Can someone recommend a Camp to go to in Thailand?

i am 20 years old and planning to go to thailand for my 21st birthday for a month and am looking to go to a muay thai camp that takes training seriously as all i seem to be able to find on the internet are the camps which are heavily tourist-based, which i have no problem with, and if any body could recommend one that suits both that would be cool, otherwise just one that is good by fighter's standards. any recommendations are highly appreciated. thanks

sam

We train at Saisaprapa in Bangkok and then Sitpholek Muay Thai Institute in Pattaya. We usually take a team for 2 weeks and spend just a few days in BKK and the rest of the time in Pattaya. There is lots to do in Pattaya also and is an easy place to get around. Also not far from BKK by bus/taxi.

www.jittigym.com

In Phuket:

http://sinbi-muaythai.com OR http://www.rawaimuaythai.com/

Lamai gym Koh Samui

In BKK;
Kaewsamrit Gym
Jitti Gym
Sor Vorapin
Saspira
Fairtex

In Phuket;
Sinbi
Rawaii
Tiger

www.lannamuaythai.com for Chiang Mia

Pattaya - Pattaya Kombat, run by Christian Daghio (Italian) still fighting in Thailand, has a number of good trainers and regular local fighters, good camp for fighters to go and learn, sitauted at Soi 8, off Soi Khatolou (catalo) near to Tesco Lotus and Big C.

He will look after you if you want to fight also, and all the people get together to eat, go to town etc so you wont be alone during the excursions to Pattaya, will help with visa's, local accomodation and most things he's a real nice guy.

Also no problems with entertaining guests in your room at the camp if you stay there - but strictly no alcohol allowed inside the camp.

I went with one of my fighters last year in june and we had sometimes 2 trainers each to show us stuff.

Check out www.muaythailand.com

They have a really big list of all the main camps together with some you may not have heard of, with reports and pictures written by people who have trained at them etc.

Lukbanyai

i can understand why people go to lanna, its cheap and good nights out boozing but i dont know how anyone could recomend it as a good place for fighter to learn! its the worst technical gym iv ever seen! very very low quality training!

Hi Paul,IMHO Lanna is a good camp to go to as 1st time experience. It's got plenty of good trainers who speak excellent English and the whole camp is very friendly. I believe that Sean Wright stills spends part of his time training there.

the camp is overly busy with non fighting tourists and the coaches dont teach they just get you tierd! they throw people into the ring with zero experience and you have to beg the coaches to hold pads for you and get in the que at the ringside! i know sean is there but im sure he would be somewhere else if he could afford it! you cant compare lanna and sassiprapa which are the two he has fought for in thailand! all the students sit round and talk like they are training kungfu saying "you have to prove yourself to the teachers before they will give you any time" what a load of bollox, if your a paying coustomer you shouldnt have to prove yourself and stand hitting a bag for 2 hrs by yourselff, imagine paying to train with manchester unt and when you get there they put you in a corner and say kick the ball and practice on your own to "prove yoursel" it dont make sence! they dont teach basic foundations at the lowest level, no footwork, they teach not to twist on the grounded foot during kicking which is the worst advice iv ever heard, what they say instead in muay thai everyone should develope their own style (basically invent it yourself)! iv got a better idea why not get your trainers to teach us the style the thais have developed and evolved over the last few hundred years! andy is a sound bloke (so iv heard) iv seen him booing and screaming when a guy from chaiyai won a fight that andy thought he hadnt won (the guy had left his gym due to the reasons i mentioned). Sean is a decent fighter but that he learnt before he got to lanna. lannas other top fighter is daniel from nz he has had 50 fights for lanna, he is strong and superfit but just got ko'd by a 10 fight basicaly novice, at his weight id like to see how he would get on with dipoalo or hood or other top uk lads! daniel personaly thinks teakwondo is a better fighting system than muay thai so that in its self shows what they must be teaching him!

most farang who train at lanna / wmc / phuket / pattaya / samui etc etc fight thais and the camps have about 95% success rate mostly by ko how can you knock this paul? i will now post movies of fighters new to muaythai who have picked up the art from masters at these camps in the space of 2 weeks where they just indended aving a holiday yeet were turned into ko fighters.

these thais are far more experienced, ultrafit and often bigger and heavier.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=V4XB8hbYXAw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEtfI-ry5tY

nice tko 1st round

if the boxers lose it is only ever by points as they must be so well conditioned or took so much out of their thai opponents with their work rate that they are too tired to stop them.

