Seeing a live Muay Thai fight is on most visitors' lists for Phuket, and the question that follows is where to watch Muay Thai in Patong without ending up at a bar show or paying a street price for a seat. The nearest stadium is directly behind Jungceylon, and the dinner, the cash and the licensed tour counters are all in one building before you walk over.

Where to watch Muay Thai in Patong?

The closest venue is Bangla Boxing Stadium, located on Soi Banzaan, directly behind Jungceylon and across from Banzaan Fresh Market.

The other venue in town is Patong Boxing Stadium on Sainamyen Road, further inland and set back from the road. Both are full stadiums with a card of several bouts.

Fight nights and ticket prices are set by the stadiums and change through the year. Please confirm the current night and the current price with the stadium or with a licensed tour counter before you fix a date.

What time do the fights start?

Fights in Patong are an evening event. The first bout usually begins at 9:00 PM, the gate opens earlier so you can find your seat, and a full card of bouts usually finishes after 11:00 PM.

That timing matters, because Jungceylon is open until 10:00 PM. Eat, change money and buy what you need before the fight.

How do you get to the stadium from Jungceylon? 

Leave through the Sai Kor Road side of the mall, by Banzaan Fresh Market, and the stadium is on Soi Banzaan opposite. It is a short walk, and you do not need a taxi for it.

For Patong Boxing Stadium on Sainamyen Road, take a taxi or a tuk-tuk from the drop-off point in The Bay Zone. Agree the fare before you get in. Drivers in Patong recognize both stadiums by name.

What ticket options are available? 

Both stadiums sell two main kinds of seats:

• Ringside The front rows, closest to the ring. The more expensive option at both venues.
• Stadium seating The raised tiers behind ringside. Cheaper, and you see the whole ring from above.

You can buy at the stadium box office on the night, book online in advance, or book through a licensed tour counter. Inside the mall, M U TOUR & TRAVEL (The Botanica Zone, ground floor), Phuket IG Travel (The Garden Zone, ground floor) and USN TOUR (The Botanica Zone, ground floor) are licensed counters with a fixed shopfront and a printed receipt.

One piece of local knowledge is that the people selling fight tickets along Bangla Road at night are commission sellers, and the price they open with is not always the stadium price. A counter inside the mall, or the stadium's own box office, avoids the question.

Bring cash. Lion Currency Exchange has counters in The Botanica Zone, The Bay Zone and The Garden Zone. The Botanica Zone and The Garden Zone counters are open from 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM, and The Bay Zone counter is open from 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM.

What should a first-timer expect?

Every fighter enters the ring and performs the wai khru ram muay, a slow ritual dance that honors his teacher and his family. Live music follows the whole fight, played on a reed pipe, drums and cymbals, and the tempo lifts as the rounds go on.

A bout is usually five rounds of three minutes, with a short break between each round. The first round or two can look slow, because both fighters are reading each other.

Some things to be ready for:

• The stands are open-sided and the evening can still be warm. Light clothing, and a bottle of water bought before you arrive.
• There is a betting section in the stands. It is loud, it is part of the atmosphere, and nobody will ask you to join in.
• Photography from your seat is normally fine.
• The card often includes young Thai fighters. This is normal in Thailand, and the bouts are supervised and weight-matched.

Is a Muay Thai night suitable for children?

It depends on the age. It is a contact sport, the venue is loud, and the evening finishes late. Older children who already recognize the sport usually enjoy it. For younger children, a 9:00 PM start and a full card is a long evening.

If the rest of the family would prefer an earlier night, we have a few options on the way back. Froggy's Fun Park and Kidzooona (The Botanica Zone, 3rd floor) are indoor play areas for younger children. Power Drive Karts (The Jungle Zone, 3rd floor) is an electric kart track for older ones, and Robocoaster (The Garden Zone, ground floor) is near the open plaza. All of them are open until 10:00 PM with the mall.

As a shopping mall, Jungceylon has clear, defined boundaries, making it easy to find young children if they wander off. It is also a very safe environment with comprehensive CCTV coverage and on-site tourist service officers.

Where to eat before the fight at Jungceylon?

A 9:00 PM start gives you a comfortable window for dinner first.

• Thai Food Factory (The Garden Zone, ground floor) A sit-down Thai restaurant with a long menu.
• Spice House (The Garden Zone, ground floor) Thai and Indian dishes, with more choice for vegetarians.
• Issy Gelato (The Bay Zone, ground floor) Gelato by the open plaza, on the way out towards Sai Kor Road.

If you would like a Thai massage before you sit down for two hours, Chantara Massage and Sansabai Massage are both in The Jungle Zone basement, and both take walk-ins earlier in the evening.

A Night Out That Starts Here

A fight night in Patong is easier when dinner, cash and your tickets are settled before you walk over. Come to Jungceylon in the early evening, eat in one of our four zones, collect your tickets from a licensed counter, and leave through Sai Kor Road to the stadium.