap swimming, and it's my understanding that there are lots of small weightlifting gyms.

Muay thai is an interesting exception; there is also a range of places to train on the local martial arts fighting style.  Thailand is only now being introduced to MMA, mixed martial arts, a more modern derivation from sports like muay thai, but if someone really wanted they could probably turn up a place to do training related to that.

At my age  participating in sport becomes a bit of a luxury and a risk but I still cycle for the fun of it. Here you need to play dodgem with the vehicles on the road but use the quiet back roads.
Gardening in this heat keeps me fit
At the moment I may not due to an opp I have had but as from the beginning of Sept I can start again.
I love watching Rugby,Golf, Tennis,and cricket which I cannot receive on True TV to my disgust.
I have have no pool near neither a Gym as I live in the countryside
I have seen that the Thais only play football in the rural areas and are not interested in any other sport
Barry

Great subject! And plenty of activities in the land of smile
I live in Bangkok and cycle around two nice parks, Lumpini and Benjakiti Park,
this last one is getting a lot bigger now that the city has annexed a large section of the old Tobacco Company. Both park are connected with a cool cycle path that crosses all the districts, roads and freeways in between. There are also many other bikes path around town and near the airport.
I also practice Japanese archery, Kyudo, at the grounds of the HUAMARK Stadium every Sunday with few local and foreign members. ***

I forgot to mention it but I've ice skated for the past two weekends, at a rink in the Mega Bangna mall, and last year we skated in the place in Central World.  That doesn't really change what I said, that people do lots of different things here, with relatively few ice skating for exercise.  It must be good for balance, though.

Hi everyone,,
We tried fishing at Freddies Fishing Park Hauy Yai.
Great day for all the family and friends.
Fish of all sizes and species great at 250 for all day.
We hired rods as well every thing you nedd.
See you thrre...
John

Up here in North East Isaan the most popular sport apart from football, in the schools is basketball. Suppose it doesn't cost much money to organise.
Now that a Thai girl has won the British Open golf championship maybe there will be a big resurgence in youngsters wanting to play golf.

I have been an athlete all my life. My favorite Olympic sports include swimming, track & field. gymnastics, figure skating, and skiing in the Winter Olympics--I used to love ABC's Wide World of Sports.

In the Olympics, I really like it when some small country no one ever heard of kicks the *ss of a big country like the US or Russia. (I am American)

I am good at baseball, tennis, basketball, and volley ball.

I ran the New York Marathon 4 times, and have a Brown Belt in Karate.

I wonder where I can buy baseball equipment in Thailand--anyone know??

Thanks, ART

Hi Art
My name is John my wife Saifon
You could try putging in a wanted advert in the many for sales sites
It only takes a mo copy paste.
If you ever get to Pattaya and fancy fishing please call in to see us at Freddies fishing park
In the meanime hope you find what you are looking for..
Tight lines John n Saifon

When it comes to sports Thai locals are actually fond of boxing as most of my friends are into Thai boxing for years now. Some are fond of playing golf. During my free time I always like playing badminton.

Hello, Priscilla
I live in the  Pattaya's countryside
http://www.pattaya.net/do/
all about sports practiced above

outdoor dance : you may participate easily just for one seance
many people stop to watch while rhytmic music.

Gulf (a lot) (beautiful) (take a look at as it's worth it) we love riding uphill around.
http://www.golfsavers.com/thailand/patt … oCzOXw_wcBhttps://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat%C3%A9 … C3%AFlande

Sepak takraw (everywhere)
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat%C3%A9 … C3%AFlande

Muay Thai (Thai boxing)
http://www.muaythaischolar.com/top-3-mu … s-pattaya/

cycling (my own sport)   (very appreciated) (MTB) (has increasingly success)
http://www.pattayabikeandboattours.com/gb/bike-tours
I am not a club's member but I ride about 20 kms a day at the MaP Prachan lake
and we meet every day.

Football (very popular) but at an international level (? uh!) (I don't think so)!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thailand_ … tball_teamhttp://www.musettetours.com/?gclid=CjwK … w_wcB#homehttp://travellingtwo.com/resources/thailand

I hope it helps you.
have a nice Week End

Baseball equipment at Lazada Thailand.  Free shipping.

Couple of games that have been re-popularized in the US are kickball for adults.  Big time leagues now with world series in Vegas.
Another is dodge ball that has become really popular with adults even more so since the movie with Ben Stiller was released.
Speaking of baseball another sport that would be fun to get started here is Wiffle Ball!!
Pickleball is in the book Rejuveniling about adults going back to their kid games.

i play basketball on koh samui.  starts every night about 6:30 at the courts on chaweng lake.  they also play soccer and volleyball there.  free.

I've wondered too about baseball/softball equipment. Surprised that it's not popular here as it is in Japan.  I saw an ad one time a year or so ago for a batting cage in BKK.  Nothing like that here in Chiang Rai

Baseball got popular in Japan when the second world war ended and the US military were stationed in Japan a long time. That didn't happen here so why would Thai people be interested in Baseball (and softball)?