Muay Thai Gym Q&A

Superb thread.

I have question to all those who have been for a long(- MORE THE 6 MONTHS) stay in Thailand. - Which gym helped you with student letter application and should stay at the same gym all the time?

I have written an e-mail to one gym about student letter application but haven't yet got any respond.

I want to train different gyms under a long term student visa. Maybe over 6 months staying 3 different gyms.

Thanks for help.

Gyms that are recognized by the ministry of education are qualified to give you a student visa, but my guess is most gyms are only going to want to go to the trouble if you are planning on staying at their gym long term. They might not want to do it if you are planning on staying 2 months and than going to different gyms. What country are you from? you can probably get a double entry tourist visa (6 month visa), or a single (3 months) and than go and grab another tourist visa in laos or cambodia and stay another 3 months. This is very common and not difficult to acquire. I would only worry about a student visa if you are planning on staying a year or more.
 
Location: We are located in a quiet Bangkok neighborhood off of Rama 9, about 20 minutes from Suvarnabhumi airport. In the area we have several small stores that sell essentials (family run seven eleven type stores), a hospital within walking distance with a food court, au bon pain, juice bar, salon, pharmacy and a family mart convenience store open 24 hours, and plenty of cheap street food. We arent far from downtown and we have taxi meters at the hotel available 24 hours.

How to get there: our address is 37,37/1-3, 39 Praram 9 Soi 57 (Visetsuk 3),
Suanluang Bangkok, Thailand. The easiest way to arrange transportation is to email us or call us at 0869021313 (+66869021313 if you are calling us internationally) or 0852180706 (+66852180706 if you are calling us internationally) and arrange us to pick you up, if you are staying for atleast a week airport transportation is free roundtrip. Most taxi drivers will understand 13 coins Pa Ram 9, but we would prefer you call us and have us talk to the taxi drivers as we have 9 hotels and 16 restaurants and Bangkok taxi drivers love to play dumb, they "get lost" or take you to the wrong branch (as they will with any camp in Bangkok, no matter what camp your going to in Thailand, watch out for taxi drivers, don't pay 1,000 baht at the airport to reach your hotel in Bangkok).

Training: We follow a typical thai reutine, training twice a day, monday through saturday, 7-10 in the morning and 4-7 in the evening. We do a longer run in the morning, and more padwork/clinching in the afternoons but both sessions are essentially the same.

Accommodation: Guests usually stay at the 13 coins Airport Grand Resort where the gym is located. So we offer hotel style accommodation (private room with cable tv, air con, room cleaning and laundry service, pool and snooker tables, ping pong, 24 hour restaurant/room service, free internet and WIFI, etc.)

Trainers: Saenchai's trainers Dja and Son are here, aswell as Orono Por Muang Ubon, as well as one other trainer (Cha) and one trainer for the young/female boxers. They are all amazing, I would say Orono is the best to work with for beginners, and Dja/Son for the advanced boxers.

Check out our website for more information: www.drsaenchaimuaythai.com

Wow, place looks great. A little bit more expensive due to the nice accomodation, but looks like it'd be worth it!
 
can we get some chiang mai gym reviews up in here?
i know they are quite popular and theres tons of info on them around but i would like to hear from someone who has trained there... thanks

btw great job cali!!!
 
I can't take all the credit and I'm not trying to. Others are posting reviews as well.

Where are you from in the northwest GBlutador?
 
can we get some chiang mai gym reviews up in here?
i know they are quite popular and theres tons of info on them around but i would like to hear from someone who has trained there... thanks

btw great job cali!!!

Name: Chayyai Gym

Location: a quiet neighborhood in Chiang Mai (outside of the city a little ways), not much to do out there, I remember a bowling alley being nearby, cheap restaurant with good thai food across from the gym, convenience stores, street food, but I stayed in the city and they picked me up everyday for training (for free), so it was really convenient. Staying out by the gym is good if you dont want any distractions and want to train hard, if you want a little bit of a holiday aswell you can stay in the city.

