Sport & Recreation
Other than Muay Thai (Thai boxing), Thai's are hardly renowned for their sporting prowess. A quick look through the Olympic Games records will show very few Thai's winning any medals although there have been some over the years, most recently I believe was a bronze medal for weightlifting in the 2012 London Olympics.
Sports facilities are quite thin on the ground, as far as us ferang are concerned.
They have football of course (soccer to some), golf, fishing, ten pin bowling. There is a national football league which Udon Thani FC is part of. Although games are played in the evening it is still hot and humid so the pace of the game is a bit slower and tackling is not so common, it is more of a passing game until the ball gets near the penalty box. The Thailand national team have never qualified for the World Cup finals and probably never will in my honest opinion. As much as the Thai's love the game (especially watching the Premier League in England), they cannot match the skills levels of the better teams in the Oceania and Asia region.
We have a few 9 hole golf courses in Udon Thani (four that I am aware of) but do not expect too much from them as they are not championship standard, or anywhere near to be honest. All the same, they are golf courses and are okay if you want a round or two. The caddies, again are okay, but their English language skills are not always that good and their knowledge of the course is sometimes questionable too. There are many more courses around Khon Kaen and Nakhon Ratchasima.
Udon Thani has a 10 pin bowling alley, on the top floor of the central plaza shopping center. Air conditioned of course and cheap compared to European prices. It is normally possible to just walk in and play just about any time when they are open. I have played here a few times (being quite decent at the game in years gone by) and I have found the lanes to be 'dressed' with a decent quantity of oil, not too wet or dry. The only small drawback is the approaches, I find it hard to get any kind of 'slide' on the approach. This is not an issue for most people as they do not bowl 'properly' but if you do, you may also need to learn ton adapt so you do not stop suddenly on the approach.
The recreational facilities that I have seen are mainly in the form of paved reservoirs, where the general public can walk and relax but I am pretty sure you cannot ride a bicycle round them, which is actually a shame. There are some kids swing parks dotted around but you need to go out of your way to find most of them.
One really good thing that has come out of my time in Udon Thani, is that I have escaped the trap of relying on a car and I have reverted back to the mode of transport I used as a teenager - the humble push-bike. Go here to find out about cycling in Udon Thani.
Sports facilities are quite thin on the ground, as far as us ferang are concerned.
They have football of course (soccer to some), golf, fishing, ten pin bowling. There is a national football league which Udon Thani FC is part of. Although games are played in the evening it is still hot and humid so the pace of the game is a bit slower and tackling is not so common, it is more of a passing game until the ball gets near the penalty box. The Thailand national team have never qualified for the World Cup finals and probably never will in my honest opinion. As much as the Thai's love the game (especially watching the Premier League in England), they cannot match the skills levels of the better teams in the Oceania and Asia region.
We have a few 9 hole golf courses in Udon Thani (four that I am aware of) but do not expect too much from them as they are not championship standard, or anywhere near to be honest. All the same, they are golf courses and are okay if you want a round or two. The caddies, again are okay, but their English language skills are not always that good and their knowledge of the course is sometimes questionable too. There are many more courses around Khon Kaen and Nakhon Ratchasima.
Udon Thani has a 10 pin bowling alley, on the top floor of the central plaza shopping center. Air conditioned of course and cheap compared to European prices. It is normally possible to just walk in and play just about any time when they are open. I have played here a few times (being quite decent at the game in years gone by) and I have found the lanes to be 'dressed' with a decent quantity of oil, not too wet or dry. The only small drawback is the approaches, I find it hard to get any kind of 'slide' on the approach. This is not an issue for most people as they do not bowl 'properly' but if you do, you may also need to learn ton adapt so you do not stop suddenly on the approach.
The recreational facilities that I have seen are mainly in the form of paved reservoirs, where the general public can walk and relax but I am pretty sure you cannot ride a bicycle round them, which is actually a shame. There are some kids swing parks dotted around but you need to go out of your way to find most of them.
One really good thing that has come out of my time in Udon Thani, is that I have escaped the trap of relying on a car and I have reverted back to the mode of transport I used as a teenager - the humble push-bike. Go here to find out about cycling in Udon Thani.