A favourite pastime in Thailand is takraw,
a game in which players keep a rattan ball in the air, using their feet,
knees, elbows and heads - any part of the body except for the hands. In
casual games, men and boys stand in a circle and bounce the ball back and
forth. More formal games are played like volleyball, with a net separating
two teams of players. Thai boxing (muay thai) is a unique sport that requires coordination, concentration and physical agility. Players box in their bare feet with boxing gloves on their hands. The use of fists, elbows, knees, shins and feet is permitted. Certain rituals are associated with the game. Before engaging in a boxing match, competitors perform a slow, solemn dance called ram muay. A phipat orchestra, consisting of gongs, drums and wind instruments, plays before and during the match. |
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In the 19th century, King Rama V popularized kite
flying. Contests are now held between February and April, when winds are
strong and farmers have some free time after harvesting the rice. People
also enjoy flying kites in parks on the weekends. Male kites are
called chulas, and female kites, pakpaos. The chulas
are large and cumbersome. The pakpaos are small and graceful. The
chulas try to catch the pakpaos while the pakpaos
try to escape and bring down the chulas. Recently, soccer and rugby have become very popular in Thailand, and many fans attend games at the stadiums in Bangkok. Snooker, a game similar to billiards, is also becoming popular. Traditional sports are still played in Thailand, including boat racing, cockfighting and fish fighting using Siamese fighting fish. Visitors to Thailand enjoy golf, water sports and elephant rides. |
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Children have their own favourite games. Girls play
a game with small stones that is similar to the game of jacks. Children
also play mon sorn pha, a skipping game like Postman, and pio,
similar to Red Rover.
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