Real Muay Thai Events in Chiang Mai

[jschorr]

Many years ago I would occasionally go to the Kawila Stadium to watch Muay Thai. When Kawila burned down, they moved those events to Kalare in Night Bazaar. I went to Kalare a couple of Fridays ago and it was very disappointing. None of the gyms that used to be at Kawila or even in Kalare a few years ago were represented. Where have the real Muay Thai events gone, or did I just hit a bad night at Kalare???? I'm assuming that the events near Thapae Gate and Loy Kroh are still just for tourists.

Thanks for any tips TV CM Forum readers can provide!!

[mamborobert]

I think you went to a typical night at Kalare, its not that impressive. I used to go to Kawilla a lot, it wad an unbelievably popular venue, packed to the rafters, cars parked all over Kong Sai Road. I am not to sure that there is anything in the city to compare with it now. Iam suprised that nothing has happenned with Kawilla by now. As said, it was very poular, lots of gambling, venue has not been repurposed and has no real street frontage, and no real competition in Chiang Mai. Would love it to reopen. I too would be interested if there was something similar about but i think the serious regular fight events at CM died with it and now we just have the occasional show which i am sure the fighters take serious but does not seem to have the atmosphere or intensity of Kawilla. I think the good Thai fighters that train here for fights, fight in Bangkok....bigger venue, dollars, and gambling. While i liked Kawilla it was a pretty small venue, old as, and could never hold a decent turn out.

[rakchaingmai]

Kawilla stadium has been re built and finished the problem is that the army are charging to much to rent it out to the promoter "nuk'

there for we now have a new built stadium that is now empty and not getting used .

who will crack first the promoter or the army this has been going on for 6 months but i have been told they might just let him do it and the army will come up with some kind of deal for him instead of renting it to him .

[mamborobert]

I walk past the place a few times a week. Its been a good year and a half since there was anything near repair work done so the deal seems like its really dragging. What work that was done was not really substantial, more of a make good than anything. It is really not big enough for Chiang Mai now....has not been for years really. Maybe the army are a bit shy about having a major gambling venue next door in the current clime but having said that its been disused for eons before the coup.

I would never describe the venue as either rebuilt or new...they fixed the roof where it was burnt out and a lot of the internal, external was not affected much and looks pretty much the same....old and worn,

Edited September 14, 2014 by mamborobert

[mamborobert]

Well cut of my legs and call me stumpy.....Wife said that they had fights at Kawilla earlier this year but nothing for the last few months.

This is the last fight she could find mentioned......a few pics from the Facebook page and nothing on that since the fights in March.

So there was a deal at some time....Did not see it advertised much (and I do look)...wonder if turn out was an issue?

Edited September 14, 2014 by mamborobert

[Zlabermacht]

I am sincerely amazed that someone can think that there is no real Muay Thai in one of the more important cities in Thailand.
Of course there is real Muay Thai in Chiang Mai, this is Thailand, if there is real Thai people then there also is real Muay Thai. Not about blood really, yet about money, MT is biz and way of life for poor people and families. It has an irreplaceable social function in Thailand. This said,
I personally have been in Thapae many times and even if in a touristic/not at all authentic frame (bars, drunk unaware tourists pushed in around the ring and disco music, but note the music stops before and during a match, to leave place to authentic wong pee glong) I can guarantee the matches are 100% real Muay Thai over there. They also bet quite a lot. Usually they have in schedule a 7-8 matches, usually going from the less to the more interesting ones. They start with a demonstration of muay Boran techniques, usually performed by very skilled guys, then they start with the matches, putting back on the disco music at every dead time - including the times between rounds! One female match is often in the middle. Sometimes they also make in the middle very kitsch stuff like "matches" between three or four blindfolded fighters, or between retarded fighters, or dwarfs, stuff like that. But that's just an entertainmental interlude. Matches are real, rituals around are really sacred, shin cracks and wounds are real, people around are from real gyms where the fighters jumping on the ring train their out since they were babies to earn a living, they are damn skilled and sometimes they get seriously injuried... everything is dramatically real. So please folks, pay respect to all this people before assuming too much!
Kawila used to be the best stadium in Chiang Mai, where the top fighters in Chiang Mai did meet, I knew they were trying to restart it and I hope they will, I have still never been there but I will soon. All I can say is that for the time Kawila was closed (I heard it was burnt down for insurance money??), until now, Thapae and Loi Kroh were the top in Chiang Mai.
When a guy training in Bangkok was challenging someone in Chiang Mai, it was there.
About the same description I made for Thapae is good to describe Loi Kroh, with some slight differences (more drunk farangs around, sometimes less fights on schedule. Promoters are quite the same people).

Also, if we move just a little from Chiang Mai city, there are plenty of places within 15-20 kilometers from the old city where occasionally there can be Muay Thai contests, often in monasteries, country fairs, gym parties and so on: especially San Khampaeng, where Santai Gym is from (one of the biggest in Chiang Mai), Hang Dong, country fairs all over the villages around the city.

@ Mamborobert: I think the army wouldn't be embrassed at all because a Muay Thai stadium (or temple?) is not a gambling venue... gambling is a necessary part of it, it is just Muay Thai. The same in Lumpinee and Ratchdamnoern, gambling in Muay Thai is not gambling... if you know what I mean...

Edited September 15, 2014 by Zlabermacht

[jschorr]

Thanks to all who have responded. I too hope that Kawila will reopen soon. I found the bouts there to be between well matched, highly trained opponents. And, the atmosphere, fighters, and spectators were highly respectful of the sport and tradition of Muay Thai. That's what I meant by "real." I haven't experienced that serious, respectful atmosphere at Loy Kroh and Thapae, but I did not want to suggest that fighters anywhere who have the courage and have worked hard to learn the skills of Muay Thai are not engaged in "real" Muay Thai at some level. One thing about these fights between less-skilled fighters that I find disturbing is that the chance of serious injury is greater, especially if the fighters are unevenly matched.

I wish there were a place to learn about the community and local gym Muay Thai events that Zlabermacht mentions, they would be very interesting.

Again, thanks for your tips

[Zlabermacht]

In that case, I understand what you intended by "real". I also found that touristic/commercial frame quite disturbing.
About the community and local gym Muay Thai events, I will be back in Chiang Mai next month, if you want we can maybe go together

Edited September 15, 2014 by Zlabermacht

[mamborobert]

Just a quick update....Kawila is up and running again for matches on 11 October. Having said that this does mention telecast so I presume this goes live to air on Digital 17?

Edited October 9, 2014 by mamborobert

[scd]

^^ Cheers MR. Don't suppose you came across a ticket price in your travels?

[mamborobert]

Sorry...no joy on the price front. Last time I went prices varied for seating and level of Thainess (I scored low on visuals). Just a guess but I would have thought that the absolute max would be around 400Baht. There are not a lot of details on the fight card that I could see that would warrant anything high....but as I said just a guesstimate.

Edited October 10, 2014 by mamborobert

[jschorr]

Could be more than B400. The top price at the Kalare Arena in Night Bazaar is B600 for "VIP" seating.

[rakchaingmai]

There is free to watch fights at kawilla stadium at 4pm saturday 11th October.

[mamborobert]

Just a bump for this. Kawilla have a card on 10 October all Thai. Link with card and prices below will be making a pilgrimage myself....maybe even as a VIP if I can locate my dress sandals.

https://www.facebook.com/350304288437359/photos/pcb.676872415780543/676867669114351/?type=3