Transportation around the cities and towns of Thailand is unusual. Taxis operate in major tourist destinations such as Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket but are rarely found elsewhere. Taxis are legally required to be metered in Bangkok. However, taxis found waiting outside superior hotels may refuse to use their meter and instead quote fixed prices, which tend to be about double the metered rate. Avoid these illegal fixed-rate taxis by walking down to the street and hailing an ordinary taxi.
Taxis in Chiang Mai, Phuket, and Koh Samui do not use meters but quote fixed rates for all destinations. It's best to ask for advice at your hotel front desk or check with several taxi drivers before committing to any lengthy taxi ride. Make sure you agree on the price in advance. Taxis are also available for hire on an hourly or full-day basis.
By Taxi
Thai Boxing (Muay Thai)
In most countries, boxing lies directly in the realm of sport, but in Thailand, muay Thai, or Thai boxing, infuses elements of art and ritual. The sport is a mixture of conventional boxing and eastern martial arts such as karate and tae kwon do. Opponents can use their fists, elbows, knees, and feet to batter their opponent in just about any part of the body where the opportunity avails itself.
Watching the sport, you will find it hard to believe that it could ever be more violent but it used to be. Up until the 1930s, the rules and regulations were few, and serious injuries were common among fighters, who also employed biting, scratching, strangling, and spitting in their repertoire. (The sport was banned in the 1920s and revived in the 1930s under new rules.)
Before the match begins, strident music erupts from a small orchestra in the stadium. The fighters enter the ring wearing a colored headband and an 
armband, which are regarded as sacred ornaments that offer blessing and protection. They kneel and perform a quick prayer, then -with the orchestra still playing- move into a mesmerizing boxing dance around the ring called the rom muay. The dance, performed with heavily exaggerated movements and in slow motion, is traditionally the participants’ way of paying respect to the trainer and the boxing school to which they belong.
After the rom muay, the headband is removed, but the armband, which contains a small Buddha amulet, is worn throughout the fight. The orchestra keeps on playing throughout the five three-minute rounds, with often frenzied crescendos rising and falling in tune with the action in the ring.
There are an estimated 60,000 muay Thai fighters in Thailand. Fights are held regularly at Lumphini Boxing Stadium and Ratchadamneon Stadiums in Bangkok and in towns and villages around the country.
