Living in Thailand ???

[Naz]

Hi guys I know there has been loads of threads about training Muay Thai in Thailand, I just want to know is it realistic to train there with a budget of £200 per month including training,food and accommodation ??? Just need break for 1 year

[RedBaron]

no, you won't do it on that budget unless you live like a bum

you could maybe do it on double that depending where you live and where you train

[Naz]

Thanks for responding mate, if I did budget £400 a month would that give good place to train/live/eat ??? I just assumed it's a cheap place to go... Have you been ?

[Shaun.R.]

yes if you are thai and live in isaan

[Shaun.R.]

400 is getting there, you will have to fight for the gym to get training right down, live in a fan room and just eat thai

[Naz]

400 is getting there, you will have to fight for the gym to get training right down, live in a fan room and just eat thai

Hi mate thanks for responding.flights I'm not worried out which is normally £500-£600 is it now realistic to spend £400 a month to train/live/eat there ? Have you been there mate ?

[Shaun.R.]

Hi mate thanks for responding.flights I'm not worried out which is normally £500-£600 is it now realistic to spend £400 a month to train/live/eat there ? Have you been there mate ?

yes ive been.

for me no, i couldnt live on that. i prob spend a tenner a day just on food. thats eating cheap. £400 will normally get you a month accomadation and a months training in somewhere like phuket, bangko, samui etc.

you can get everything cheaper tho, rooms for about £50-100 a month, fight for the gym and get cheaper or free training. find the right places to eat etc

also depends where you live, chaing mai is cheap, places like isaan are loads cheaper but full thai areas and you will most likely have to learn to speak thai

a thai meal is about 40baht in phuket but 20 in chaingmai and 10 in isaan for example

[maz]

you can live out there on £400 a month no bother, but it would be really basic and you would have to eat at the camp or local, u wouldnt be able to eat expensively.
if you fight there u can earn a bit more but not that much, but you would get some training for free!
i was out for 3 months last year and spent less in 3 months there than 10 days in ibiza, no joke!
i got by on £25 a week not including training and accomodation.
you can live well cheaply there, but it depends how u wanna live. its really easy to go out a lot and spend shit loads of money but if your disciplined then its also pretty easy to to not spend money on shit and keep it for food.

all the camps there offer training and accomodation packages that normally include at least breakfast too!

[RedBaron]

To be honest, sounds like you should aim to go for 6 months with a bit more cash? Or you can supplement your cash with teaching english?

[Xanthic]

I did £800 in 5 weeks the last time I went. Not including the £600 I spent in the flight.

£800 included rent, food, scooter rental, odd trips to the cinema, eating relatively clean and training. Oh and the internal flight from Bangkok to Phuket and back. And the hotel I stayed in whilst there. And my trip to Lumpinee stadium via SkyTrain. I also went to Koh Phangnan for New Year/Full Moon as well as spent Christmas on the beach.

I dont drink or smash hookers. If you plan on doing that - you might as well sell your house and all your worldly belongings.

The year before I did £1500 which was everything excluding my flight which was £500. I did everything though... elephant trekking, white water rafting, abseiling down the side of waterfalls and allsorts of tourist stuff.

[Baa]

400 i doubt you could do it for that to pay for all those things. Unless your in really remote thailand.

I lived there for a while. I had free place to live only payed for the power which was 400 baht a month cold shower no air con, no kitchen etc... and i got free training.

The only way you could do it for that budget is if you live at the gym with the Thai fighters and get free training in return for fighting. But its cut throat you don't make them money and you will be booted out.

Also Thai baht is very low at the moment 45 baht for 1 pound.


Its all good and well going to Thailand with good intentions of training everyday etc. Living like the Thai fighters do. But seen so many western's come then just end up on the nearest walking street.

[caveman diet]

Hi mate thanks for responding.flights I'm not worried out which is normally £500-£600 is it now realistic to spend £400 a month to train/live/eat there ? Have you been there mate ?

I have lived in thailand for 4 years. I live in one of the more expensive tourist areas. 400 quid a month is plenty to live on. Most westerners who live out here earn about that. If you are not out partying all the time that will be plenty of money. If all you want to do is train that's enough.

