Horse Racing in Bangkok

It comes as a surprise to many people to discover that there is horse racing in Thailand. A day at the races in Bangkok may lack the the glamour of the Melbourne Cup, the prestige of the Epsom Derby or the money of the Dubai World Cup, but it does provide an afternoon of

Dress regulations

When I visited the stands at the RTC there didn’t seem to be any dress regulations in place. Most of the men were wearing typical Bangkok dress of long trousers, short-sleeve shirts and flip-flops. I was wearing a polo shirt, casual long trousers and trainers/sneakers. I’ve since read that there are dress regulations in place for the more expensive parts of the stand at the RBSC (i.e. no shorts, t-shirts or flip-flops) so keep that in mind if you do decide to go for an afternoon’s racing.

Dates for races

Races in Bangkok usually take place on a Sunday, with the venue alternating between the RTC and RBSC. Exact dates aren’t always easy to pin down so you will need to check local press when you are in Thailand or ask at your hotel or guest-house. Some of the big races in the calendar are the Chakri Cup in April, the Queens Cup in August and the Kings Cup in December.

Photos © Thaizer