Staying Fit in Bangkok: Hua Mark and Din Daeng Sport Facilities

If you’re not one of the privileged few who can afford tens of thousands of baht in sport club registration fees, then where can you exercise and practice sports in Bangkok? In Western countries, many people like going to public parks where they jog or cycle, but as there aren’t that many parks in Bangkok, what can we do to stay fit? Two of my recommendations are the sport facilities from Hua Mark and Din Daeng.

Hua Mark Sport Complex is run by the Sport Authority of Thailand (SAT) and is the principal sport complex of the Thai capital, a venue that can facilitate both national and international competitions. It is located on Ramkamheang Road, next to Ramkamheang Unviersity, in Hua Mark District.

Apart from Rajamangala National Stadium, the pride and glory of Hua Mark Sport Complex, which is not open to the public and is rather reserved for the Thai national football team (yes, the one that didn’t even qualify for the Asian Cup that was held recently in Qatar), there are plenty of other areas where anyone can play a large variety of sports. Basically, all ball sport games can be played here. And, it’s almost free!

As you enter the complex on its main gate on Ramkamheang Road you will see on your left a small artificial lake. Here, in the past, peddle boats were available for rent, but only one recreational boat remains marooned “on the shore.” Probably, it’s for decoration purposes only. The lake is flanked by high flag posts where the SAT proudly displays the Royal and Thai national flags. Immediately behind the lake there is a huge lawn dotted with tropical trees where, in the evenings, Bangkokians come out with their families. Many of them bring their rabbit pets and pocket dogs along.

The SAT offices are located on the right of the main gate. Basically, you will hardly ever need to go in there as the entire complex is open to the public without the need for any kind of registration. Still, if you ever end up interacting with any of the employees in there, don’t expect too much. Last year I contacted the SAT main office to answer their call for volunteers needed for an international event, as advertised on big billboards around Hua Mark Sport Complex. To my surprise, I was greeted by benevolent incompetence. After they had sent me to three different doors to knock on, I eventually gave up as nobody seemed to know what exactly they wanted the volunteers to do.

As you walk in the complex, you’ll see several tennis courts on your right. To my knowledge, these are reserved for tennis club members, so you’ll have to contact them and register in order to be allowed to play. The Indoor Stadium is located opposite the tennis courts, and it is open only for special sporting and entertainment events, such as concerts, martial arts, sepak takraw, and ballroom dance competitions. The stadium can accommodate up to 12,000 spectators.

But, even if as a member of the public you do not have access inside the Indoor Stadium, the area around it is pretty well divided in numerous basketball courts, mini football fields, and of course, the much needed parking space. Behind this stadium there’s another area covered with grass and there’s also a sand pit, a perfect place to take young children out.

Around Rajamangala Stadium there are plenty of other activity areas: a rock climbing wall, a well-equipped gym (right under the stadium; the monthly fee is 1,000 baht), swimming pools (closed for roof upgrading), and an archery / hockey field (they don’t practice at the same time!).

Opposite the archery field there is a big complex of windowless buildings that house the Thai National Shooting Association, where, for a small fee you can practice target shooting at the 10 meter range (facilities for several other distances are also available). Clay shooting is done behind the Indoor Sports Training Centre, the smashed clay falling down in another artificial lake overlooking a well-maintained park. Running trails cross the entire length and width of this park.

The Indoor Sports Training Centre provides teaching and training facilities for several kinds of sports, ranging from aerobic dance, badminton, basketball to volleyball and weight lifting. The velodrome is located in front of the Indoor Sports Training Centre, but, although it consists of the standard cycling tracks and can accommodate 2,000 spectators, it is not open for the public. Instead, the area around it is used by sepak takraw aficionados plus, it provides more parking space.

The gym that housed the muay thai, gymnastics and dance training areas has been demolished and, in its place, a skyscraper has emerged. It will house more SAT offices plus several sporting zones, all towering over Hua Mark Police Station.

Maybe one of the most used sporting facilities at Hua Mark Sport Complex is the running track and football pitch located between Ramkamheang Road and the velodrome. It is here where you can see every evening and early in the morning people running, jogging or just exercising on the short mowed grass.

Most sport activities are free of charge and those that require registration do not charge an exaggerated fee. Also, if it suits your purposes, you may rent a whole football field for the day. The complex is littered with food and drinks kiosks and a daily night market, right in front of the skateboarding platform, will fill the stomach and satisfy the thirst of anyone passing by.

Unfortunately, Hua Mark Sport Complex is not served by any modern public transportation, the nearest sky train link being the Hua Mark station on the Suvarnabhumi Airport City Line. From here you can reach the sport complex by motorbike taxi for around 20 baht. However, there are public busses and hundreds of taxis that pass right in front of the complex, adding to the traffic jam chaos Ramkamheang Road is known for. The complex has two entrances facing Ramkamheang Road and two back entrances, near Assumption University, plus a side entrance through Ramkamheang University.

If Hua Mark is too far from your residence, you could check out my second recommendation. Of a smaller size, but equally affordable and well-equipped, the Thai-Japanese Sport Complex, or Thai-Ippun as it is referred by the Thais, is another great area to practice sports.

Again, although the Thai-Japanese Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium and has a capacity of up to 10,000 seats, it is currently used mostly for organized football matches and other sporting events. It’s not open to the general pubic, but the rest of the facilities are pretty much similar to what you can get at Hua Mark. The registration fee is 30 (yes, you read it right, thirty!) baht per year.

Thai-Ippun is located in the Din Daeng District, on the same road with the Ministry of Labour, not too far from Victory Monument. It was built with the help of the Japanese Government but it is under the care of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA).

Initially published in ‘Bangkok Trader’ (vol. 5, no. 4, March 2011)