Organisers and Muay Thai fans to bid farewell to Lumpini

Organisers and Muay Thai fans to bid farewell to Lumpini

All is set for the final chapter of the Lumpini boxing stadium, which will host its last event on Friday before moving to a new location on the northern outskirts of Bangkok.

Boxing fans are expected to pack Lumpini stadium on Friday when it hosts fights for the last time before moving to a new location. (Photo by Pornprom Satrabhaya)

Wirat Wachirarattanawong said his company, Phetyindee Promotion, had picked the best match-ups for this historic event highlighted by Petbunchu Borplaboonchu defending his lightweight belt against Saenchai PK Saenchaimuaythaigym.

''I am honoured that Lumpini stadium has trusted me to organise the event. It will be one of the greatest boxing matches ever of Songchai Day,'' Mr Wirat told the Muang Siam magazine. Songchai Day is Phetyindee Promotion's trademark boxing event.

The entrance fee is 400 baht for Thai citizens. A number of tickets will be specially designed for the event and special activities will be held in front of the 3,500 seat stadium as a warm-up for the fights. The tickets are for the fans to keep as a special token, Maj Gen Surakrai Chatumas, who supervises the stadium, said.

On normal fight nights, foreigners must pay 2,000 baht for ringside seats at the stadium, 1,500 baht for second-storey seats and 1,000 baht for third-storey seats.

The first Thai boxing competition at Lumpini took place on March 15, 1956. The venue - managed by the Royal Thai Army - was officially opened in December of the same year.

From Feb 11, the stadium will move to its new home on Ram Intra Road, which has the capacity to accommodate audiences of up to 3,500.

The Army Welfare Department decided the stadium needed a bigger home away from the traffic-clogged heart of the city and granted permission for the use of its Ram Intra sports facility to build a new, spruced-up stadium.

The relocation of Lumpini will leave Ratchadamnoen on Ratchadamnoen Nok Avenue as the only boxing stadium in inner Bangkok.

The two stadiums take turns organising Muay Thai events. Lumpini's slot is on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday and the rest of the week belongs to Ratchadamnoen.

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