12 Week Fight Camp in Thailand - Muay Thai and MMA

[caffeinetrip]

I just got done with my 5th fight here in Thailand and am loving my decision to come here to train. I spent 4 months at Tiger Muay Thai when Ray Elbe was still there, moved over to Phuket Top Team for another 4 months and now I'm up in Chiang Mai focusing just on Muay Thai.

Each gym and place in Thailand has it's pros and cons, but overall, I was quite lucky to have chosen some good gyms.

Best of luck to everyone who is thinking about coming out to Thailand to train for a few weeks or more. The best time to come is as soon as possible, something will always come up, either time or money. Make the move, no one comes to Thailand and regrets not staying at their boring ass job in the cold ass winter. Trust me.

If you want some inspiration read the book "12 Weeks in Thailand: The Good Life on the Cheap" on Amazon.com

It'll kick you in the ass and make you want to come to Thailand ASAP. The author trained at tons of Muay Thai gyms throughout Thailand and writes in detail about each one.

 

[Ryukyu Damashi]

Have you trained at any Thai camps, or just the tourist camps?

 

[caffeinetrip]

I've trained at 13 Coins in Bangkok and I'm currently at KC Muay Thai in Chiang Mai, both are more Thai gyms.

 

[Eric Bradach]

The best time to come is as soon as possible, something will always come up, either time or money. Make the move, no one comes to Thailand and regrets not staying at their boring ass job in the cold ass winter.

Good advice. I always see people putting off coming to Thailand, saying they're waiting for the right time and that right time never comes. Or even worse the people putting off training all together, saying they want to make sure they're "ready" and "in shape" for muay thai. Well the truth is the only way to be ready and in shape for muay thai is by training muay thai.

 

[Ryukyu Damashi]

I going on my 10th trip to Thailand in a few months. I'd guess I have spent $25,000 over the years. I wouldn't trade it for anything. Though I wish I would have visited the authentic Thai gyms sooner and not spent so much time at the farang gyms. Not that the training is bad at the farang gyms, it just doesn't give you the real understanding of what Muay Thai really is.

 

[caffeinetrip]

Good advice. I always see people putting off coming to Thailand, saying they're waiting for the right time and that right time never comes. Or even worse the people putting off training all together, saying they want to make sure they're "ready" and "in shape" for muay thai. Well the truth is the only way to be ready and in shape for muay thai is by training muay thai.

I agree, although it's good to have basic cardio before coming to Thailand, the longer someone stays at home, usually the worse shape they get into. Even people that feel fit when they come, often realize quickly how intense the training in Thailand is compared to home. Mainly because when you're here, your full time job is to train, eat and sleep. Back home you have a real full time job and try to squeeze 1 hour into training a few times a week.

Ryukyu, I'm also glad I'm at a more Thai style camp now, but honestly, I'm glad I spent my first two trips at more touristy gyms, I made some really good friends at those and it was an easy adjustment to life in Thailand. I don't know if I would have been bored to death if I came straight away to a Thai gym. My time at Tiger Muay Thai and Phuket Top Team was awesome but now I'm really enjoying being at a Thai gym.

 

[Ryukyu Damashi]

By Thai camp I mean no other farang.

 

[Frode Falch]

its kinda hard to find good camps with NO other farrangs at all.

 

[GoatyP]

This no farang thing reminds me of what Williamsburg, Brooklyn used to be like. Damn hipsters.

 

[Samkor]

its kinda hard to find good camps with NO other farrangs at all.

Not really man.
Watch the fights at Lumpinee, Raja, Channel 7 etc.
Their last names are usually the names of the gyms they train at.
Those gyms aren't usually the gyms at the top of Google marketing to foreigners.

 

[caffeinetrip]

There are pros and cons to going to an all Thai gym, and if you've been to Thailand a few times and have trained at other gyms, then it could be a very good experience to train at a gym with no other westerners.

However, I often meet guys who can't even speak a word of Thai that want to train at an authentic Thai gym. That's just fucking stupid and it'll be annoying as shit to the Thai guys at their gym. GoatyP, said it best that's a hipster mindset.

At the end of the day, as long as you come and train literally anywhere, even at the worst gym in Thailand you'll still be 1,000x better off than sitting at home researching what the best or most authentic gym is. Buy your plane ticket and figure it out along the way.