Going to Thailand

[okimura]

I started training in muay thai a year ago and I really enjoy it. I'm out of school now and I hope to travel to Thailand in the near future. I already started finding travel info, but what I really want to know is if there are muay thai schools and/or training camps that accept foreigners as old as me (I'm 23..Thais start training at like 7 years old) and how to find them. I'd love to be able to train in Thailand.

Another thing, how do I go about finding some place to stay while I'm there? When I went to travel websites, all the accomodations were hotels, and I don't want to do that. If I do go I'd like to stay for at least a couple of months. What about the Thai language? Can you get by without it? I hear it's really tough to learn. I'd love to hear from anyone who has been to Thailand.

Thanks.

[aseepish]

Search this forum - there have been dozens of threads on this subject.

Or go here http://muaythailand.com there are a lot of camp reviews, as well as advice on finding cheap accommodation. If you stay at a hotel for the first night, once you show up at the camp, you can get a lot of tips on where to stay from the other fighters there. Edit: Muaythailand seems to be down at the moment, but Dave has promised that the site will be back up in July.

As far as learning Thai is concerned, you can get by with only English, but it will help you out a lot if you can at least speak rudimentary Thai. Thai isn't easy, but it's not that difficult. It's a tone language, but if you can sing you shouldn't really have a problem. If you're tone deaf you're screwed.

This is where I spent my time in Thailand - http://lannamuaythai.com

[chalambok]

Congratulations

You're definitely not too old. And you are going to love your time in Thailand, training and traveling. Oh yes, make sure one of the first words you learn is banana.

[isukgrar]

Muay Thai camps in Chiang Mai, suggested by aseepish http://lannamuaythai.com would be good becuase of in the case of you are also concern about accommodation. You may find cheaper and easy to access ones there rather than stuck in the traffic in Bangkok.

[sportmuaythai]

If you really want to train in Thailand, go to camp that will train foreigners like a Thai. There are plenty of camps that will train their students same as their own fighters, but Lanna isn't one of them. The heart of muaythai training is pad work. This is called one on one training, and you should get pad work at every session, right from day one, till you say enough. Lanna will not give you pad work till they feel satisfied that you've proven yourself. This is simply hog wash. You'll learn quickly if you get training from the pad-man, and not from kicking bag. You can do that at home. Mind you, Lanna owners are not cheats. They are honest. However, because they charge very low training fees, they have to accept lots of students, and hire fewer trainers. BTW Chiangmai is a great small city to spend your training vacation there. The climate is milder than Bangkok or Phuket or Samui, and living cost is low. You can get away w/o airconditioned bed room, because its reasonably cool at night. Traveling around is cheap, and internet parlour is like US25 cents or a little more an hour. I've been to Lanna, and several other camps in Thailand, so I know what I'm talking about. A much better choice for training camp in Chiang mai would be

http://www.chiangmaimuaythai.com/

[akio123]

hheheh i know what will we feel if we are in the country that we loved the most for our training but if ur an foreigner i guess money is the option 1....coz we need for our everyday expense tours souveneirs and etc....but for u i think u earn enough money so goodluck travelling

[aseepish]

you should get pad work at every session, right from day one, till you say enough. Lanna will not give you pad work till they feel satisfied that you've proven yourself.

That wasn't my experience - I was doing pad work at Lanna right from day one. You're right that there aren't enough trainers at Lanna though. You have to be a bit aggressive to get one-on-one time with them (i.e. approach them, don't wait for them to approach you) but in the meantime you can always shadow-box or hit the heavy bag. This isn't for everyone, but a good thing about Lanna is that you can try it for a few days to see if you like their style of doing things with no obligation. Andy (the manager) is also one of the coolest guys you're likely to meet.

I totally agree with you about Chiang Mai - it's defintely one of my favourite cities in Asia, and I kind of wish I was back there right now.

The other activity I can recommend in Chiang Mai - take a day off from training and take a cooking course! I went here : http://www.thaicookeryschool.com/

[OctaviousBP]

54 days and counting till I'm back in good ol' Chiang Mai. Pretty pumped indeed.

As per which camp, all people can do here is relate personal experience. Everyone is different. For me, good Muay Thai training is all about the chemistry between the trainer and trainee. A good trainer will pick up on your strengths and weaknesses and help you grow within that context. Nothing is worse than being with a trainer who has no clue or regard for your timing and rhythm. I happened to find my trainer at Lanna the last time I was there, and also had padwork from the get-go. However, maybe my style has changed in the past 3 years, and a new trainer is in order... who knows? I'll find out shortly though!

sportmuaythai: What part of town is Chaiyai in?

[sportmuaythai]

For me, good Muay Thai training is all about the chemistry between the trainer and trainee. A good trainer will pick up on your strengths and weaknesses and help you grow within that context. Nothing is worse than being with a trainer who has no clue or regard for your timing and rhythm.
Sportmuaythai: What part of town is Chaiyai in?

Yes indeed, your trainer must connect with you, and it's 80% what you get from your trainer that is important. The camp and how it operates is the remaining 20%. Fortunately, I train at Fairtex BKK, and even if my trainer is on leave, I still have other trainers I connect to.
I'd reccommend that you give Chaiyai camp a look over. They have produced many Rajdamnern and Lumpinee champions. They also accept trainees on per session basis, so you can test their trainers. The main camp is near Mae Ping river, and not too far from the train station.

[muaythaiart.com]

Find the camp at phuket province. Many camp service for foreigner. Good view with beautiful beach after tsunami.

[okimura]

Thanks for all the helpful info. I've been looking at the CIA world fact book for Thailand as well as travel guides..and they make it seem like travel in Thailand is really dangerous. They describe a lot of situations involving tourists having their belongings stolen out of luggage or hotel rooms. And they warn about things like rabies and malaria. How serious a concern is that? Thanks.

[sportmuaythai]

Thailand is a major tourist destination, and the government does take interest in tourists safety. Nevertheless, you should be prudent, and on your guard when you come into contact with suspicous looking people. Walking alone at night on dark streets may invite muggers, but that is same any where. Stay on well lit and busy streets. Lately there have been an increase of strayed dogs. In the summer, particularly, there are occasional reports of rabied dog, and call by the health authority for people in that vacinity who got bitten to get rabies vaccine. If you see suspicious dog which is afraid of light and drools all the time, while walking like doped, just stay clear of it, and you should be OK. Malaria is not a problem if you don't go treking in the jungle. For that you can take pills to protect yourself. In general, Thailand is as safe as any place else where, providing you are prudent, and aware of your surroundings. Medical care is not expensive, and the quality is very good. Most pharmacuetical drugs are widely available over the counter at reasonable price.

[thailand]

Training & accommondation is 265 US Dollars for a month
Suwit camp , Thailand
More info :
http://www.bestmuaythai.com

[seany85]

Im off to Koh Samui, just got me bag packed, cant wait

[JoeStagner]

Hey - would you consider ducumenting your trip for a story on www.USKickboxing.com ??

Joe

USKickboxing.com