Training: To be honest I only trained in the afternoons, but I was told not alot of people go in the morning, so you almost get a trainer to yourself the entire session, but I cant verify that as I never trained in the morning. The afternoon session can get busy, but the training is great. The trainers are GREAT at working with technique, if your a beginner I highly recommend Chayyai (good for advanced students aswell, but especially for beginners). You run as much as you want, than jump rope, shadow box, hit the bags and wait to be called into the ring. They work both muay thai and boxing/focus mitt work with the guests, and you spar both muay thai and boxing about 3 times a week. After pad/mittwork we clinch for a while, you start out clinching with foreigners, but eventually I moved onto clinching with the thais mostly (once your good enough). If your training for a fight this is followed by lots of knees and kicks on the bags, and some sprinting.

Trainers: Theyve got some great trainers, Boon, Chelsea, Kru Yoi, the twins, and they all have slightly different styles. They definitely payed great attention to detail though, if I did something wrong they stopped me everytime, it was frustrating at first but by the end of my time there my skills had improved drastically.

The Fighters: No big names anymore, Tee Lek and Attachai used to be there, but now just the trainers and a few thai boys. Dont get me wrong there were some great fighters, but no legends, no Lumpinee and Rajadamnern champs. There also some foreigners who fight regularly for the gym.

Accommodation: I stayed in an apartment in the city, it was 7,000 baht per month plus utilities for a great location, one big room with table with chairs, couch and cumfy chairs, cable tv, seperate bathroom, kitchen, seperate big bedroom, (so 4 rooms, 2 air conditioners), it was ridiculous, but you can get cheaper accomodation by the gym (about 3,000 baht) with everything you need (bed, bathroom, air con, cable tv)

How to get there: Im not really sure, they always picked me up outside of Thapae stadium which is right by the thapae gate, any tuk tuk driver will know how to get to Chayyai gym though.

Website: www.muaythaicamps.com (note: there website is old, theres no BJJ)

In conclusion: A great place to work on your basics, wether you are working from the ground up or already have a solid base, they will fine tune your technique. I would say more focused on technique than cardio to be honest.
 
Gyms that are recognized by the ministry of education are qualified to give you a student visa, but my guess is most gyms are only going to want to go to the trouble if you are planning on staying at their gym long term. They might not want to do it if you are planning on staying 2 months and than going to different gyms. What country are you from? you can probably get a double entry tourist visa (6 month visa), or a single (3 months) and than go and grab another tourist visa in laos or cambodia and stay another 3 months. This is very common and not difficult to acquire. I would only worry about a student visa if you are planning on staying a year or more.

Thanx for reply.

I live in Denmark and the visa rules are almost like you stated, so I will be heading Thailand soon.
 
Thanx for reply.

I live in Denmark and the visa rules are almost like you stated, so I will be heading Thailand soon.

how was the rules? i will be applying to stay there for a year. for how long did you apply, BTW i am norwegian.
 
thanks for the chay yai review it was really well put. i am between lanna and chay yai. i plan on staying in the city and was leaning towards lanna but if they pick me up that would be epic! im also a beginner so its nice to know they caiter to that.
 
thanks for the chay yai review it was really well put. i am between lanna and chay yai. i plan on staying in the city and was leaning towards lanna but if they pick me up that would be epic! im also a beginner so its nice to know they caiter to that.

I have never trained at Lanna so I can't say anything about them personally, but I would suggest checking out both gyms as there were a few people who switched from Lanna to Chayyai that I knew. From what I gathered Lanna was better for conditioning, and Chayyai better for technique, but thats just what I heard.
 
no more posts in this tread, i found this to be very valiueble and helpful:rolleyes:
 
I know this is a long shot but I'm going to Morocco in the middle of November and can't seem to find any Muay Thai school information on the net. Any help? Also if there happens to be a fight/tournament that I could watch there, that'd be awesome.
 
brilliant thread a great help. i'll be going back to thailand around jan time and i'm looking for a gym to get some good training in.

saenchai, is this the 13 coins gym that kingstar trains at? it seems really expensive, well the accommodation anyway. is there anywhere else very close by you can stay cheaper??

also has anyone trained at wmc in samui? no prices etc on the website if anyone can find them that would be great.
 
brilliant thread a great help. i'll be going back to thailand around jan time and i'm looking for a gym to get some good training in.

saenchai, is this the 13 coins gym that kingstar trains at? it seems really expensive, well the accommodation anyway. is there anywhere else very close by you can stay cheaper??

also has anyone trained at wmc in samui? no prices etc on the website if anyone can find them that would be great.

