A couple questions about Thailand

[Skyline]

I'm planning a trip in roughly one month's time (in June) and I figured this would be a good place to ask a few questions.

First, I know June is the "rainy season" in Thailand. How bad exactly is rainy season? Does it rain the entire day, or just a couple of hours here and there? Will it be an issue (in any respect) with training at a gym?

Second, is it feasible to play the trip by ear if you have enough cash? Since this part of the year is slow for tourism, will I be alright with showing up at a gym with no notice?

Third, if anyone has had any exceptional experiences with gyms (not too resort-like, more hardcore training-oriented, and not too-too expensive) feel free to share.

 

[Ryukyu Damashi]

I went last year June-August and it rained every day. But only for about 10-30 minutes at a time, then it cleared up and was sunny again.

You don't need to tell the gym you are coming.

I trained at Sor.Vorapin, Kaewsamit, Fairtex Pattaya, and Sinbi gym.

I would rate Keawsamrit the most hardcore. No much to do other than train, and they train hard. There are always great people to train with. Make sure you are in top shape before you get there, they don't mess around at all.

Fairtex has great instruction but Pattaya is a bit too much.

Sor.Vorapin is a complete shithole and waste of time. They give you busy work and don't teach you a thing. The Bangkok smog and the dirty hippy backpackers will drive you insain.

Sinbi in Phuket has the best balance of all. The training can be very intense, the instruction is great, the air is very clean, the best beach in Phuket is 2 k away, and it is very far away from the smut. You can train hard and find great things to do in your spare time.

 

[Skyline]

I went last year June-August and it rained every day. But only for about 10-30 minutes at a time, then it cleared up and was sunny again.

You don't need to tell the gym you are coming.

I trained at Sor.Vorapin, Kaewsamit, Fairtex Pattaya, and Sinbi gym.

I would rate Keawsamrit the most hardcore. No much to do other than train, and they train hard. There are always great people to train with. Make sure you are in top shape before you get there, they don't mess around at all.

Fairtex has great instruction but Pattaya is a bit too much.

Sor.Vorapin is a complete shithole and waste of time. They give you busy work and don't teach you a thing. The Bangkok smog and the dirty hippy backpackers will drive you insain.

Sinbi in Phuket has the best balance of all. The training can be very intense, the instruction is great, the air is very clean, the best beach in Phuket is 2 k away, and it is very far away from the smut. You can train hard and find great things to do in your spare time.

Thanks for the help, I really appreciate it. I've heard decent things about Sinbi gym, and some mixed reactions about Fairtex. I'd like to know, what is the price difference between the two? Also.. have you ever heard about this place? Muay Thai & Thai Boxing , Phuket , Thailand - By Best Muay Thai It comes up pretty often on search engines, I was wondering what it was like. The prices seem really good.

 

[Ryukyu Damashi]

Suwit is pretty run down and far away from the beach. The training might be good, but the location sucks.

The problem with Fairtex Pattaya is that it's in Pattaya. Don't get me wrong, it is a very fun place. I just get sick of seeing nasty 60 yr old Germans walking around with 17 yr old Thai girls.

Here is the real deal about tourist gyms. Every gym that accepts westerners is a tourist gym to some degree. The difference is what they produce and who is going to their camp.

Kaewsamrit was rated the best gym in Thailand a few years ago. They have a huge list of Thai stadium champs training side by side with tourists.

At Fairtex Pattaya, the Thai fighters do most of their real training during seperate times and have a few fighters do a light work out when the tourists are there.

At Sinbi you might be training with active K-1 fighters from Korea and Japan or top European Muay Thai fighters.

Fairtex Pattaya is 800 baht a day for training only. (stay next door to the Fairtex resort, it only 600 baht a night)

Sinbi is 500 baht a day or 250 baht per session. (stay down the rd at Green Valley Resort, it's around 500 baht a day)

Kaewsamrit is 400 baht a session, but offer discounts if you stay at the camp.

Sor.Vorapin was 500 baht a session and was a rip off!

 

[Payak]

The Rain is Bad but the weather is still very hot so it will be a relief when it rains.

 

[technician79]

Suwit is pretty run down and far away from the beach. The training might be good, but the location sucks.

The problem with Fairtex Pattaya is that it's in Pattaya. Don't get me wrong, it is a very fun place. I just get sick of seeing nasty 60 yr old Germans walking around with 17 yr old Thai girls.

Here is the real deal about tourist gyms. Every gym that accepts westerners is a tourist gym to some degree. The difference is what they produce and who is going to their camp.

Kaewsamrit was rated the best gym in Thailand a few years ago. They have a huge list of Thai stadium champs training side by side with tourists.

At Fairtex Pattaya, the Thai fighters do most of their real training during seperate times and have a few fighters do a light work out when the tourists are there.

At Sinbi you might be training with active K-1 fighters from Korea and Japan or top European Muay Thai fighters.

Fairtex Pattaya is 800 baht a day for training only. (stay next door to the Fairtex resort, it only 600 baht a night)

Sinbi is 500 baht a day or 250 baht per session. (stay down the rd at Green Valley Resort, it's around 500 baht a day)

Kaewsamrit is 400 baht a session, but offer discounts if you stay at the camp.

Sor.Vorapin was 500 baht a session and was a rip off!

hi ryukyu. at fairtex, is it 800baht for training twice a day? if it is, do you know how much it is for once a day? and do you happen to know the name of the hotel next to the fairtex resort that is 600baht? thanks.

 

[Ryukyu Damashi]

I think it is 800 for two sessions.

Peace Resort Hotel, to the left when facing the front entrance of Fairtex.

