**LIVE FROM THAILAND!!** Muay Thai Training Journal*

[neueziel]

subbed
good luck
take lot's of pictures

[-themask-]

Wicked man, look foward to your journals

I'll be over a Tiger Muay Thai around July next year for 2-3 months so I'm looking foward to your comments on what they are like. Other than that good luck, I'll be checking in

cool, we'd be there at the same time lol


OP you're awsome man, enjoy your trip!!

[Maine]

If I told my wife I wanted to go and train in Thailand for a year, she'd have the flights booked and bags packed by the time I finished my sentence. We've been there a couple of times and its one of her favourite places. We don't have any kids or a mortgage though, and I'm not 65, so I guess thats different than you too.

OP, I spent about a year in Thailand a couple of years ago, so if you have any questions I might be able to help you out.

The only think I would say you 100% have to do regardless of anything else is make sure you're in Chang Mai for Songkran.

I was in Phuket for SongKran, mate got a bit annoyed with all these Thai's throwing water at them until he realised what was going on. Really enjoyable day though, joined in soaking everyone .

Anyway, what's so special about Song Kran in Chiang Mai?

[thephoenix]

I was in Phuket for SongKran, mate got a bit annoyed with all these Thai's throwing water at them until he realised what was going on. Really enjoyable day though, joined in soaking everyone .

Anyway, what's so special about Song Kran in Chiang Mai?

It was, and probably still is the best place to celebrate it. Apparently, its a lot better than Bangkok because the waters cleaner and there's plenty of access to clean water as the city has a moat. Its hard to explain what was so awesome about it. It was a waterfight involving about 10,000 people. You just kind of pick a bar on the road and use it as your 'base'. Also, you can just jump on the back of one of the trucks that go buy for a bit of mobile party action.

Just a great atmosphere, no agro and just overall absolutely amazing.

[Seraphil]

I'll be training at tiger for 3 months, I'm leaving at the end of September. I mainly have grappling experience, but some basic Muay Thai down. I really am just trying to get away from the 'regular type life'.

Since you've been there before? Any tips on what to bring or what not to?

[afb0032]

Subbed! Was trying to try and save to go there next summer, so will definitely like to get the inside on this type of living.

[muaythaiguy99]

I wish you the best on your trip....and I'll just add this.

Guys, I don't regret being married at all....but if you have any desire to do a trip like this....do it before you get married. Just save up the money, jump out there and DO IT.
I wish like MAD, I would have done stuff like this 10-15 years ago...
Jump out there, live and do what you love....

looking forward to a great journal!

.

I couldn't agree more! Good point. The time from when you're finished school to the time you get married and have kids SHOULD be the best time of your life. It's really the only chance you get to do this sort of stuff until you retire, and even then, it's just not the same.

By the way, I'm at an internet cafe at the airport in Tokyo, Japan right now. Just waiting on my connection flight into Bangkok

[muaythaiguy99]

Originally published on www.FightPassport.com

Sorry for the delayed update. As you may have assumed, things have been pretty hectic. I'm writing this entry from an internet cafe since I can?t seem to find an adapter for my laptop. Since I'm using a public computer, I won't be able to upload my pics and vids on here just yet for you guys to see.

So where to start?

I landed in Bangkok at around midnight on the 27th. From the airport, I took a taxi into the heart of Sukumvit (Sukumvit is a popular area in Bangkok that's highly populated with hotels.) The driver just dropped me off around Sukumvit 19 and I checked into the first hotel I saw. It was a little pricey at 1300 baht a night (about $40 US), but it was pretty pimp - I have to admit.

The first thing I did upon arrival was go for a walk. I was immediately targeted by seemingly every Thai person that saw me. They see foreigners and immediately assume that we're all rich. Nothing but walking ATMs to them I think. I was offered everything from motorbike rides to massages; clothes to vaginas? Yup, in Thailand, everything is on offer.

I always get mixed emotions when I come to Thailand and this time, so far, is no different. The people are so friendly. And because of that, it's often hard to see some of the disturbing images that are on display.

One image that took me a while to shake off was one of a girl (she must have been about 4 years old) sitting on an overpass, alone, with a change cup for people to donate. I gave her some money (which I later found out is illegal) and asked her "you have mom". She replied with a "yes." I then asked her if she was ok and again she obliged with a "yes."