Hi guys,
does anyone have an opinion on what would be a good camp for someone who wants to go to thailand for a longer period of time (1 year+) and train and fight regularly but who does not exactly have money to burn (fairly broke to be exact).

I have heard of some of the good name camps around bangkok but they all seem to be charging 15-20 euro's per day which is obviously very cheap by western standards but for someone going over with not much money and no source of income once they get there...
Paulinthailand, as your name suggests you seem to have a fair amount of experience with camps in thailand, perhaps you would know of such a place?

The likes of say Sean Wright who go over and stay (are staying) for lengthy periods of time, have they just saved their ass's off before they went and are being really economical with their money or whats their setup?

there was a lad at lanna nicknamed knock out murphy(by myself)that in his first 10 fights he got 10 straight ko's! poor fucker never made it to the third round he used to get knocked out for fun, he was big and mean looking with a full back tattoo but the second someone touched his chin he would lay on the floor and twitch like a run over cat. even though he had these 10 straight knockouts they kept putting him in, a gym that cared for their reputation and fighters surely wouldnt do this!

no people that are there long term normally train at shit gyms for free but you ahve to be decent before they will let you train for free! mate dont go over pennyless! would you go anywhere else in the world long stay broke? it doesnt make sence if you save up £4000 you could do a year at a decent gym and live comfortably. i got so low last time i was shop lifting from 7/11 to live lol (and comedy value)

ive only ever heard bad things about Lanna never once heard someone say something good about it til yoda did now!!!!!

www.legacygym.com based in Ubon. North East Thailand.

and doing runners from the cheapest hotels in bkk along with me!!!! rofl
id just got 20,000 baht from that fight in lumpinee too paul and blew it in 3 wild nights couldnt pay for hotel couldnt get food and couldnt pay my pool tab in that bar on soi 22 ha ha...good job you were off nam and i was goin home 2 days later!

trainers are wicked at jittis and will always look after you and make sure your not over matched or under matched!! Jitti has been like my thai dad, ive spent about 16 months there in total and hes done things for me i wouldnt even have expected my family to do!!! really went out of his way when i got infection in my shin came to hospital everyday with me, and did same for george berry too when he fell in the dirty river and diseased his leg!!
when i was there 6months and ran out of money and was having to fight when injured and dint really want to he also leant me money and said just pay him back when i come back to thailand!!! amazing guy!

liam i was laughing about that the other day, was a wild few day wernt it bud? had a right fooking laugh, i remember haveing a free style mc battle with that american chap and i had a grolsh moment and i was like "wait, shtop i dont even know how to freestyle badass MC" but that bellend kept on rattling in me ear, i said "mate will you fuck off coz your starting to bore me now you daft C£nt" and he took it the wrong way! when you back over there? will hook up for sure i go in july. have to show you around chiang mai for a couple of days if you have time and am up for it, chiang mai is mint mate! cant believe you havnt been before

im looking at july too mate!! jitti is possibly gettim married so defo wanna be there for that!!! and yes we will hook up no doubt and hit that reggae club again and show em us white bwoys roll!

paul ill bring you that ££ to power of scotland by the way mate!

