Despite baseball being wildly popular in East Asian countries (Japan, Korea, parts of China) Southeast Asia is almost void of all things baseball, especially in Thailand.
Geographically speaking, the odds are against baseball thriving in the region due to the hot and humid weather (people nowadays much prefer to remain indoors and out of the sun) and rain often starts falling without warning. In Thailand, there’s a long list of other more popular sports, namely Muay Thai, football (soccer), takraw, badminton, and volleyball, as a new wave of basketball enthusiasm emerges. And we cannot forget basketball’s distant Thai-inspired cousin, “chair-ball.” Thailand doesn’t have too many strong baseball connections maybe except for the retired American-Thai ball player, Johnny Damon.
Despite all that, in Bangkok there is one place to go when you’re deprived of baseball. In the Thonglor area of Bangkok, mostly known for its higher-end nightclubs, there is a Japanese working community that longs for yakyu. This is the Bangkok Batting Center.
It is just a batting cage for some, but for the rest of us who dearly miss the game, this place is a ticket down memory lane. Down a small soi in a quiet neighborhood next to a Singapore international school, you can roll up and park right next to the cages.
You will notice the yellow sign with a silhouette of Ichiro’s signature batter’s box routine. Holding the bat out with his lead hand while slightly tugging his shoulder sleeve. Anyone who’s ever watched Ichiro’s brilliance will appreciate the nod.
There are 5 machines ranging in speed from 80-130 km/hr (or 50-80 mph or us Americans). The machines are the old-school type machines, and you can adjust the height but don’t expect it to be perfect for each ball. The balls are the rubber type that used to be common in Japan. So the balls give a lot and you really need to drive the bat (generic bats available) through the zone for sharp contact. Not great for oppo slap hitters like me, but still fun for those of us who hung up our cleats years ago.
Pricing wise, you get 25 balls for a round that cost 100 baht.
Or better yet you can buy the coupon card which costs 1000 baht for 15 rounds. Definitely worth it for someone living long term in Bangkok, or those coming in a group. The card explicitly states “No expire date.”
The batting cages don’t have real batting gloves, but there are cotton gloves available. Probably better to go barehanded or bring your own.
Although it’s not real baseball, it is a great place to get some cuts and quench your baseball thirst.
It’s a great place to take your Thai friends, as most of them probably have never gone before and it’s fun having people try new things.