Q&A on Thailand

[Pro Killer]

I don't see why people would go to Thailand to train Boxing?? Why would they not want to do MuAY Thai, if you want to improve your hands whilst doing Muay Thai then I understand that but I don't see why people would want to go to Thailand to just do Boxing. Thats like going to Mexico and training Muay Thai isnt it?? Or Brazil for Wrestling!!

If I went to Thailand, Which I have talked about before and am still working stuff out after I finish university then the thing I would like to work on most is my elbows as were not really allowed to throw them over here.

 

[Ryukyu Damashi]

My friend lives in Thailand, he goes to the PI to learn boxing.

 

[Pinoy Badboy**]

This post was a great idea guys, keep it going.

I have got the Muay Thai bug after starting it this year. I've been a wrestler in HS and college and did TKD as a kid. I figure I would love to take a trip next year maybe, after a yr of experience though..

I hear a lot of people going for months at a time...although I do see prices per week.

Is going to train in Thailand for 2 weeks worth it??? Instead of sitting on a beach for 7 days with my GF I'd sooner spend 2 weeks training in Thailand!

Also, outside of pro fighters, ever see a lot of brothers (black folk) out there? I have heard some stories of the natives not being fans of Farangs...do I get a pass cause my skin is darker lol

I'm half black and filipino, and i'm short. They thought i was a dark skinned Thai over there...sorta disappointing because i didn't quite get the instant celebrity treatment that most Farang get. Until they figured out i was an american, which didn't take long, basically as soon as i opened my mouth...

Umm. Idk, seems like i was treated fairly well, go you'll have fun, just remember, you have a GF, hahahahhaa. I was only there for barely even two weeks though. Do it, it'll be fun so long as you aren't a loudmouth asshole.

I know that Cali_chute_boxe is black last time i checked, maybe you can get some good info from him about being a black dude in thailand.

I didn't train while i was over there in phuket though, (I know FUCKING FAIL RIGHT?), i went with a friend, i just partied, and partied, rinse and repeat.

I regret not training even once, but i wasn't really into MT back then.

 

[Randy Chung]

I don't see why people would go to Thailand to train Boxing?? Why would they not want to do MuAY Thai, if you want to improve your hands whilst doing Muay Thai then I understand that but I don't see why people would want to go to Thailand to just do Boxing. Thats like going to Mexico and training Muay Thai isnt it?? Or Brazil for Wrestling!!

If I went to Thailand, Which I have talked about before and am still working stuff out after I finish university then the thing I would like to work on most is my elbows as were not really allowed to throw them over here.

You still need to use your hands in Muay Thai, Thailand currently has 4 world boxing champions, we have none in my country (Canada). so I can't see why you can't benefit from getting the best of both worlds there.

I personally want that Dutch style Thai Boxing without going to the Netherlands. Think Andy Souwer...

 

[Randy Chung]

So my question now is... what's a nice place to just chill for a few days after a month of hard training before I head back home? I'm guessing I would be able to see most of Bangkok's biggest attractions during the month I'm training on the evenings and weekends so another near by city would be nice... perferably with nice beaches and cheap stay...

 

[CharmingCritic]

I just saw my doctor today about vaccinations. Got Hep A, thyphoid, and tetanus shots. I'm on the fence about getting Japanese encephalitis shots and malaria medication....what do you guys think?

The mosquitos seem to be a really big deal to the doctors here. How bad are they out there, are you guys lathering yourselves in mosquito repellent every morning and afternoon before training?

 

[Payak]

remember this, eat bananas and you will get mobbed by mosquito's.
trust me on that one,stay away from banana, i have a home on the mekong river,i know.

 

[steppingrazor]

i was told vaccines were not needed... so eh, am i wrong

 

[Pinoy Badboy**]

God who gives a crap about supplements.

The food in Thailand is probably 3x better than the nutritionally degraded, overfarmed and tainted crap we get here in the states. Everything is fresh and organic over there.

Leave your supps at home where they belong guys, they will never and were never meant to replace the food that you get from nature.

Crap-free food > Supplements

That being said, i still take protein, vitamins and stuff here in the states, it's hard to get organic/ grassfed all the time, and our supermarket fruits and veggies have only a quarter the vitamins they are meant to have.

EDIT: I'm willing to bet that you'll recover much faster eating the healthy local food over there than downing some shakes.

 

[steppingrazor]

^ I'm a hard hard hard (x 10000) gainer. no matter how nutritious and organic thai food may be, it can not possibly be enough for me(or i couldn't possibly get that much into my system, take your pick) especially if I'm running 3-5 miles a day and training for 6 hours. my metabolism is way to fast. also, I'm not a half assed vacationing type. I'm going to experience thai culture yes, but not even that will get in the way of my training. i train 100% and things like glutamate etc will help with my recovery, this is necessary because i dont allow much time off.

so maybe some shouldn't need supps, but in my case it would be very beneficial

 

[krunko]

Just to all of those visiting and might considering enjoying the 'women and nightlife'.

A handful of these girls are effectively slaves. Some of them are sold off by their parents at an old age and forced to pay off a debt they will likely never repay. Some are trafficked into the country from Cambodia or Laos.

Just thought I'd mention this incase anyone was considering taking an actions that would support the sex slavery industry.

 

[Ryukyu Damashi]

Just to all of those visiting and might considering enjoying the 'women and nightlife'.

A handful of these girls are effectively slaves. Some of them are sold off by their parents at an old age and forced to pay off a debt they will likely never repay. Some are trafficked into the country from Cambodia or Laos.

Just thought I'd mention this incase anyone was considering taking an actions that would support the sex slavery industry.