I guess it comes down to opinions and personal experience. Personally I've always been treated well by Lanna and I've spoken to others who have also had positive experiences at Lanna but what is good for one person is not necessarily a good experience for others.
Just like I know people who have attended A Rammon Decker seminar and have loved it others have found him to be boring and un-helpful. Like I say it’s down to personal opinions.

sound mate no worries! two lickle white boy thinking them bad mans keepin it gansta, i fookin love that place, the african boys are proper sound and up for the crack!

thais are lazy if ur not paying them well they wont do much barr sleep while pretending to be watching you on the bag. better off paying your way making them clinch and spar with you and actually teach you on the pads.generally the boxers and padman are sound its the camp owners who try pull a fast one and rip money out of you left right and centre. bit of a mindfield out there heard chutwattana was good from a few mates but not tried it yet, kiatgamthon was good but expensive, depends whos in the gym at the time really, ive been to some gyms more than once, one time it was class loads of padmen and sparring other times empty so some motorbike taxi was called and came held 3 round ont he focus mitts then chipped off. best advice id say is not to trust anyone and do a bit of scouting before you settle, always be prepared to up and leave if youre not getting on though or if you cant afford to pay any bills uv ran up lol

3 of our fighters at Jitti's have gone 2-1 --> Fair matching, no blown egos, no mystery KO's

i agree with liambadco. i went to jitti's and had the most amazing experience ever. from the minute i got there jitti made me feel welcome, showing me around the local area. got me matched on two fights while i was there. all the padholders there are either former stadium champions or highly ranked stadium fighters and you learn so much when your there.

my recomendation....jitti gym.

i've only ever been to Lamai gym in Koh Samui so cant really compare it to anywhere else although my boyf Matt has been to other gyms over there and he loves Lamai too.
every single morning session there have been 2 trainers to one person, Lukhim worked with me every single morning 3 plus hours and rungchai worked wiv matt constantly-even when working wiv your partner sparring etc the thai's were constantly jumping in, giving advice, correcting u etc. we also had privates most days (roughly7quid an hour)i always had Lukhim as i needed pushing to work hard and he was good at it and only one day he couldn't make my lesson (coz his father was ill) so Padeang took me instead and they tried 2 giv me the lesson free. the evenings are always buisier but even then Rungchai, Padeang, Hanarong, Noom, Nogweed, Lukhim were always there and always got round everyone, watching, correcting joining in with sparring etc.
as for the pad rounds, there was no getting out of them (believe me i tried) they hunt you down and will make you do a few but if you look too fucked they leave it at 2 or 3 rounds then let u go.
i aint got one word of complaint about any aspect of it-well looked after from beginning to end. its also in Koh Samui which is beautiful and is about 2mins away from Lamai beach. the trainers also involve u in everything, driving you to watch fights, eating with you etc.

Sitjaipetch Camp Pattaya
right next to the Water park in Pattaya
Small Camp big heart
The more you put into Training the more you get out

Jitti :D

Sitjaipetch is a good camp,and the water park is great after training.

Chaiyai camp in Chiang mai is also a good camp.

Jitti's in Bkk as Liam said top top fella bloody good pad men who always make you work and look after you ... ive had beginners and pro's out there and all got the best training ..TOP PLACE .

Fairtex in Pattaya ... we just started to take lads there ( few times now) again Pro's and beginners place is out of this world ... made some very good friends and contacts out there , Yak is a monster on pads for pro's ... padmen to suit all tastes and needs ...How often do people get to train in the same ring at the same time as Yodseanklai , Narupol , and Attachai (sp). TOP PLACE

I spent many yrs at Sityodtong in Pattaya but when last few times ive been to see the old faces (this yr) the gym was so busy you couldnt move maybe just those particular sessions .

kaewsamrit gym BKK....

siangboxing camp
http://membres.lycos.fr/muaythaiboxingcamp

SITYODTONGS

Jitti Gym

been trainig ther all week and loved the whole experience. good hotel to stay at is Chaophya Park just down thbe road from the camp

i like Sityodtong as you can go and train once a day then party at night.

sityodtong is a great place to train but to many distractions if you want to train seriously. i.e once you go out at night you lose track off time

there are many camps all good but you need to way up the pros and cons.

Jitti Gym in Bangkok is the place to go.

I have been training there for 10yrs, and learn something new every time I go.
The trainers are so skilled and have a great way of demonstrating techniques to get their point across, as well as speaking good english.

In Samui, I ould go to WMC Chaweng and train with Lakhin.
Small gym, but very intensive and attentive for Ko Samui.
Some great guys to spar with too.

