CHATTHANAYONGPHAKDI 1

Natthapat Pond Chatthanayongphakdi

Ms. Orana Meenongwha

English 10/10:04

May 25, 2017

Popular Sports in Thailand and America

Introduction

There are many activities for people to do when they have free time. The main goal to
find and spend time on their favorite hobbies is definitely to relax from what they face in
daily life. Some people go out and have party with their friends. Some people spend their
time reading or watching a movie. While some people choose to do gardening as a hobby,
others choose to spend time on new technology and gadgets instead. However, one of the
most popular hobbies that people think of when they have free time is playing sports. Many
people choose to play sport to make them feel fresh and stay healthy. In each country, they
have different sports that are popular and overcoming other sports. Climate and culture
maybe a reason leading to difference in how popular each sport is in each country. For
example, in Thailand there are two sports which are very popular and outstanding from others
which are volleyball and football. These two sports are the most popular indoor and outdoor
sport in Thailand. As the football match on 7 August 2011 between Buribum FC and Songkla
FC have the most audience of all time in Thai league of 36,715 people in the stadium.
Moreover, Thai women volleyball is one of the best team in the world and in 2016 we win the
AVC cup end at the first place 3-0 set against Korea. However, in America, America
basketball and American football. Basketball are the most famous league in the country that
every basketball players want to play in the league which is called the NBA. In 2016, over
20.2 million people were watching the NBA Finals game in the United states. In another
hand, American football is the national sport of American and over 115 million people in
America is the fan of the NFL the biggest American football league in America. Therefore,
this research paper aims to provide reasons and factors that affect popularity of the sports in
these two countries and why different sports are popular in these two countries.

Climate effects choice of sport

In different country, some sports are more popular than other sports such as Thailand.
In Thailand volleyball and football are very popular comparing to America which volleyball
and football are not as popular as American football and basketball. Climate is one of the
reasonable reasons for people to choose playing sports. The Earth have equator line which
countries that are near to the equator line will be hotter. Thailand have less seasons than the
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countries that are near to the north pole and the south pole. Country that are further from the
equator line the climate of the country will be colder and colder. As the climate of each
country is not the same sports that people choose to play is changed from this reason.
Thailand is one of the country that is located near the equator of the Earth. In Thailand, there
are three seasons rainy season, summer and winter. In summer Thailand is extremely hotter
than other seasons the temperature can be over 35 degree Celsius according to Amazing
Thailand. In rainy season, it rains nearly every day and most time rainfall it is at its heaviest.
In winter, the central and south doesnt give any feeling that it is winter only in the northern
of Thailand is cold and all over the country is dry. As you see, most of the time Thailand is
hot on most part of the country this may make football and volleyball as the best choice that
people choose to play. In football, there are many substitute and there are eleven players in
each team. Each player in the team have the role to play as back, center and forward. This
may help people to use less energy playing football. Using less energy makes the body to
burn less energy from the process cellular respiration according to BBC. So, the body wont
be extremely hot this may make players fainted while playing football. In Volleyball, it is
played indoor with air condition to keep players cool. In other hand, America is a very big
country with many kinds of weather. However, most time in America the temperature is cold
even when it is summer the weather is not too hot to play sports. American football and
basketball is very famous in America as most of the people in America knows how to play
both of the sports and every college have their own basketball and American football team.
American football is the sports that use many energy because every player has to run all the
time that they are in the field and they have to strike on each other to put the opponent to the
ground. As the weather in America is cold it helps players that play American football feel
cooler when they are playing and it help them to feel less tired. Basketball have also the same
reasons as the American that people choose to play. Although, basketball have a smaller court
and only five players per team. Although, there are only 12 minutes per quarter but, player
have to run and jump to shoot the ball all the time cooler temperature would help players to
cool down their body temperature. Differences in weather may make people in different
country choose to play different sports.

Culture effects choice of sport

Culture is the way of life and the belief that is passed through generations of people in
a group of people. Each country, there is differences in culture and traditional way of life. In
modern day, the way that people live, eats and play also came from culture. Culture is like the
key of life style of people and it is parts of people dairy life. In sports, culture have the
influence in the sports that people are choosing to play in different country. Since, life style of
people make different people likes different sports. Thailand, which football and volleyball
are very popular in all parts of the country. Culture may be the reasons why people in
Thailand choose to play football and volleyball. Since, in Thailand people have the culture of
collectivism according to uOttawa, that people use to spend times together Sepak Takraw a
very popular sport in the past in many local people and old peoples. Although, now a day
Sepak Takraw in Thailand are not played in many groups of people since Thailand have
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received cultures in sports from many country. Sepak Takraw is very similar to volleyball
due to Asian inspiration but differs from it in its use of the woven ball, and allowing players
to use their knees, feet, head and chest to touch the ball. Moreover, Sepak Takraw also has
some similarity with football in allowing similar parts of the body to touch the ball and using
foot to kick the ball. In other hand, sports in America is a very important part of the culture
according to the revenue of sports in modern day. The American have the attitude toward
sports taking it very serious. In America there is six school that mainly focus on sports.
American football is based on football from the Britain one of the main country that start
living in America. In American football rules have been changed from football. For example,
instead of using foot to kick the ball and hand is not allowed to using hand to travel the ball
across the field which clearly represented America. Basketball another popular sport in
America was invented in 1891 by Dr. James Naismith. Basketball has been invented to play
as an indoor sport for the winter especially in urban areas where space is limited. As time
passed, in 2001 more than 46% of Americans are a big fan of basketball. Many kids grow up
playing in their neighborhood court, on private traveling teams, representing their schools.