Still, any 4 year old girl that is sitting alone on an overpass in the heart of Bangkok at midnight is definently not "ok." I was telling the story to a girl I met later on in the night (that's right, I'm a player) and she told me that it's most likely just a trick that they do to get people to pity her and that the mom was probably off in the distance keeping an eye on things. Who knows for sure though.

In the more populated nightlife districts, you'll often feel a slight tug at the thigh level of your pants. You look down and see a tiny child (again around about 4-6 years old) holding a handful of roses. Most people just think it's cute and buy a rose or two for the girl they're pursuing for the evening but it goes much deeper than that.

These kids are forced to sell the flowers. And at the end of the night, if they haven't sold enough, they get beat up by older Thai men. The girl I was talking to about it said that one of the young boys had a really bad cut on his forhead about a month prior from a beating, and she pushed his hair back to show me the scar. I asked the kid what happened and he didn't even reply. I knew by the look in his eyes though that the girl I was talking to was right - he had been beaten.

In Thailand, it's easy to get caught up with all the excitement and incidents like that are often overlooked.

Anyway, I decided to get out of Bangkok after only 2 nights. It?s not for me. The air is so dirty that you'll often see the Thais wearing masks over their mouth and nose. If they aren't willing to breath the air in their own city, then neither am I. However, I will be going back and giving you guys an inside look at all the most popular camps there. It'll all come later on.

Right now I'm in Pattaya and honesty, this place is insane. I'm pretty sure it was ranked as the number one "sin city" in the world by askmen.com. I fully agree! I've been walking around and filming some crazy stuff that I'll upload for you guys to see in my next entry. I'm also just getting myself settled and I went to check out Scorpion Gym today. I have a video tour of that gym as well. I'll upload some pics and videos of the pattaya crazyness as soon as I can get my laptop workin'..

[JAGERBOY]

Subbed and repped brah. .

You gonna be training at camps that are more away from the party/city life? How long was the total flight(s)? How much do you think you would need to go for a month?

[muirsy88]

If you ever need a break from intense training and want to spend some time on one of the most kick-ass beaches in Thailand (while still getting some training in) check out Horizon camp in Koh Phangan..well actually, it's a 5 minute boat right from Haad Rin to a beach called Haad Yuan. I was in Thailand for 5 weeks here about 2 months ago for strictly vacation purposes but spent about 10 days there and trained each morning for a few hours.

Highly recommended, solely because of the location. Away from the hecticness and corrupt Haad Rin and some of the nicest locals I met in Thailand were from that beach, Haad Yuan.

Here's the link by the way. http://www.horizonmuaythai.com/

On a sidenote, you're going to learn a ton of cool stuff that usually gets neglected here in North America. Most instructors are pretty old school especially when it comes to conditioning lol. Have fun and keep us updated!

[muaythaiguy99]

Subbed and repped brah. .

You gonna be training at camps that are more away from the party/city life? How long was the total flight(s)? How much do you think you would need to go for a month?

Yeah, I'll be training at as many camps as I can. Pattaya is party central, but it's also home to some of the best Muay Thai camps in the world. Yodsanklai Fairtex trains here (I'll be going to the Fairtex camp soon) and hopefully taking some good footage and also, the Sityodtong camp is here. Sityodtong is pretty far out in Pattaya from what I understand and away from the madness.

Honestly though, sometimes it's nice to see some crazy stuff goin on all around you. Certainly makes things more exciting when you're here by yourself. And of course I'm carrying my video cam around with my 24/7 so I'll be getting some good stuff on film for you guys.

The total flight from Canada was pretty brutal actually. Sort of went like this ..

Ottawa --> Chicago = 2hrs
Chicago--> Tokyo = approx. 13hrs
Tokyo --> Bangkok = 6hrs
Bangkok --> Pattaya = 2hrs by bus..

[thephoenix]

Yeah, I'll be training at as many camps as I can. Pattaya is party central, but it's also home to some of the best Muay Thai camps in the world. Yodsanklai Fairtex trains here (I'll be going to the Fairtex camp soon) and hopefully taking some good footage and also, the Sityodtong camp is here. Sityodtong is pretty far out in Pattaya from what I understand and away from the madness.

Honestly though, sometimes it's nice to see some crazy stuff goin on all around you. Certainly makes things more exciting when you're here by yourself. And of course I'm carrying my video cam around with my 24/7 so I'll be getting some good stuff on film for you guys.