I will be travelling into Chaweng every other day for time with him at the second camp-he is well worth it. i wish he was still at the Lamai gym tho, purely selfish ha ha so i dont have to risk my life on the terrifying bus trip into chaweng lol. Padeang is an amazing pad holder also!

I'd recommend kaewsamrit gym to anyone. Very good training and very helpful.

liam i heard bkk is really sweaty.what do you do to cool down after training.you cant swim in the river can you?how much do jity gym charge for there training?

lanna was good when kom was coach before he died the place was great. Used to be called sao pattasanak. Andy is a mate of mine so I will just say it is a great place now for linley planet types, he has opened a second camp for the more serious tho.
if in chiang mai I reccomend chai yai or wat gate or sing prasert watever its called now!! Chai yai I think.
Good luck

Only go to Lukbanyai gym if you want to fight, if not they will not entertain you!!!

Pectphayathai gym aka Kiatpetchis the daddy!!!

Eminaintair gym is rip off but great training with petch and samron!!!

im good mates with the guys from chai yai, iv fought for them and they do look after people and dont rip anyone off

Jittis is 300baht a day i think?? could be wrong!!! all prices are on the website i think...lol swim in the river..you can if you want to disintergrate into a million pieces...george fell in trying to save a 15quid shitty mobile phone.

liam r.whats lukbanyai gym like?u trained there before?are prices good and whrees it based mate?

LUKBAANJAI GYM - IF YOU ARE NOT SERIOUS ABOUT TRAINING & FIGHTING... YOU WILL BE REMOVED!!! Ask Deano (Dean White) his opinions on it.

My favorite is Sanchai's...

SANCHAI 13 Coins

I think that you will find anyone can train at Lukbanyai, this story about only a fighter and serious I think has come from too many people watching Chok Dee and thinking it is like that in real life. The owner Paa Joe is a very nice man, but doesnt really understand too much about training foriegners, so it will be a bit debatable how much attention you can get there, have heard its a bit hit and miss.
As for 13 coins, they had some problems there recently and all of the other boxers left leaving Saenchai to train on his own, so if he doesnt have a fight may get a bit lonely

heard good reports about people who went their and dug in and made the effort had amazing results at lukbanyai depends if u wanna go butlins, haven, centre parcs or go train i guess but lots of decent bangkok gyms mentioned above to choose from id avoid the ones stated by liam h to avoid though as heard only the same as him and paulinthailand.


Nakornthaong Parkview

Yes Nakonthongparkview or Saengmorakot also very strong gym for producing fighters, also accepts foriegners, it's in a temple so not sure if you can do the all in package there comfortably or not, had a good mate from Switzerland train there years ago and he slept in the ring lol, training very hard abnd authentic though and not too far from hotels too so can come and go from there easy enough. Owner is Lumopini promoter also, so o.k if you are good enough to fight

Rob - I heard Dja was back as well as several of the other fighters after a stint at Sor Khamsing...is that not the case?

Tor Chalermchai
Romsrithong
Lugtapagat
really want hardcore? try SitJabool

seen many looking for hardcore training only but to be honest i wouldnt say ive gone there unfit and until been there at least a week to 10 days im mashed after their warmup let alone the full sessions, its a lot to take on twice a day the routine that stadium boxers do, i have never seen anyone complete a full session twice a day without dying after 2 to 3 days tops. the fitter thais i saw going at it were on the go 3pm-7pm at least do u know how long it takes to do 3000knees on a bag lol id had a shower and got dried and dressed and the poor little fucker was still kneeing haha

better to get a good balance and take techniques in or you will just hate the training and switch to survival mode get a decent guide like Rob who knows his stuff

very true Liam, have seen very few that actually keep up with the Thai's when it comes to the 2 times a day 6 day a week sessions.

Also may sound a strange question, but the name Sam or Sammy, not being funny but are you male or female? this will also play a big part in what gyms would be able to recommend, as some gyms are still very traditional in regards to training women fighters and won't get as good attention as some others that are more accepting in this respect.

