Ayutthaya Activities Travel Guide

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The most popular team sport in Thailand equals football (soccer). The professional leagues have not been fully developed at this stage, however. As far as spectator sports go, Muay Thai boxing makes the most popular choice. Other sports enjoyed by Thai people include golf, badminton, tennis, bowling, and snooker. [more]

Most of the sporting and fitness centres you will come across will be attached to a hotel. You're more likely to come across a traiditonal Thai massage centre or a pool, than a sporting centre here! However, if you enjoy a good boat race, you may be lucky enough to encounter a spectacular one during your stay in Ayutthaya. Regattas tend to celebrate the end of the annual rainy season, and use a form of boat that looks narrow, long, and low slung. Decorations include blossoms, flags, and the enthusiasm of the oarsmen! Check with the local Tourism Authority for more information and exact dates.

The U-thong Inn has a fitness centre attached to it, as well as golf facilities and pool facilities. Unfortunately, you probably need to be a guest of the hotel to make the most of them - contact the Inn directly.

Local sports

One of the most popular local sports goes by the name of Takraw. A sport similar to volleyball, it uses only the feet with a light ball made of rattan. To confuse matters, there exist several versions of the game, all with different rules and regulations. One of these versions, called Takrao, creates a sport traditionally played with a circle of men loosely positioned together. Similar to hackey sack, the participants may use every body part bar their hands to pass a ball to each other, keeping it airborne until they eventually kick it into a basket above their heads.

Kite flying and fighting reportedly became introduced to Thailand during the Ayutthaya period to encourage the rain. Generally, kite flying events get held between February and May, particularly on the weekends. A kite fighting contest involves the participants attempting to capture the line of an opponent's kite using their own lines. Then the participant will attempt to pull their opponent's kite across a marked line on the ground. The most popular version of this game involves two different types of kites. One kite symbolises woman - a small, diamond shaped kite called Pakpao. The other kite symbolises man - a larger, two metre tall, star shaped kite named Chula. Chula must catch Pakpao and manoeuvre her into his territory. Pakpao's size gives her great agility to keep out of Chula's reach!

Egg rolling used to be a favourite sport and pastime in Thailand, and still can be seen played with great tradition and reverie in the rural villages. However, it lost favour as a national sport with the existence of famine and egg shortages.

Muay Thai (traditional Thai boxing) developed as a form of self defence around 1767. Wrestling and biting must not be used, and the sport has been handed down from generation to generation. This sport involves the art of fighting with your bare hands and it received serious attention as a sport in the reign of King Rama IV around 1921.

Krabi-Krabong makes up another traditional Thai martial arts. Focused more on hand held weapon techniques than bare hands, the use of krabii (sword), plong (quarter staff), ngao (halberd), daap sawng meu (swords in each hand) and mai sun-sawk (clubs) becomes a 400 year old tradition handed down from Wat Phutthaisawan in Ayutthaya. Often considered a more pure tradition than Muay Thai, the King's elite bodyguards must be trained in this form of martial arts.

Golf

Golf arrived in Thailand around a century ago, and it quickly flourished as a popular sport for the chic and elite crowd. There exist over 200 golf courses in Thailand, all with excellent standards and top designers from over the world. In Ayutthaya itself, visit the Bangsai Country Club, the Muang-Ake Wang Noi Golf Club, or the Northern Rangsit Golf Club. The best time to visit Ayutthaya for perfect golfing exists from November to March in the cool season. Advance bookings for weekends come highly recommended.

The Bangsai Country Club has par 72 over eighteen holes. Designed by a local Thai designer, it sits in open countryside with the utmost in tranquillity and peace. With a feel similar to an English golf course, the course lies in superb condition with friendly service in the clubhouse.

The Muang-Ake Wang Noi Golf Club consists of an eighteen hole course with a water hazard on every single hole. Stock up on golf balls for this course! Or just ensure that you have an exceptionally high accuracy in your game, or else you will lose ball after ball. Luckily the grounds contain the beauty needed to instil peace into your game.

A generally flat course, the Northern Rangsit Golf Club also tends to be based on water hazards. Wind also plays a big role at this golf course. The fairways tend to be narrow, so not a place for the beginner golfer. If you have not lost any balls by the eighteenth hole, say your prayers…

If you cannot live without golf, why not try a golf tour package that includes a cruise through the lovely site of Ayutthaya? There exist many seven day packages with excursions to five of the most beautiful clubs you will ever visit. In fact, the Rose Garden Golf Club has been rated one of the world's top 30 resort courses with its landscaping full of flowers and birds.