Have you ever hung out with bargirls in Thailand? Once they understand you are not after their ass, they can be pretty cool friends. I helped one write her love note emails to her boyfriends asking for money.

 

[gotobread]

In the guy's defense, he said "a handful" and he's right. A lot of these girls -- especially in Bangkok -- are essentially slaves. I think it's worth mentioning, but I doubt (unfortunately) you'll find many people who care.

And I made friends with a handful of bargirls years ago that still call me and text me (never for money, heh) to this day. They're great.

 

[Doughbelly]

I just saw my doctor today about vaccinations. Got Hep A, thyphoid, and tetanus shots. I'm on the fence about getting Japanese encephalitis shots and malaria medication....what do you guys think?

The mosquitos seem to be a really big deal to the doctors here. How bad are they out there, are you guys lathering yourselves in mosquito repellent every morning and afternoon before training?

That's because your average western doc has no clue about the rest of the world except some knowledge that "that's where the wild things are." Your average travel doctor, who does know better, doesn't want to get hit with a malpractice suit.

Japanese encephalitis, I wouldn't worry about unless you're going to a VERY rural camp.

Same with anti-malarials. Don't sweat it unless you're going rural or towards the borders (Burma/Laos/Cambodia). Really, it's not even recommended by the CDC. The cheapest option, (daily) doxycycline can/will sensitize you to UV and although I've never had problems, Larium (mefloquine) is known to cause side effects. The third alternative, Malarone is stupidly expensive. All for a low risk area. Don't worry about it.

If I were you, I'd check your shot records and make sure you have Hep A&B. Most travel clinics will give you the multivalent A/B unless you specifically want A or B.

As for the mosquitos, it depends on you. Other than CO2 concentration, mosquitos are attracted to body odors. If you notice when you're sitting around that everyone else is getting bitten up except you, don't worry. If you have 12 mosquito bites in half an hour and none of your buddies do, time to start thinking about pro-active measure. Don't worry about it now because you're not going to know until you get there.

 

[Pinoy Badboy**]

^ I'm a hard hard hard (x 10000) gainer. no matter how nutritious and organic thai food may be, it can not possibly be enough for me(or i couldn't possibly get that much into my system, take your pick) especially if I'm running 3-5 miles a day and training for 6 hours. my metabolism is way to fast. also, I'm not a half assed vacationing type. I'm going to experience thai culture yes, but not even that will get in the way of my training. i train 100% and things like glutamate etc will help with my recovery, this is necessary because i dont allow much time off.

so maybe some shouldn't need supps, but in my case it would be very beneficial

ok if you're that skinny i can agree with that. I was aiming this more towards the average dude that's just trying too hard with all the supps.

 

[thaimuaythai]

Payak, you can answer why there are so many many dogs in Thailand and how best to get rid of them? Even a Khon thai I spoke to has had been bitten by one before.

 

[pliftkl]

Payak, you can answer why there are so many many dogs in Thailand and how best to get rid of them? Even a Khon thai I spoke to has had been bitten by one before.

WRT Bangkok, because people feed them, animal control is nearly nonexistent, there is plenty of garbage to eat, and many people who own dogs don't bother to spay or neuter them.

That being said, I've rarely encountered an aggressive one.

 

[Ryukyu Damashi]

Last year my wife and I stayed at a resort in the jungle and the resort dog took to my wife very well. It would follow her everywhere and chase off the monkeys if they cam close. It would sleep outside of our door every night. Very good dog. I would give it beef jerky and it acted like it was the best thing ever.

 

[gotobread]

Soi dogs are usually awesome. Everyone has one -- gyms, resorts, restaurants.

The overwhelming majority of Thais are Buddhists, so they don't believe in putting the dogs to sleep.

 

[ECS123]

i was told vaccines were not needed... so eh, am i wrong

Yes, that is wrong. And, who ever told you that was uninformed. That's like saying if you are going to partake in some of the local nightlife, it's not really necessary to wear a condom. It would be extremely foolish to expose yourself to something that could pose a life long health risk, when it can be prevented.

The two best sources for current and knowledgable information are the CDC travel in Thailand website, and not your local doctor, but someone locally who specializes in travel vaccinations. I just finished doing the research, and getting my vaccinations for a trip in November 2009. Now let me preface this by saying, I am not a travel doctor, but a big subscriber to the "6P" principles. And here is what I found out, but please consult a professional provider.

There are two sets of vaccinations that should be current and up to date. The information is from the CDC, and they are your routine adult vaccinations, and Thailand specific vaccinations.

CDC Adult Routine Recommendations:
* Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis, (Tp/Tdap). "Yes".
* Varicella. "No, as long as you were born in US before 1980".
* Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR). "Probably not as most people had these inorder to register for school".
* Influenza. "Yes, and get it shortly before you leave as the type changes".

CDC Thailand Specific:
* Hepatitis A. "Yes, and get the AB combo shot, it is cheaper that way ".
* Hepatitis B. "See above"
* Typhoid. "Yes".
* Tuberculosis. "No, I didn't get this as it was not recommended by my provider".
* Japanese Encephalitis. CDC "No, if urban stay of less than 30 days". But depends on where you are going.
* Polio. "I already had this like most people have".
* Yellow Fever. CDC "Depends on your country of departure".
* Malaria - CDC "No risk in urban areas where I am going". Wear long sleeves and spray with Deet (only, if mosquitoes are present).

So, I wound up with these:
* Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis, (Tp/Tdap).
* Hepatitis A.
* Hepatitis B.
* Typhoid. And,
* Influenza, before I leave.

I was really pleased to hear that I did not need these two for cost reasons:
Varicella - $108.00,
Japanese Encephalitis - $135.00, "Ouch!" Good luck!

:icon_chee