Yes its the gym that Saenchai Sor Kingstar trains at,

Hey I'll take this post as an opportunity to let you guys know we are building a brand new gym here, I'll post some pics when its done, and it includes treehouse style accommodation above the gym for those who really want to train hard (your going to get woken up for training wether you like it or not), for maybe about 3,000 baht per month I'm not sure I will let you guys know the price when the gym is finished and my boss gives me the go ahead to post the amount. So with training and accommodation thats 13,000 baht per month, weve got cheap streetfood nearby for 30 baht a meal (Im going to talk to my boss about a thai food meal plan aswell similar to other camps), so soon we will be able to accommodate our budget guests aswell as provide the kind of atmosphere that REALLY motivates you to train. I imagine it will be completed within a month but Im not 100% sure, also feel free to email me about cheap apartments near the gym and I will go and check on availability (I know they are there, its just a question of how many rooms they have).

Also it may seem expensive compared to gyms in other parts of Thailand, but its really not bad compared to gyms in Bangkok, Kaewsamrit is 1,000 baht per day, and Keatkhamtorn is 1,200 baht per day (discount available for long stay), and those rooms are shared I believe while we offer private accommodation, of course they offer 2 thai meals per day, while here you would have to purchase your meals but if you can eat cheap thai food 2 meals is going to be 60 baht per day, just 2 examples
 
thanks for the reply. 3.000 baht a month? is tht correct, sounds rlly good. will have to check those out when availible. so do you work there or something i seem to have missed that?? also my next issue is im big 6ft 3 a slim build and i eat alot( 5-8 smallish meals a day). do the thai people not eat alot when training i might struggle with the eating situation? i've only been to thailand on holiday so could eat whenever..
 
thanks for the reply. 3.000 baht a month? is tht correct, sounds rlly good. will have to check those out when availible. so do you work there or something i seem to have missed that?? also my next issue is im big 6ft 3 a slim build and i eat alot( 5-8 smallish meals a day). do the thai people not eat alot when training i might struggle with the eating situation? i've only been to thailand on holiday so could eat whenever..

Yeah I work there/here, I take care of the foreign guests and the boxers at the hotel. 13,000 would not include meals, you can eat cheap street food for 30 baht close by, or have meals at the hotel for around 100 baht ($3 dollars), so basically you would have to budget how much food you want to eat in addition to your room/training, I don't eat the same as the thais, we have a restaurant open 24 hours and other food options close by, so your really not limited to a thai diet.
 
Thought I would put up my review on a gym that I trained at in Thailand.

Tiger Muay Thai.

Muay Thai, MMA & Thai Boxing training Camp Phuket Thailand - Welcome to Tiger Muay Thai

My situation ..
Was wanting a training trip over there with some good time spent on learning technique and developing me skills that I already had (I have much room for improvement lol ). However, going over to spend a month there, I also wanted a quick 5 days on the drink, and partying before I started my training, which is why I ended up in Phuket.

…. Anyway… on to the gym . lol

My First days..
In the first hour of my training I was put up straight away to the intermediate classes, as the seen I had some experience. This is a good thing, as aleast they recognized that I had training behind me, and I didn’t get stuck in a beginners group for weeks.
Next day, was put into the advanced(fighters group). Here, the next two days were and experience. For two days, I was head hunted by a couple of the Thai instructors who, at the time, seemed hell bent in knocking me out. Luckily for me, they did not, although, I was rocked HARDD! On many occasions. Those few days, if your not a understanding person, could have broken me, or for someone who was training there and possibly walked. I still believe that it was kinda like an initiation, or possible that someone had worded them up about someone advancing quickly. Still not sure.
Either way, I survived the onslaught, and seemed to earned respect as the days after that, the instructors warmed to me.
This is an experience, you and and only you, can make your own opinion of. I am just telling you how it happened.