If you eat in thai restaurants you will need no more than 1 pound or 1 50 per meal. If you get one of the guys at the gym to help you I am sure they can find you accommodation for 60 pounds a month. It will be one room with separate toilet and a fan only. alot of the thais i know live like that and its fine. 400 per month is comfortable. 200 is gonna be hard.

[caveman diet]

Oh and I should say that if you go to live outside the tourist areas it is MUCH cheaper. However you will struggle as once you get outside the tourist traps no-one really speaks english. there is a missconception that most thais speak english. this is not true at all.... However even in the most tourist orientated areas of thailand there is cheap accomodation but you will probably need a local to help you. sholdnt be a problem

any more questions dont hesitate to ask me :-) caveman diet (http://www.thecavemandiet.info)

[maz]

yep can deffo live on £400 a month, its not hard at all. just dont go out on the lash all the time and dont spend it on prostitutes :)

[Romeoblood]

I too am planning a trip to thailand

I'm planning on taking about 1500-2000 for the month

this is to cover:

Training for me
Accomodation for me and the mrs
Food for me and the mrs
Equipment for me (boxing gloves, shinnies, etc)
some touristy stuff for the mrs while I'm training

will 1500-2000 be enough?

[Baa]

I too am planning a trip to thailand

I'm planning on taking about 1500-2000 for the month

this is to cover:

Training for me
Accomodation for me and the mrs
Food for me and the mrs
Equipment for me (boxing gloves, shinnies, etc)
some touristy stuff for the mrs while I'm training

will 1500-2000 be enough?

2k, Will be plenty.

[Romeoblood]

good stuff

can you give me a measure of rough prices for equipment

I'm looking for Top King gloves, shinpads, maybe a set of thai pads and a few pairs of shorts

[maz]

good stuff

can you give me a measure of rough prices for equipment

I'm looking for Top King gloves, shinpads, maybe a set of thai pads and a few pairs of shorts



go to the top king shop at lumpinee. its only open on fight days though.

top king gloves are about 1500baht, shorts 700-1200baht, shinpads about 1500 baht roughly, depends which ones you get.
also at lumpinee is the twins shop, windy shop and loads of others. you will get everything you need there.
alternatively there is boon, open every day. shorts range from 300-750 baht, not sure about gloves or shinnys, only ever got shorts from boon!

[Baa]

good stuff

can you give me a measure of rough prices for equipment

I'm looking for Top King gloves, shinpads, maybe a set of thai pads and a few pairs of shorts

You going to Phuket??

If so gloves 1500 baht, Custom Shorts 1200baht, shin gaurds 1500 baht, Thai pads 2500 baht.

If you go into Patong you might be able to knock something off those prices. Mostly Twins equipment in Phuket all though they do have the odd top king.

[H1SSY]

Try and buy all your stuff in Bangkok, you save a fair wee bitl. If you go to Phuket, see Boyd at phuket fight store. Guys really fair and has a lot of stuff. even dvds to keep you entertained. aw man im choking to go back now lol

[Yak]

buiy everything in Bangers as thats where the guys in phuket get it and then add on there bit...

[Romeoblood]

thanks for the advice folks

@Hissy, you should come over with us in august next year mate

[Xanthic]

Try and buy all your stuff in Bangkok, you save a fair wee bitl. If you go to Phuket, see Boyd at phuket fight store. Guys really fair and has a lot of stuff. even dvds to keep you entertained. aw man im choking to go back now lol

Oh mate I miss last year Phuket.

See you in December. We can find a beach, make a fire and get Luke to come up to try and drown Xena.

[Xanthic]

I too am planning a trip to thailand

I'm planning on taking about 1500-2000 for the month

this is to cover:

Training for me
Accomodation for me and the mrs
Food for me and the mrs
Equipment for me (boxing gloves, shinnies, etc)
some touristy stuff for the mrs while I'm training

will 1500-2000 be enough?

Accomodation wise, the place I stayed at 'Family House Bungalows (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8NEV6SS4bo)' was more than adequate. Hot water shower, cleaners, queen sized bed, TV, DVD player, free WiFi, large fridge with a family ran restaurant literally outside which does food at a little more than Thai prices rather than farang prices. H1ssy will vouch for that too.

The place is about 5 minutes from TMT and you could talk her down to 10'000 baht a month for rent.