The total flight from Canada was pretty brutal actually. Sort of went like this ..

Ottawa --> Chicago = 2hrs
Chicago--> Tokyo = approx. 13hrs
Tokyo --> Bangkok = 6hrs
Bangkok --> Pattaya = 2hrs by bus..

Where you train in Ottawa?

[JAGERBOY]

Yeah, I'll be training at as many camps as I can. Pattaya is party central, but it's also home to some of the best Muay Thai camps in the world. Yodsanklai Fairtex trains here (I'll be going to the Fairtex camp soon) and hopefully taking some good footage and also, the Sityodtong camp is here. Sityodtong is pretty far out in Pattaya from what I understand and away from the madness.

Honestly though, sometimes it's nice to see some crazy stuff goin on all around you. Certainly makes things more exciting when you're here by yourself. And of course I'm carrying my video cam around with my 24/7 so I'll be getting some good stuff on film for you guys.

The total flight from Canada was pretty brutal actually. Sort of went like this ..

Ottawa --> Chicago = 2hrs
Chicago--> Tokyo = approx. 13hrs
Tokyo --> Bangkok = 6hrs
Bangkok --> Pattaya = 2hrs by bus..

Wow that trip sucks. How much you think it would cost for like a month training?

[TE]

I'm so jealous its unreal. Thanks for making the log.

[muaythaiguy99]

Where you train in Ottawa?

I was training at FITMMA until I messed up my back.
By the looks of your avatar, I'm guessing you train at OAMA?

[dixon]

Wow that trip sucks. How much you think it would cost for like a month training?

It usually costs 7000-8000 baht in most gyms throughout Thailand, except some in Bangkok which are more.

After you stay a while and fight consistently at some gyms, you can train there for free. I know Lanna does that.

[thephoenix]

I was training at FITMMA until I messed up my back.
By the looks of your avatar, I'm guessing you train at OAMA?

Yeah, I'm at OAMA.

How is FitMMA, I haven't heard very much about it.

I'm helping organize a night of MT fights for charity and I know one of the guys was going to go by FitMMA for a chat.

[JAGERBOY]

It usually costs 7000-8000 baht in most gyms throughout Thailand, except some in Bangkok which are more.

After you stay a while and fight consistently at some gyms, you can train there for free. I know Lanna does that.

8000 baht = $239 usd?

Thats all it would cost for a month?

EDIT: Your just talking strictly training? If so, I mean't how much for EVERYTHING for a month

[muaythaiguy99]

8000 baht = $239 usd?

Thats all it would cost for a month?

EDIT: Your just talking strictly training? If so, I mean't how much for EVERYTHING for a month

Yeah, in most gyms .. 1 month of training costs about 8000 baht but a lot of the gyms offer a seperate rate if you train once a day rather than two times a day. As for your living expenses, it all depends. I find that when you live on site at a lot of the camps, it's somewhat overpriced.

The site will sell you on a whole training/accomodation/food package but honestly, food and accomodation are so cheap here anyway that you're prob. better off finding your own place near the camp and buying your own meals.

Meals in a restaurant cost me about $3 each and you can find a lot of stuff for cheaper.
As for accomodation, right now I'm paying 12,000 baht a month but the place I'm at is pretty ballin'
It's a brand new room with a tv, fridge, dvd player, private washroom, in-room safe and when I walk out and go down 1 flight of stairs, there's an entertainment area with a big flat screen tv, pool table, couches etc.

I'll be honest though, the selling point for me was the 40 or so money-hot coyote dancers that are walking around this place every night since I live atop a nightclub. At night, I can take my laptop into the entertainment area and every 2 minutes a different dancer walks by in a sexy outfit because their change room is right there.

Life is good! Haha..

I'll take vids of my set up as well so you can see exactly what I'm talking about

[JAGERBOY]

Yeah, in most gyms .. 1 month of training costs about 8000 baht but a lot of the gyms offer a seperate rate if you train once a day rather than two times a day. As for your living expenses, it all depends. I find that when you live on site at a lot of the camps, it's somewhat overpriced.

The site will sell you on a whole training/accomodation/food package but honestly, food and accomodation are so cheap here anyway that you're prob. better off finding your own place near the camp and buying your own meals.

