Thailand Traditional Sports: Thailand is known as a street food paradise for foodies. It’s not to sneeze at the restaurant scene! It is renowned for experts in road safety as its roads are the most hazardous. It is known for its beaches, temples, jungles and elephants for holiday makers. Other than this, Thailand is notorious for traditional sports. Here are some of the Thailand traditional sports that you don’t know.
Kite Fighting – Thailand Traditional Sports
Kite fighting is common and even a league sport in Thailand. The sport’s origin is unclear. It’s probably rooted in religion or ritualism. A major sporting event is the All-Thailand championships held in Bangkok. There are two kinds of kite-fighting kites which is the large star-shaped chula or known as the male kite, and smaller diamond-shaped pakpao or the female kite. The chula can be up to two meters wide and needs several men to launch it. It has bamboo slats attached to its string which are used to tie the pakpao’s neck.
Longboat Racing – Thailand Traditional Sports
The annual longboat race in Pichit’s northern Thai city is the oldest river boat race in Thailand. Practicing for nearly 100 years, the Henley Regatta in England has been around for about as long. The races take place on a 650-meter course on the Nan River in a 20-meter-log dugout teak boat rowed by 30 teams over two days. Often men and sometimes women obey a coxswain’s instructions. The vent is a festive event with beautiful girls, cords that feast and cheer.
Long-boat races are important events in several riverside provinces to celebrate high water. Similar to dragon boat races organized in China and other Chinese-speaking regions, long boat races often create solidarity in communities, particularly among crew on the same team, who are applauded by river bank spectators. Those who paddle the boats must be strictly organized and work as groups to lead their boats to victory together. No one can accomplish the feat on his own.
Water Buffalo Races – Thailand Traditional Sports
Water buffalo races are held at the annual Buffalo Racing Festival in Chonburi, along with human riders on the buffalo. This is now the 137th racing event with buffalo. The races appear to be becoming more popular each year as word begins to spread. Despite bigger crowds, this year has been no exception.
The Buffalo Racing Festival is not yet on the Lonely Planet, but clearly the news of this festival is circulating on the Internet. The date is set by the moon’s phases. This usually occurs in October, the day before the full moon. The day of the full moon is also observed as the conclusion of the Buddhist retreat, which lasts three months.
Sepak Takraw – Thailand Traditional Sports
Sepak Takraw is an exciting sport played throughout Southeast Asia. Basically, it’s playing volleyball without using your arms and hands. Watching a good player jump into the air, turn around and spike the ball at 60 miles per hour with his foot, and then land on his head and shoulders without injuring himself, is very exciting.
It is not known the origin of Sepak Takraw. Malays claim that in Malaysia it was invented while in Thailand, Thais claim that it was invented. The match was allegedly played in feudal Malaysia’s royal courts, and is linked with the great hero of Malaysia Hang Tuah. Gathered in a circle in this iteration of game players, trying to keep the ball from touching the ground. It was played mainly in villages during the British colonial period as a lunchtime pastime by working people.
Elephant Sports – Thailand Traditional Sports
Mid-November, the Surin Elephant Roundup in northeastern Thailand is an internationally renowned festival attended by over 100 elephants. In the simulated combat, warrior with arrows advances to the sound of drums on the elephants’ backs while the animals’ legs are guarded by soldiers with and swords.
There is also a parade of elephants equipped for medieval warfare. More than 40,000 people appear at Surin’s main stadium for the event. Many elephant mahouts are part of the Suay tribe living near the border between Thailand and Cambodia. Thai dances and other activities are also taking place. Hundreds of elephants display their skills in the Elephant Round up.
Conclusion
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