Kickboxing is the national sport of Thailand. As a spectator sport, it's fantastic. Betting is done live, and the stands resemble the floor of a major stock exchange. Crowds celebrate each knee kick by their chosen fighter with shouts of "EEE!". Or something which sounds like that.
There is no food in the stadium, instead you go outside to the street. Beers are a buck outside, and may be brought into the stadium in plastic cups, but very few people were drinking. I guess they need their wits for the betting.
Before the match begins, fighters engage in an elaborate stretching/intimidation session for a good 5 minutes. This is kind of like getting a good look at your pony before the horse races. Anyway, these guys were two of the better intimidators we saw...
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