Meals in a restaurant cost me about $3 each and you can find a lot of stuff for cheaper.
As for accomodation, right now I'm paying 12,000 baht a month but the place I'm at is pretty ballin'
It's a brand new room with a tv, fridge, dvd player, private washroom, in-room safe and when I walk out and go down 1 flight of stairs, there's an entertainment area with a big flat screen tv, pool table, couches etc.

I'll be honest though, the selling point for me was the 40 or so money-hot coyote dancers that are walking around this place every night since I live atop a nightclub. At night, I can take my laptop into the entertainment area and every 2 minutes a different dancer walks by in a sexy outfit because their change room is right there.

Life is good! Haha..

I'll take vids of my set up as well so you can see exactly what I'm talking about

Yeah post that for sure.

So you think I could get a nice spot, eat, and train for around $900-$1000?

[Madevilz]

Just wondering bro, how much did you pay for your ticket to Thailand?
The cheapest I can find is like 2100 bux. Quite expensive, back in september, it costed me 1500 to go to Vietnam o.O

[Glen Quagmire]

I am on board for this thread ! I have been 2x never for 10 months though. I did a month at Sityodtong 4 years ago, it was F'n awsome. Have a great time, I look forward to reading your journal.

[jiv_tree]

Hey man, good luck for your trip. Sound like it will be awesome!

Looking forward to reading more.

[thephoenix]

Yeah post that for sure.

So you think I could get a nice spot, eat, and train for around $900-$1000?

Nah dude, it would be closer to half that.

[thephoenix]

Just wondering bro, how much did you pay for your ticket to Thailand?
The cheapest I can find is like 2100 bux. Quite expensive, back in september, it costed me 1500 to go to Vietnam o.O

Just looked at flightcente and saw flights for $1400 tax inc.

[dixon]

8000 baht = $239 usd?

Thats all it would cost for a month?

EDIT: Your just talking strictly training? If so, I mean't how much for EVERYTHING for a month

For you or for me? I don't know what you would spend and how you like to live.

You know the question is kinda silly without any specifics, right? How would you look at me if I asked, "How much does it cost to live in the US for one month?"

You can rent a room for 800 baht per month by the Lanna camp with a shared squat toilet and shower (no hot water--which you don't need because it's hot there anyway) and eat 15 baht khao soi all the time. For entertainment you could go to the used book store and mope around the camp and talk to people, get an early sleep for training the next day, and go to the Muay Thai fights with the gym on Saturdays. Your biggest living expense will probably be your shampoo, hah.

Or you could live it large in Thailand (for comparatively cheaper than back home, which makes it tempting), eat great food at buffets, go shopping, have a motorcycle, buy souvenirs, get addicted to ladyboy prostitutes, and have a nice apartment. And you will spend a lot.

[mjfan12]

I also plan on going sometime before I get too into my late 20's. I hope in th next 3 years.

I hate running and I have crap cardio. I need to dramatically increas these to get the benefit. No point in spending all this money if I can't handle the pace.

I reckon 3 months of thai training = a year of US MT classes.

They train 2x a day, 6 hours a day, 6x a week.

[dixon]

I reckon 3 months of thai training = a year of US MT classes.

They train 2x a day, 6 hours a day, 6x a week.

I was thinking about this too. Probably equal to a year at home or more, depending on how much time you spend training at home.

If you train in the US for two hours per night, 4 nights per week, 50 weeks per year, that's = 400 hours per year.

If you train in Thailand for 6 hours per day, 6 days per week, you reach 400 hours in 11 weeks.

Your training is probably better because you do 1 on 1 padwork, unlike back home where one instructor teaches a huge group of people. Although, many of these hours are filled up with running and skipping, which you would probably do at home and didn't count those in the hours.

In Thailand you also get to see more Muay Thai on tv and real Muay Thai fights every weekend And if you feel up to a fight, you can get one for the next Friday easily. If you want to fight once a month or more, it's entirely possible, and that improves you so much as a fighter. Back home, it's hard to get fights very frequently.

[mjfan12]

a proper pad holder makes a big difference.

Also the MT classes I go to have only been one hour per class, and 3 times a week, so for me thai traiining would be even more valueable.

[Seraphil]

I'm leaving in September and staying til late December. From what research I've done, it should be pretty easy to live on 1200 or so a month and live very comfortably.