[PebydataFeents]

Hahaha! I had the same experience! When the boat started to get overloaded I told the one in charge that all of us (we're 10 in my group) would get off if they took more passengers. I gave the same reason, "rao wai naam mai dai!". Then I asked him, "Khun wai nam dai mai?" The guy laughed and stopped taking more passengers.

Excellent suggestion!

I just love riding the Chao Phraya Express but not when it gets dangerously crowded.

[education]

...and is Sepak Takraw a specific kind of Takraw? Are there other specific kinds?

It is the same sport although it goes by a different name. Have a look at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takraw.

[sEe]

For sure the most popular spectator sports in Thailand are Thai Boxing and Football.
The English Premmier league matches are most popular,we one time went to visit a Monk for blessing and he was very tired as he had been watching a Liverpool game at about 3 in the morning.
Thai people who like football seem to support the big English tems like Man Utd,Chelsea,Liverpool and Arsenal.
Only last week in conversation with a Taxi driver who asked me where I was from when I replied Norwich he said "oh Norwich City". It was nice to hear as we have not been in top league football for a long time.
I also noticed that on TV ther used to be a short "Golf Tip" and that now seems to have been replaced by "Football Tip".

[Aswdwdfg]

Other sports popular in Thailand are Volley Ball, Sepak Takraw, and Kraabi Krabong. Is Kraabi Krabong widely played in Thailand? I learned it in gym class in Trang, but have never seen it since... Does anyone know where there is a good place to go see exhibitions?

...and is Sepak Takraw a specific kind of Takraw? Are there other specific kinds?

[ZonaPutaX]

[COLOR="Blue"]I imagine most popular sport in Thailand is-as in most of the world- the King of the sports-the FOOTBALL

Thai main reason why all are so crazy about foot ball is that they can bet on it. If you ask me which friends of mine actually plays the sport – None. But they all watch the matches intensively. Crowd gathers anywhere there is TV in public and money exchanges hands.

[RayFairhurst]

Badminton is definitely big and if you drive anywhere in the countryside in the early evenings you will probably pass quite a few people playing beside the road, swatting a shuttlecock back and forth amongst all the dogs and chickens and families eating durians.

Interesting point about swimming.

I was on the Chao Phraya Express one day when a very large gaggle of tourists kept piling on well after the boat was full at one pier. When it started getting scary, one loud Farang (me), shouted:
Kit waa dtem laew khrap (I think that its full already)
and when the guy at the back didn't do anything to stop them
Rua dtem gern bpai laew! (It's too full already!)
and finally for good measure
Kon Thai mai dai wai naam khrap! (Thai's can't swim!)

The people who came over and thanked me for being willing to speak out agreed that hardly any Thais can't swim but added that most Farang can't either so we would all probably go to the bottom together.

Hahaha! I had the same experience! When the boat started to get overloaded I told the one in charge that all of us (we're 10 in my group) would get off if they took more passengers. I gave the same reason, "rao wai naam mai dai!". Then I asked him, "Khun wai nam dai mai?" The guy laughed and stopped taking more passengers.

[attackDoold]

Badminton?..Hmmm...my Nooch mentions at times playing that with her office friends. Also she mentions of excercising in King Park, with lot of other women, to the loud music, ..this also seems to be popular in Bkk....if you can call this a sport....

[PebydataFeents]

The people in my office seem to be crazy about badminton. And the least practiced sports I can tell seems to be swimming.

Badminton is definitely big and if you drive anywhere in the countryside in the early evenings you will probably pass quite a few people playing beside the road, swatting a shuttlecock back and forth amongst all the dogs and chickens and families eating durians.

Interesting point about swimming.

I was on the Chao Phraya Express one day when a very large gaggle of tourists kept piling on well after the boat was full at one pier. When it started getting scary, one loud Farang (me), shouted:
Kit waa dtem laew khrap (I think that its full already)
and when the guy at the back didn't do anything to stop them
Rua dtem gern bpai laew! (It's too full already!)
and finally for good measure
Kon Thai mai dai wai naam khrap! (Thai's can't swim!)

The people who came over and thanked me for being willing to speak out agreed that hardly any Thais can't swim but added that most Farang can't either so we would all probably go to the bottom together.