Pisan, no Ninmongkon and others are still at Somrak's mate

Hey Rob i have a house next to Lukbanyai and ive spent some time training there but not much but i used to go there alot to watch training and my dad in law, Nat si ayuthaya ex ratchdamoen champ 147lbs in 1979 anyways they charge in and around 7,000 a month for training you can sleep there to but not recomended,

Its not a myth about if you dont want to fight they dont speak english there but if they see you not trainng hard i.e being there at 5.45am for the run etc they will just ignore you!!!

But youre right the owner seemd like a nice guy cant say i know him but met him a couple of times and he seemed cool!!

Eminentair gym try to charge guys 14,000/15,000 a month just to train no food/bed etc thats extra!!!

what about a 1 hour private in the morning followed by the afternoon session? is this possible?ive heard you learn more technique in the afternoon classes.is this true?i personally dont think its worth going there and doing the 2 a day 6 x a week if you cant keep up and are not enjoying it.if a person cant cope or can just about cope but is in survival mode as liam said then the enjoyment gets kicked outta the window.i wud ratha go the get some fitness in and leave thailand having learnt a hell of a lot technique.this to me wud be a great achievement.

yes mate pretty much what ive heard, they only reallly have time to concentrate on the fighters there, my comment was more towards mentions of being removed from the gym.

I hear ya Rob i never heard of anyone removed from the gym cos of that either!!!

OK - "removed" is hyperbole, and "ignored" more accurate. But how many people come onto forums with the implication that "farang" camps are not hardcore enough for them and they need the real, rough and apparently elite level of training?

If you are going to Koh Samui

Just got back I would strongly recommend THAI PINYO Boxing School www.thaipinyo.com

Not been on website but you have got a minimum of 5 x thai trainers ALL of which are interested in developing technique as well as the Fitness of International Fighters (Juniors & Seniors).

This is not a commercial camp but does have English speaking Thais.

They are based in between Lamai and Chaweng in Koh SAMUI on the main road.

Cost 250 bahts train between 430pm and 640pm (more like 7pm) every day

They also train between 7am and 9am and Coaches are available for one on one in between.

If you are looking for more up to date facilities Super Pro gym is a good shout. This is based in Chaweng. Personally preferred PINYO and would recommend to anyone.

Go to Fairtex Pattaya!! They really look after you there... they have a fab group of trainers who all really take care of you and always have a nice range of students from beginners to pro's.. plus Yodsaenklai trains there along with Nuraphol and the rest of the Fairtex fighters.. so you can always pick up a load of tips from them too!

Everyone makes you feel welcome and it's a great atmosphere.. it's also made even better by having the best pool and fitness facilities ever!! let me know if you want more info...

I go to thailand once a year and train at Rawai (www.rawaimuaythai.com). Top place for a holiday and good training too (if you can pull yourself away from all the tourist activities). You pay a bit more than some other gyms... but there are 18 trainers there all the time, and the gym itself is first rate, better than some here in Australia.


Best trainers are Yib, Ot, Bungman (he trains Zig-Zak from the contender), Theng and Fhad. But they are all cool.

My favourite trainer there was Souorlong (or Tiger), but he's moved up to Sinbi (also in southern Phuket). Go there if you want less fun and more hardcore training.

Good call Dean S,Pinyo is the best camp on Samui imho.

Also to keep in mind your size.

The bigger Farang might want to look at gyms first to see who has decent size trainers, and high bags.

Anyone know where the tall bags are?

Legacy's look high on the website.

my friend has just got back from super-pro samui, and he said that the bjj training is unreal and the facilities outstanding but the Muay Thai training was by far, much better at Lamai (WMC).

kaewsamrith ...many experience with farrancs,gym of champions,good trainers...
the best place in this time.

heading to bangkok for two days and staying on khao san road (tanao road, east side of khao san road) and wondered if anyone knows a gym nearby? thanks

Sor Vorapin 1 gym is across the road from Khao San Road down a little alley way, about a 1 minute walk.

vorapins is another horrible gym,good for abit of a workout but if you want to learn something go to one of the recomended good gyms above!

how far is jittis, or Kaewsamrit from khao san road?? any ideas??

