Rajadamnern Stadium ( th, สนามมวยราชดำเนิน; ), also spelled ''Ratchadamnoen'', is a
sporting arena in
Bangkok
Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estima ...
,
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
. Along with
Lumpinee Boxing Stadium
Lumpinee Boxing Stadium ( th, สนามเวทีมวยลุมพินี) is a sporting arena in Bangkok, Thailand. The stadium is named after Lumbini, the birthplace of the Buddha. Opened more than a decade later than Rajadamnern ...
, Rajadamnern is one of the two main stadiums for modern
muay Thai
Muay Thai ( th, มวยไทย, , ), sometimes referred to as Thai boxing, is a combat sport that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques. This discipline is known as the "art of eight limbs", as it is characterised ...
. It hosts fights every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday. The stadium has its own ranking system and championship titles up to
middleweight
Middleweight is a weight class in combat sports.
Boxing Professional
In professional boxing, the middleweight division is contested above and up to .
Early boxing history is less than exact, but the middleweight designation seems to have be ...
(160 lbs).
History
![Rajadamnern stadium](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7b/Rajadamnern_Stadium.jpg)
In 1941, the
prime minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
of
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
,
Field Marshal
Field marshal (or field-marshal, abbreviated as FM) is the most senior military rank, ordinarily senior to the general officer ranks. Usually, it is the highest rank in an army and as such few persons are appointed to it. It is considered as ...
Plaek Phibunsongkhram
Field Marshal Plaek Phibunsongkhram ( th, แปลก พิบูลสงคราม ; alternatively transcribed as ''Pibulsongkram'' or ''Pibulsonggram''; 14 July 1897 – 11 June 1964), locally known as Marshal P. ( th, จอมพล ...
, gave orders to build a national boxing stadium on Rajadamnern Avenue. Impresse Italiane All' Estero-Oriente won the construction rights, and the 258,900
baht
The baht (; th, บาท, ; currency sign, sign: ฿; ISO 4217, code: THB) is the official currency of Thailand. It is divided into 100 ''satang'' (, ). The issuance of currency is the responsibility of the Bank of Thailand. Society for Worldw ...
project
foundation stone
The cornerstone (or foundation stone or setting stone) is the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation. All other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure.
Over time ...
was laid on 1 March 1941.
Due to the lack of construction supplies during the
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, the project was halted until August 1945. When construction resumed, it took only four months to complete it. The first boxing match was held on 23 December 1945. Tickets were priced at between 70 and 300 baht. Pramote Puengsoonthorn became the first stadium manager and remained in the post until his retirement in 1947.
The original stadium was open-air, resembling a
Roman amphitheatre
Roman amphitheatres are theatres – large, circular or oval open-air venues with raised seating – built by the ancient Romans. They were used for events such as gladiator combats, ''venationes'' (animal slayings) and executions. About List of ...
in design. Six years later, in 1951 a concrete roof was added, making it weather-proof.
After seven years of government ownership, the stadium was losing money, and on 24 May 1953, Chalerm Cheosakul, the stadium manager at the time, asked permission from the
Crown Property Bureau
The Crown Property Bureau (CPB) ( th, สำนักงานทรัพย์สินพระมหากษัตริย์; ) is legally the administrative agency responsible for managing the property of the King of Thailand. It has no ...
to run the stadium and founded the "Rajadamnern Co, Ltd." Rajadamnern Co., Ltd. operates it to this day, and it has become one of the chief muay Thai boxing stadiums in Thailand.
Chuwattana Muay Thai & Boxing camp is the official promoter for Rajadamnern Stadium, licensed by the Thailand Boxing Commission.
As part of Rajadamnern World Series, on 22 July 2022, Rajadamnern Stadium hosted the first four female Muay Thai fights in its almost eight decade-long history. The first female bout was between Aida Looksaikongdin and Zahra Shokouhi.
Gambling
Gambling is legal and takes place at the second level. The
betting
Gambling (also known as betting or gaming) is the wagering of something of value ("the stakes") on a random event with the intent of winning something else of value, where instances of strategy are discounted. Gambling thus requires three eleme ...
is done by hand-signals, as on a
stock exchange
A stock exchange, securities exchange, or bourse is an exchange where stockbrokers and traders can buy and sell securities, such as shares of stock, bonds and other financial instruments. Stock exchanges may also provide facilities for th ...
trading floor. Often such signs are misunderstood by one side and fights may erupt outside the ring between gamblers. The security service at Rajadamnern Stadium is managed by armed
military police
Military police (MP) are law enforcement agencies connected with, or part of, the military of a state. In wartime operations, the military police may support the main fighting force with force protection, convoy security, screening, rear recon ...
. Foreigners usually occupy the expensive ringside seats, while gamblers and aficionados prefer the second or third ring of seats upstairs.
Current champions
See also
*
Lumpinee Stadium
Lumpinee Boxing Stadium ( th, สนามเวทีมวยลุมพินี) is a sporting arena in Bangkok, Thailand. The stadium is named after Lumbini, the birthplace of the Buddha. Opened more than a decade later than Rajadamnern ...
*
World Muaythai Council
The World Muaythai Council (WMC) is one of the oldest and the largest professional sanctioning organizations of Muaythai in the world for the sport. The organization was set up in 1995 by parliament resolution, and is incorporated by the Royal T ...
References
External links
Rajadamnern Stadium Rankings
{{Martial arts
Indoor arenas in Thailand
Kickboxing in Thailand
Professional Muay Thai organizations
Sports venues in Bangkok
Boxing venues in Thailand
Pom Prap Sattru Phai district
Sports venues completed in 1945
Muay Thai venues in Thailand
Muay Thai venues in Bangkok