3 Weeks…
I was finding it to be a very liner training starting at this point. Its probly my only major bone to pick with this place, but ill get to that later. Technique was being instructed, but as it was a group session of about 4-8 fighters each time, it was not really shared around. Instructing was more of a choir at the time it seemed, FOR SOME INSTUCTORS, not all.

I was very lucky at this time though, as one of the instructors/fighters seemed to warm to me and take me under his wing. This was great, as he took the time to concentrate on me, and really help me out with technique and get me right. This right here was the best part for me, as I couldn’t afford personal training all that often, and only ended up having 3 personals over the time I was there.

4th Week..
I was asked to fight at patong stadium. I would have loved to taken the opportunity, but I was leaving at the end of the week, so I declined. There, the offer came for a smoker fight (amateur bout) that they held, and I took it and fought (and won ;)
After that, I just recovered for 2 days, before I went home.

Summery……
The Good…..
1. They offer smoker or amateur fights for a lot of people there. Anyone who has not fought, or is looking for a quick kick, or a taste of the atmosphere for a fight can get a go. I think its good they offer it.

2. Accommodation is every where around it. From shitty rooms there to nicer rooms they offer, to a nice few places with pools across the road and up the street.

3. Generally, everyone there, seems to be of tolerance, and you don’t meet to many foreign people, that you just want to smash in there face for there arrogance. Lots of levels of ability, which means lots of different types there, so it makes for good atmosphere and good conversation.

4. Plenty of room there to move around and train. (now that they have done there extension there)

5. Location of the place is in a quite area, and set in a forest of rubber trees, so its nice and clean air.

6. If you want to get fit, you bloody will!


The Bad….

1. The place kida felt like it was just about turnover of people. I kinda don’t blame them, because I can imagine getting so many different foreigners and types coming to try and prove themselves, or just getting hard to please tourists, that it is hard to focus and help Individuals.

2. Outbreak of Staff while I was there. Not sure how you would handle that one though, or if you could prevent it.

3. Talked to the owner on the net about prices. When I got there (1 month later) the prices had gone up some how?????? …….. even after taking the printed email to them just in case for this purpose.. :/

So.. would I go back??

Yeh, I would. However, I will try else where as well when I do go back to Thailand. I would do it different though, I would not book in advance, and I would not get an accommodation till I get there. Prices can be negotiated, just like everything there.
I still think that when I do go back, I will try a few more quite places, where the guys can focus on you more and not just pump out sessions.

I have no regrets going to Tiger, and I would suggest it to anyone, who has NOT traveled there and is looking for some training, as you will find a companion of some sorts in all the others training there as well. If you’re a great fighter with lots of experience, hmmmm…. In not sure if its for you.. but I know they could set a few fights up for you easily

All in all I would give it an 7.5 out of 10.

Anyway, sorry if this bores you. I am just trying to help as the topic started did. You might not agree on some of the above, or you might think bad of me for some of the above, well so be it. But im just trying to give an experience and help people out.

Peace
 
If Anybody interested training on the Gold Coast at 5 Rings with Nathan Corbett and Arslan Magemedov? I can give you the lowdown.
 
i know what you mean about them trying to break you (mentally and physically).. i had problems with one of the trainers he calls himself 'robert lek'.

i had some communication problems with him during some padwork, i could tell he was getting pissed off and so was i because i couldnt understand what he was try ing to tell me. anyway it ended up him getting the kicking pad (a windy one so its like a hard-back book) ansd smashing me round the face with it, 3 times. when the buzzer went at the end of the round he teep'd me in the chest putting me on my arse.

the trainers i worked with did point out were i was going wrong with some technique etc and were generally nice people...

did you do the ab work at the end were you sit round in a circle and they throw the medicine ball at your stomach, some lad tried to avoid it. you can guess the outcome, robert kicked him in the ribs while he was on the floor and slammed the ball onto his core, 50 times.
 
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