Kaewsamrit is not too far, about 15 mins in a cab across the river from Khao San

Hi,

I have made a website about living and training in thailand that may help some of you guys out?

www.muaythaiboy.com

And NO it is not a site about lady boys ;)

Travelling anywhere in BKK depends on traffic!!! LOL

I have travelled from Jitti's to Khao San in 15-mins at 2pm in the afternoon, but then got caught in a traffic jam at midnight!!!!!

Jitti's normally takes about 15-mins.

like paulinthailand said, Sor Vorapin gym...well its a fleapit. The other one out at Taling Chan ( think) is way better.

I had a go at Sinbi this time, didnt like the training at all, felt like just another falang ATM on legs. Tiger was quiet and having a massive revamp, it is going to be the biggest gym in Phuket when it is finished. However its full of MMA blokes who call everyone "bro" and feel compelled to get a tattoo on their calves ,making them invincible.

full of MMA blokes who call everyone "bro" and feel compelled to get a tattoo on their calves ,making them invincible

lol

ROFL...will also accept "dude", and "bra" if you're from the west coast.

also lots of canadians aboot, badly drawn with beady eyes

Dr Saenchai's Boxing Gym appears to have had a new lease on life with 3 Canadians (eh) and a Japanese K-1 Max Youth fighter training there at present

Bovy, he is at Kaewsamrit now! Just think about the sparring Anuwat and Bovy...ouch


Has to be one of the top camps to visit...

Thanks for the update, Hellfighter on 13 Coins. How is everyone now?

PS - Ben leaves tomorrow for 3 months and will have that THai phone you bought. Xavi is at Jitti's right now.

you told me you were sending the phone to me :-(

so, Ben lands on Saturday, huh, be interesting for all out there

Does anyone no what Pimu's gym in BK(WPT)is like?

who is Pimu?

Ask Tony Myers,Liam Robo,Wainey, Deano about WPT Gym.
They have spent a lot of time there.

I've only trained at Sasiprapa and they treated me very well and made me feel like a part of their family. I'm going back in a few weeks for more training. I have friends here in New Zealand who always go and train at Kaewsamrit and highly reccomend it.

Hi Kevin, WTP can be excellent, particularly when they have good trainers there but as with any camp experiences have been mixed and you would have to give it a try to see if it is for you. The gym itself is quite big and offers accommodation with air conditioned rooms. Some people consider it a little expensive, but I personally have always had very good experiences at the gym but then I have worked with Pimu for over 20years from when he was at Pinsinchai camp and am used to Pimu and his teaching style. Pimu himself is extremely knowledgeable (being associated with many champions over the years), has good contacts and will bend over backwards to help you but he is strict technically requiring inch perfect technique. I have to credit Pimu with my knowledge of MuayThai technique, rules and scoring (although I have trained at other camps and with top referees Pimu has been most influential to me). If Pimu is otherwise engaged, the quality of instruction is very much down to the trainers and it really depends who is there at the time. If Thailand Pinsinchai is resident he is an excellent coach and padman as is Duwao. Sancherng rarely holds pads for farang and focuses on Thai fighters. Sparring and clinchwork varies depending on who is at the gym.

I know some people find Pimu's constant correction difficult to handle, Pimu is rarely happy with technique delivery and is brutally honest, but if you can take it and ask questions you can learn a lot. A downside for many is it is not in a tourist area, although like Sasiprapa gym it is near the Mall at Bangkapi with multi-screen cinema, small water park and restaurants and fashion island with similar facilities. Training can be hard if say you want to fight but equally if you say you wish to just learn technique that is fine and you won't be driven into the ground. If you are interested in going or knowing more e-mail me and I can arrange it or give you more details.

Hi Tony thanks for the Reply, I have worked a couple of times with Pimu when he has been over at Bob's place. Were planning on going over for 3 weeks on Dec 27th.

There is a mixed group of us going over so im looking to fing the right balance for everyone, I have a couple of fighters coming but also some guys who just want to improve technique and experience the thai culture.

There could be possibly 15 of us going.