Posted by Marv:

Sounds great. Thailand is one place I've always wanted to see. Just don't mix up your cabbage with your condom!

Posted by martin:

quickly....we did go for the full body Thai massage today. It's like $6 per hour. Happy ending is extra.

Posted by Silverfuel:

Can you also check out some Muay Thai schools and let us know if those guys are for real with their crazy kung fu?

New Year in Thailand for 3 days.... mostly celebrations by throwing water.

Posted by Silverfuel:

Posted by martin:

forget about the school man, we will head over to the actual boxing matches later on. Gotta see the real thing. Heard the 1st class people sit up front, middle tear for the betting brokers and 3rd class for the actually betters. All the action happens in the 3rd tier and actual fights break out in the stands too. 3rd class for me.

That is so awesome man! I am jealous. I'm definately taking a trip to Thailand now. I hope we can get a special report just on the fights.

silver, Muay Thai is crazy.

There are 3 sections of seating. First class, about 6-8 rows near ring with chairs; second class, a foot higher with about 15 rows with chairs; and third class, standing room only concrete stands that go back and up about 15 yards. The 3rd class fans do all the betting and are very loud and yelling and are constantly talking to the 2nd class people. The 2nd class people are like the brokers in the stock market, taking bets from the 3rd class and passing them to the bookies or other betters (both in 2nd and 1st class... or something like that). They were all doing hand signals because of the distance between the two classes and within the same class. Meanwhile the boxers are bashing each other to a pulp. One is red shorts and the other blue. Most of the fighters were 18 year olds; ripped dudes with serious stomach muscles who punch and knee and kick each other. Frightening. 5 three minute rounds with 2 minute breaks. We couldn't tell how the scoring happened. The fans really got into it and shouted something guttural with the boxers kneed each other. I was in London during the last World Cup during an England match and the shouting during the pummeling was kind of reminiscent of the chanting during the soccer match, only much shorter and in tune with the punching and kneeing. The most interesting part may have been the posse of about 10-15 people that crowded the corner of their boxer, all of whom were totally into the match and their own fighter, bobbing and weaving and throwing imaginary punches. They would scream technique and show their own best moves to the boxer during the breaks. It seemed to me that the first two rounds were test rounds for each boxer, and they would do more shadow boxing interspersed with quick jabs to feel each other out. The last 2 rounds really picked up as the crowds also picked up their involvement. Oh, and the main event started at about 9pm, and it was still about 90 degrees out with full humidity. It was just freakishly uncomfortable even though the place was in a stadium that had open sides with a roof. Cost of first class seat was $37 and we were in third class at a third of that price.