Archery in Bangkok: My Experience at Recurve Archery Club
If you're the type of person always looking for their next hobby or activity, archery is a good option, and yes, you can do archery in Bangkok!
I've never done proper archery before -- I'm not counting launching a bunch of fake arrows into a football field and wildly missing the target back in high school -- so it was really fun to give archery a try for the first time a few months ago in Bangkok.
There are a few archery ranges in Bangkok, but I gave it a shot (pardon the pun!) at Recurve Archery Club (RCA Club), beloved amongst archery fans in the city.
My Experience Trying Archery in Bangkok
As a first-time archer, I found the introductory course at RCA Club to be super helpful! The instructors were really kind -- even when I kept mixing up my left and my right and generally being hard to instruct -- and they provided valuable tips on aiming and stringing the bow, such as drawing the string until your fingers touch your chin and how to properly nock the arrow.
The way it works is that they have an "active" period where shooting is allowed -- about 180 seconds, or 3 minutes -- and then they have an equal pause of about 180 seconds while everyone retrieves their arrows safely and no one is allowed to cross the white line that demarcates the shooting area from the target area.
It started off pretty poorly for me, but i just one hour, I noticed a decent amount of improvement in my skills -- going from sailing past the target board entirely to getting close to hitting the target. Hey, baby steps, right?
However, considering the club's location is quite distant from where I live in Bangkok, I doubt I'll go back often unless friends of mine are really wanting to try it. Despite being a Sagittarius, archery is not my forte!
Nonetheless, it's an excellent option for a memorable date night (or better yet, a daytime date) or anyone seeking a distinctive experience in the city.
Location & Hours
Location: 209 Soi Ramkhamhaeng 21, Wang Thonglang, Bangkok 10310
Operating Hours: Monday to Friday: 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM; Saturday and Sunday: 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM.
Archery Costs
Introductory Course: For beginners, a one-hour session is mandatory. Luckily, the price is really fair: 450 baht (approximately $13.50 USD), which is all-inclusive, covering instruction, range, and equipment rental for 1 hour.
Range Access and Equipment Rental: For those with prior archery experience, access to the range is offered at 100 baht (approximately $3 USD), and equipment rental is also available at 200 baht (approximately $6 USD) including a beginner bow, arm guard, finger guard, and six arrows.
Coaching: One-time coaching sessions are available at 700 baht (approximately $21 USD) per hour.
Membership & Class Options
If you can't get enough archery, there are a few different options for a membership. The prices are as follows, paid:
- Monthly: 1,500 Thai Baht (approximately $45.00 USD).
- Quarterly: 3,900 Thai Baht (approximately $117.00 USD).
- Annually: 9,600 Thai Baht (approximately $288.00 USD).
Classes are also available! They're offered in a monthly course progression, with two sessions per week. Prices for one month of classes are 4,500 baht (approximately $135 USD), and you can choose between several different kinds of archery: recurve, compound, history, or barebow.
Don't ask me what the difference is -- I could never tell you!