 

[millasur]

Sorry for the hijack, just adding a question on to your post:

Will b in thailand travelling with my gf in a couple of months. We'll only be in thailand for a couple of weeks, so I'm figuring I can't raelly train, and wil hav to come bk to do it. Is it worth doing a day or two of training? Or is it frankly pointless to just train fo ra day and I won't get any real training because the thais will jus think I'm a stupid farang who wants to see what it's like lol. (if you know wat i mean.)

 

[indigoluxe]

I trained for only 4 days at Keatkhamtorn in BKK, and they were very inclusive, gave me plenty of attention. Next time I'm going back for 2 months...

 

[Ryukyu Damashi]

Sorry for the hijack, just adding a question on to your post:

Will b in thailand travelling with my gf in a couple of months. We'll only be in thailand for a couple of weeks, so I'm figuring I can't raelly train, and wil hav to come bk to do it. Is it worth doing a day or two of training? Or is it frankly pointless to just train fo ra day and I won't get any real training because the thais will jus think I'm a stupid farang who wants to see what it's like lol. (if you know wat i mean.)

I was only at Fairtex Pattaya for 4 days...that's all I could handle of Pattaya! I learned a couple of new clinching tricks that made it well worth it. If you can only train a few times, take a private with a trainer, go with specific questions, and tip them well. You will learn something new. Their depth of knowledge is incredible.

Where in Thailand are you going to be?

 

[millasur]

I was only at Fairtex Pattaya for 4 days...that's all I could handle of Pattaya! I learned a couple of new clinching tricks that made it well worth it. If you can only train a few times, take a private with a trainer, go with specific questions, and tip them well. You will learn something new. Their depth of knowledge is incredible.

Where in Thailand are you going to be?

I completely apologise for my lack of brain usage, if this was real life id tell you to punch me in the head lol - That is really pretty obvious and should of been my plan all along - I'll try (lol) and explain that I'm travelling and only stopping in places for a little while, and if I can do a private training session or two it would be well worth it. Totally didn't cross my mind to fix up a private lesson, and I have a fair few quetsions as I've only been able to work (mainly) on my boxing, and stuff like clinch work could do with a lot of refining if not re-training lol.

Is it possible to do say 'just' a morning session privately or evenign session privately? I'm not sure taking a whole day out would be possible unless the gf finds a mecca of shops or someting :\ haha.

Flying into Bangkok, giong to Koh Sumai (sp?), Koh Phangan and Phuket.

Did you just turn up and b like "hey, I'm here to train" lol. It seems strange to me but that must happen a lot for them. Also, I'm half chinese so my coach said it might b a little tougher than normal out there as well. Ever seen any chinese guys at the camps lol?! cheers.

 

[millasur]

Grrrrrrrrrrrrr.

 

[TapSD]

I loved Fairtex Pattaya but this was before they built the massive hotel/sports center....Love Kaewsamrit even more...Ive been there in July 2 times and it rains but nothing you can't handle...Even though my room at Kaewsamrit flooded once...Protect your feet while your there is one bit of advice i can give and if your serious about training go to the Bangkok camps as most of the pattaya camps are right on the beach and there are many distractions

 

[Ryukyu Damashi]

The rain is nice... It cleans out the smog from the air.

I went with a guy who is half East Indian and half Japanese. He got a ton of attention from the trainers. He looks like a huge Thai and they loved teaching him. Being half chinese will be no problem. Many Thai's have chinese blood, the owner of Fairtex is Chinese...

TapSD is right, bring some wrestling shoes just incase you rip you feet up. You don't want to miss any training.

You can train anytime through out the day if you are doing a private. Just tell them what time. The trainers are always eager to earn extra Baht

 

[ULLMONKEY]

dont worry too much before you go there are plenty off camps, just make a short list and see which one you like the most and take it from there.

ive been to thailand 5 times now, rawai, sor.vorapin and sinbi x3

sinbi was by far the best, clean air, etc and great training, if anyone thinks that training in phuket is easy try living with the koreans there, 12 k every morning and 6 again in the afty soon takes its toll.

also if you speak to the trainers you can get privates very cheap, 1500 B for 6 1 hour sessions.

im going back next month for 5-6 weeks, not sure where

 

[Payak]

I spent a Month at Fairtex Bang Phli.
Great camp, I have no complaints.

 

[millasur]

Sorry about the repetaed posts, duno wat was goin on :\ gremlins as it is in the radio world.

Yea im dion a short list of camps, as I said I'll be travelling in thailand to Bangkok, koh sumai and koh phangan, not sure any other places will even get touched upon so gota find a camp in those areas, and organise a private session or two around the other things we'll be doing. I'm interested i getting some tips and technique refinement, I can run for free at home if i wud ever want to lol. it's good cos then I can train a little without doin a proper morning or afternoon thing, as I said I'm travelling with the gf so the distractions etc will not be there lol, well b tryina get thru thailand into malaysia...

As such, not too botherd about individual tings, I jus plan to go in, speak to a trainer, say i got recommended to come here etc (likelihood is thisll be true lol),and do a session or two when I can Cheers

 

[CanadianMMAFann]

Im just wondering.... how long were you guys training before u went to Thailand your first time? It would be cool to go but i don't want to look like an idiot... lol : )

 

[Ryukyu Damashi]

Don't sweat that at all. No matter how good you are, there is always a 12 year old Thai kid from Isaan that makes you like like a total beginner...

 

[CanadianMMAFann]

Ya thats true. Im not the best/ most experienced guy but it would be such an amazing experience. But i was just curious how long people trained before they went.