[ZonaPutaX]

The people in my office seem to be crazy about badminton. And the least practiced sports I can tell seems to be swimming.

[attackDoold]

Well thanks for that informative comment...for those Thai sports, other than Volleyball, I guess I`ll have to go on Encyclopedia of Sports, `cause I have no idea what they are and how they are played..I think I saw some golf courses in Bkk....but GOLF meaning Gentlemen Only Ladies Forbidden, so wonder if Thai women get into this...

[neirty]

In some cases, the top of the kite string is coated with glue and powdered glass to aid cutting of the opponent's string.

[attackDoold]

Oh,..o.k. Thanks David & Khun Don for clarifying that for me.. ..and maybe for others as well...one little , comma can make lot of difference...I guess I did not read it correctly

[attackDoold]

I imagine most popular sport in Thailand is-as in most of the world- the King of the sports-the FOOTBALL a.k.a. soccer in U.S.-..but what are other favorite crowd pleasers in Thailand?...I know kick boxing is a real "Thai KICK", and it got its world wide exposure through film "Blood Sport" (Jean Claude VanDam) and is supposedly filmed on actual event....and what are other sports that Thais indulge in?...can`t be basketball, never heard of Thais being good in this sport (maybe their stature has something to do with this. Have seen lot of Thai men of my height (1.76 m.)...but not one taller than me)..so what are other Thai`s favorite passtimes?

[adverwork]

You mis-spelled the King of the sports - the correct spelling is RUGBY.

Other sports popular in Thailand are Volley Ball, Sepak Takraw, and Kraabi Krabong.

David

[adverwork]

A quick Google throws up the following:

Popular sports in Thailand not only provide fun and entertainment, they also take care of the fitness of people and tourists. Some of the modern popular sports include football, cricket, ice-hockey, golf, running, tennis, scuba diving, snorkeling, volleyball, bowling and many more. Among the traditional popular sports of Thailand are Thai boxing, kite-flying and fighting, Thai chess, takro and animal fighting. 'Chicken boxing' (cock fighting) is certainly popular in our village.

David

[attackDoold]

Well, thanks for that list of fave Thais` passtime,..though couple of those sports sound a little suspicious...like ICE HOCKEY-unless this is reffering only to professional league sport, where teams play in big cities ice arenas, as I guess it does, but for average Thai boy it would be hard to find a place to play ice hockey...then the kite flying and "FIGHTING"hmmmm...hope this does not mean office punch-ups,..or market/shopping mall brawls

[attackDoold]

I guess that must be the golf course I saw then,...will check it on Bkk. map....got me a big, detaled map of Bangkok on last trip, also google maps show wondeful satelite view deatails from 50 foot/16 meters height...even saw swimming pool on 11th. floor of building (Winning Towers) where my Nooch & I lived for a while after or wedding.

[adverwork]

then the kite flying and "FIGHTING"hmmmm...hope this does not mean office punch-ups,..or market/shopping mall brawls;

No, it means kite fighting.

Kite flying is very popular in many Aisa countries, where it often takes the form of 'kite fighting', in which kite fighters try to snag each other's kites or cut other kites down. Fighter kites are usually small, flat, flattened diamond-shaped kites made of paper and bamboo. Tails were left off of the fighter kites so that agility and maneuverability were not compromised. The usual goal of a 'kite fighter' is to maneuver his/her kite to cut the opponent's string. David

[adverwork]

Kraabi Krabong

This Thai martial art focuses on hand-held weapons in conjunction with Thai boxing techniques.

Sepak Takraw

Another sport indigenous to Thailand is Sepak Takraw, a variant of volleyball played with the feet and a light rattan ball. There are several versions of the game with different rules. In the south of Thailand the game is played with a net. Only the feet and head are permitted to touch the ball. It is amazing to see players perform aerial pirouhettes, spiking the ball over the net with their feet.

David

[gastabegree]

Thai main reason why all are so crazy about foot ball is that they can bet on it. If you ask me which friends of mine actually plays the sport – None. But they all watch the matches intensively. Crowd gathers anywhere there is TV in public and money exchanges hands.

I thought snooker used to be popular in Thailand though, but because of betting on it there was some restriction put on it by the government which then meant it became less popular. I heard something about that in a radio documentary once, but I've forgotten the exact details.