Rajadamnern Stadium

In 1941, Prime Minister Plaek Phibunsongkhram ordered the construction of a national boxing stadium on Rajadamnern Avenue. The foundation stone was laid on 1 March 1941, at a cost of 258,900 baht.

Due to material shortages during the Second World War, work was halted until August 1945; it was then completed in four months. The first fight took place on 23 December 1945.

After seven years of loss-making state management, stadium manager Chalerm Cheosakul received permission from the Crown Property Bureau in 1953 to operate it himself, leading to the creation of Rajadamnern Co. Ltd. In 2022, Global Sport Ventures joined the venture with the aim of making the stadium a global hub for muay thai.

The original stadium was located outdoors and was designed to resemble a Roman amphitheater. The contractor was the Italian company Imprese Italiane All'Estero-Oriente.

In 1951, a concrete roof was added, making the venue weatherproof.

The venue has room for 3,078 spectators and the layout says everything about the audience: foreign visitors usually sit in the expensive seats along the ring, while gamblers and enthusiasts prefer the second and third tiers above.

Gambling is legal here and takes place on the second floor using hand signals, as on a trading floor. Security is handled by armed military police.

In 1984, the stadium compiled a list of the ten best Muay Thai fighters of all time: Pon Phrapradaeng, Suk Prasarthinpimai, Chuchai Phrakanchai, Prayut Udomsak, Adul Srisorthon, Apidej Sit-Hirun, Vicharnnoi Porntawee, Poot Lorlek, Pudpadnoi Worawut and Dieselnoi Chor Thanasukarn.

On 22 July 2022 women entered this ring for the first time in nearly eighty years, with Aida Looksaikongdin versus Zahra Shokouhi as the first bout.

At the end of 2022, Global Sport Ventures launched the Rajadamnern World Series, with modernized rules and its own television production. In June 2023, a distribution agreement with DAZN followed, making the fights available worldwide.