Thailand long term? Need some advice.

[VictorG]

Hello all...been awhile since ive posted. Ive been training hard for about a year now and im starting to look at gyms in Thailand.

Ive heard many good things about Kaewsamrit of course. My question is would this be a good choice for someone still new to the sport.

Im in excellent shape, been training for 4-5 days aweek for a year now. ive fought 3 times now, i am 3-0, amature of course.

i dont know how realistic this is, but i would like to look for a gym that would give me a chance to fight as a way to pay for training. ive saved up enough to stay for about a year at this point, and would like to give it a real go at training and fighting there long term.

Like i said, i would really like to go to kaewsamrit but maybe this gym is too advanced for me? i know they take beginners but on what terms...maybe a gym in the north would be better suited for my goals?

i dont plan to leave just yet. im looking at around spring 08. I know staying for a year is a big move, but it would be far too expensive to travel back and forth. plus im not tied down atm. so i figure im chasing a dream, ill give it all ive got while i can. im 24 now, so its either this or go to school. id like to give this a go befor its too late.

Thanks.

[aseepish]

A big thing to consider - visas.

Visa - It may be the case that the maximum length of stay you can get is 90 days for any six-month period. It used to be that you could arrive, get a 30 day visa, do a border run to Malaysia, Burma, or Cambodia and come back the same day. I don't know if this is possible anymore. You might want to contact your local Thai consulate.

It may be possible to get a one-year multiple entry visa good for 90 days at a time (you'll have to go on visa runs every 90 days), but you'll have to get a letter from your camp and apply in advance.

http://www.mfa.go.th/web/12.php - see visa regulations here.

As far as fighting to earn money for training, I've met people who were doing that. They were living their dream, but they weren't eating well.

[fire cobra]

Good post Aseepish.

Victor g,it is possible to do what you want to do,follow Aseepish advice on visas,mail camps for help and advice,gain as much info as possible on all aspects of the trip then you can make a informed decision.

[Brightfight]

Visas

Visa runs are a pain in the ass but ok if its not every month. My advice would be to go somewhere thats not over 1 - 2 hours from the nearest border otherwise its a bummer.

Check out this film www.fightorflight.tv. Its a good flick and it shows the way of life in Thailand's boxing circuit.

[aseepish]

Visa runs

I had to make two of them when I was in Chiang Mai - the nearest border crossing is Mae Sai, SIX HOURS by bus. I didn't really feel like staying in Mea Sai or Tachileik, Myanmar overnight, so I crossed the border, spent 30 minutes browsing around the market, crossed back and got my new visa, got back on the bus, and then SIX HOURS back to Chiang Mai [They did show some pretty interesting Thai movies along the way though].

The second time I went a few days early to join a group of people from the camp - the camp's manager would drive us to the border and back if there were enough people. It only took him three hours to drive to Mae Sai. We even made it back in time for the afternoon training session, although if I remember correctly, training was replaced with sitting outside the convenience store drinking Chang and Singha.

Another word of visa advise: Don't overstay!!

[Ghost]

Visa wise all you need to do is leave the country and get a 60 day tourist visa stamp at any consulate outside of thailand and that renews your 90 days within 6 months limit.
there is no clear maximum on this sort of stay but some consulates in some countries limit it.


If you go to thailand expect to pay to train. Training at keawsamrit is about 800 baht a day if i remember correctly. How much do you expect to win when you fight?

I wouldnt plan to stay in one place the whole time as its not likely to happen. Its better to move from gym to gym as you will learn more that way but spend at least a couple of months at each one. You will find yourself staying longer at some and less time at others. There are loads of good gyms in bangkok and many much cheaper than the foreigner based gyms, but keawsamrit is a good gym, you just wont get "in" with them that much.
What i mean by this is that through training at thai gyms my i pay nothing to train i hang out with the other boxers and am friends with them and go on short holidays with them every few weeks. We have a great time and its an experience i couldnt easily have at a westerner based gym.
So see how it goes when you get there.

If you want to make the most of it you have to be able to wing it in thailand and whatever you do, dont plan anything. Thailand + a plan = disaster. i mean that in the nicest way though.

How much have you saved for a 1 year stay?

[Ghost]

Get a 1 year medical insurance package from a good company like direct line or similar. Make sure you get it as you will have to pay hundreds and possibly thousands if you dont have it and need a hospital.

[aseepish]

Insurance is a very good idea - you'll be doing horrible horrible things to your body!

Ghost, have you done this method of visa exetension? Which city/country do you typically go to?

[Ghost]

Yeah ive done it before, its fairly easy to do this by going to malaysia. Go to penang island but they have a limit of 3 visa extensions i believe.