Physical Appearance effects choice of sport

There are many kinds of people around the world. In each parts of the world, people
are difference in size and in many physical properties. There are basically three main kinds of
human races around the world which are Caucasian, Mongoloid, Negroid (How many major
races are there in the world, 2011). Caucasian is mostly like people in the western part of the
earth the which is actually the European family. The Caucasian physical appearance is they
are white, have long head, long leg and big body. Caucasian are now all over the world
example in the USA, Australia and most of the country in Europe. Mongoloid are people in
Asia which will have yellow-brow color skin, short to moderate high. Example of country, is
Thailand, China, Korea and Japan. Negroid mostly live in many parts of America and most
country in Africa. Negroid are people with light brown, dark brown and until black skin tone
which the height of people is from very short to very tall also there is people from skinny to
big body size. Negroid came from Africa to America as a slave but now the slave system is
canceled so many Americans are Negroid. Differences in physical appearances in each
country maybe one of the reason why people in each country play different sports. In
Thailand, most people are from Mongoloid race which will not be so tall and not have a very
big body. This can be the reason why most people choose to play football and volleyball. In
football height is not important you can be 160cm tall and have a very small body like J
Chanathip Songkrasin. A very famous football player in Thailand that play for one of the best
Thai league team. Although, volleyball is the sport that have to jump and the taller the better
however, the net is only 224cm tall having good jumping skills can help more than being tall.
On the flip side, in America people are most Caucasian and Negroid which most people are
tall and have a big body. Basketball which need the strength to contacts each other and need
the height to dunk (name of the basketball type of making score) the basketball in the basket.
Moreover, most people that play basketball in America is a job is more than 190cm tall which
Americans meet the requirement of the sport. Comparing to Thailand, Thai people are very
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short and have small body playing basketball wouldnt be the most enjoyable sports for Thai
people. Another popular sport in America is the American football. American football is the
sport that have to use many strength and need to have a very big body and powerful legs to
push the opponent and stop the movement of the opposite team. In this case, there is no
dispute that why American people choose to play basketball and American football. In the
same way that why Thai people choose playing football and volleyball instead of playing
basketball and American football.

Conclusion

In conclusion, each country has different popular sport. In this research, America and
Thailand are compared since, there is many differences in between these two country. In
Thailand, the sports that are very popular is volleyball and football. In America, American
football and basketball are very popular these are the two most watched sport in American.
There could be many reason why people in these two country choose to play sports that are
different. Three most reasonable reasons were climate, culture and physical appearance. In
Thailand, the climate is very hot all year long in most of the part makes people that play
sports get extremely hot. According to, when our body use energy our body burn food and
release heat. In America, most of the part are quite cold using the same amount of energy may
make them cool down faster and make them less tired. Culture, each country actually has
different culture and life style. For example, in Thailand there was a sport named Sepak
Takraw that is similar with volleyball but, instead of using hand they use their legs like
football. In the way of physical appearance, Thailand people are Mongoloid race which most
people have short body and legs that mean most people are not tall in Thailand. In opposite,
Americans are mostly Negroid and Caucasian races these two race have big body and long
legs. Playing sport that dont have to use height and body size is the choice for Thai people.
In another hand, it maybe the best type of sports for Americans that fits their physical
appearance. Lastly, having different popular sport in each country is good since, people have
more choice of sports to play. Playing any sports can make people strong and healthy not
only the sport that are popular sometime we have to play some old fashion sport to retain our
old cultural way of life.
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Reference

BBC. (n.d.). Cellular respiration. Retrieved February 24, 2017, from

http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/guides/z2vbb9q/revision

Amazing Thailand. (n.d.). Weather. Retrieved February 24, 2017, from

https://www.tourismthailand.org/About-Thailand/Weather

Asian inspiration. (n.d.). 5 Traditional Thai Sports.

Retrieved February 24, 2017, fromhttps://asianinspirations.com.au/asian-culture/5-

traditional-thai-sports/

Catalina Logan. (2015, June 18). The Effects of the Game of Basketball on America.

Retrieved February 24, 2017 from.http://www.livestrong.com/article/343861-the-

effects-of-the-game-of-basketball-on-america/

uOttawa. (2014, August7). Cultural Types. Retrieved February 24,2017, from

https://www.med.uottawa.ca/sim/data/Culture_Types_e.htm

World-Mysteries. (2011, February 18). How many major races are there in the world?

Retrieved February 24, 2017, from http://blog.world-mysteries.com/science/how-

many-major-races-are-there-in-the-world/
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Appendix