So you could get one tourist visa in london, extend by 30 days when it runs out to make 90 days. then...
go to malaysia, get a new tourist visa, extend in bangkok to 90 days.
repeat this 3 times over and you have 1 year.
plus this gives you a little break every 3 days. book a nice hotel for a couple of nights.

I should point out that in malaysia they have many many visa services there where for about 4 pounds or about 8 us dollars they will take your passport and get the visa for you within 24 hours providing you hand it in in the morning, youll have it the next afternoon.

all you have to do is wait. they take it for you and bring it back, its not dodgy is a full functioning and recognised service and most hotels/guesthouses offer it there. couldnt be easier.

You could even take a week each time and explore a bit, your 60 days only start when you enter thailand again.

[VictorG]

Thanks for all the tips. As for the visa limitations...how is that others have managed to stay for years at a time. I remember seeing a small doc on youtube about some guy from london whos been there for a few years. Another is a guy whos got a blog going. hes been there for abuot a year now also in chaing mai (*sp)

I read someplace that the gym could write you a letter saying you are there for buss. or something like this wich would allow you to stay for extended periods of time.

All i know is that i really want to go over there. im really not interested in staying for a few weeks or even a few months. i think a year would be the minimum so that i could really get the most of the experience before i settle down to a "normal" life...:'( id also like to get some fight experience of course.

keep the info coming, any tips are appreciated. Ill talk with my kru later this week and see how they could help me also.

Thanks.


also...is kaewsamrit considered expensive? 800baht for training, room and food is what they have up on their website. unless im missing something thats pretty good. some gyms in the north have 800 for training alone.

[Ghost]

Different visas mate. you can try and get a student visa. look on the thai consulate website and that will explain the visas to you.

800 baht a day is average now in thailand. But i would only pay a month at a time as you may well find yourself moving around more than you expect or plan to right now.
Youll probably need more food than they give you , so factor that in as well and youll probably make friends and go out a bit too. youll spend a bit more than you think(most likely) but thailand is cheap.

[fire cobra]

Visa wise all you need to do is leave the country and get a 60 day tourist visa stamp at any consulate outside of thailand and that renews your 90 days within 6 months limit.
there is no clear maximum on this sort of stay but some consulates in some countries limit it.


If you go to thailand expect to pay to train. Training at keawsamrit is about 800 baht a day if i remember correctly. How much do you expect to win when you fight?

I wouldnt plan to stay in one place the whole time as its not likely to happen. Its better to move from gym to gym as you will learn more that way but spend at least a couple of months at each one. You will find yourself staying longer at some and less time at others. There are loads of good gyms in bangkok and many much cheaper than the foreigner based gyms, but keawsamrit is a good gym, you just wont get "in" with them that much.
What i mean by this is that through training at thai gyms my i pay nothing to train i hang out with the other boxers and am friends with them and go on short holidays with them every few weeks. We have a great time and its an experience i couldnt easily have at a westerner based gym.
So see how it goes when you get there.

If you want to make the most of it you have to be able to wing it in thailand and whatever you do, dont plan anything. Thailand + a plan = disaster. i mean that in the nicest way though.

How much have you saved for a 1 year stay?

Great Post Ghost,

I have experienced the same as you in that some small thai (no farang) camps dont charge if you are going to fight for the camp,
other more commercial camps charge per day,per week or month etc,i prefer the smaller camps where you can get closer to the other guys in the camp,that way you get a greater cultural experience,even better if you can learn some of the thai language,it opens so many more doors.

On the visa front i went into Myanmar(Burma) half a dozen times,had a burmese beer(lovely) a curry,chat with some burmese people,looked around the temples all in a couple hours,then back to the passport control collected my passport and a month visa and went back into thailand,oh the memories!.

Ghost,
I love Somtam 5 chillies for meand plenty kow niow to take away some heat!
Have you tried somtam thai boo sarm lot? arroy mak maak.

[VictorG]

Something like that sounds good also. I wouldnt go to a place like fairtex b/c of all the foreingers. althought kaewsamrit is something along those lines i guess.

Is there any way really to research the smaller, less touristy camps? i assume id just have to get there and look around.

i am learning some thai already from my kru and my thai gf

to the previos question...i have about 10k cdn. saved atm. too little?

[Ghost]

Is there any way really to research the smaller, less touristy camps? i assume id just have to get there and look around.

to the previos question...i have about 10k cdn. saved atm. too little?

Youll have to see when you get there, talk to people when you are there long enough youll hear things and find opportunities, when you get them take them.

What is 10k cdn in real money

[VictorG]

ya, alright thanks for the help.

10k cdn is more than 10k us atm :P. i was looking at chay yai gym today, sounds good and a less of a tourist gym. they have up on their site 11k baht for training and a place to crash per month. thats about $330 right now + food and w/e eles. im thinking $500 per month should be plenty...hope so anyways.


thanks alot.