They do moped rentals at 1000 baht a week.

Training wise, you have a choice of TMT, Dragon, Sinbi, Rawai, Elephant, Patong - all either a walk or short moped ride away. Prices vary but expect to pay about £200 for a months training at TMT.

Equipment, go to to Lumpinee. I picked up a set of 'Muay Thai' gloves from the shop inside for 1000 baht and they are as good as any gloves I've ever used. The make 'Muay Thai' is popular and well used within Thailand. No frills and durable.

Touristy stuff, TMT organise things but you can go to snake shows, the zoo, go see lady boys, ping pong shows etc

[Romeoblood]

cheers Xanthic :)

[H1SSY]

Yeah Family bungalows are beautiful and the people are really nice. and bear in mind all the accom on the Tiger site is literally walking distance to Dragon and Tiger. Also dont be fooled by the accom with pools and pay more money because there is a cracking spa down the road which works out cheaper.

I know Ste, getting the bug again big time bro. Should prob try Brazil though training wise now as my striking is better than my jits.

Also to answer the first poster, It all depends on how you choose to live out there. £200 is very tight but do-able. £400 a month would be perfect as some months you would spend £300 and if you chose a month to chill out and not train I dare say you could get by on £100 with cheap accom and thai meals etc so try and take enough but dont let money hold you back. just go for it you Sokopot Farang :D

[Shaun.R.]

i spend about £1000 a month, thats me budgeting! lol

last time i did 6k in 4 months! perhaps i like having fun a bit to much!

i have about 8000 for a 6 month stay, im not expecting to come home with any money

[Sledge]

A hooker is 1000 baht a night so make sure you factor this into your budget.

[Baa]

If you want to use a pool there is one at paradise Beach all you have to do is buy a drink at the bar and you can use the pool as long as you like.

Also if your out on your moped if you go anywhere near Chalong Circle wear a helmet as the cops are always there to slap you with a 500baht fine.

My best advise is try all the gym close by and stay with the one you like. There is also a couple of good gyms in Patong.

Promthep Gym has a good set up and some real good trainers there also and a little more quiet. There is also a new one called Baan but wasn;t finished when i left thailand.

[Shaun.R.]

i wouldnt live in patong or any nightlife area. it will all end in tears!

[Soreshins]

I stayed there for 5 and a half months around 2 years ago.

Blew about 15 grand (GBP)

Lived in a relatively decent place (i'm not a young bloke who can share a room) which cost about 200 GBP a month. Also, spent some time in Bangkok, and had some flights back and forward to Phuket.

I trained really hard and had a few fights. However, I also enjoyed myself and made some trips to Phi Phi and had some fun nights out (!!!).

My biggest FAIL was having a thai "girlfriend" for most of my time and then having my uk "girlfriend" join me for the last month. Recipe for financial and emotional disaster.

DO.....NOT......REPEAT.....MY......MISTAKE

I think you can stay over there on a tight budget if you are VERY disciplined. Thailand can be problematic if you are even slightly interested in asian girls. I definitely believe that your financial capacity is inversely proportional to your interest in thai women.

Anyway - I have now recovered and am happily married to my british wife.

(still cant help a sneeky peek at thai girls tho....:-/)

[Soreshins]

Also if your out on your moped if you go anywhere near Chalong Circle wear a helmet as the cops are always there to slap you with a 500baht fine.


Good advice. I got caught and fined at Chalong twice. However, they are actually doing a public service even if they ARE corrupt as hell.

PLEASE wear a helmet if you do go to thailand and ride a bike. I got totally wiped out by a drunk russian guy driving on the wrong side of the road and I wasnt wearing a helmet. Was only pure luck that I managed to avoid serious injury/death.

Too many muay thai students die on bikes in thailand. Such a waste.

Money is one concern but safety is paramount. If you go - wear a helmet.

[Shaun.R.]

My biggest FAIL was having a thai "girlfriend" for most of my time and then having my uk "girlfriend" join me for the last month. Recipe for financial and emotional disaster.

DO.....NOT......REPEAT.....MY......MISTAKE



lol +1 (for the thai gf part)

unless she has a "real" decent job. or, unless you dont mind her going out at night getting rammed by everyone to get by.

thais seem to think your an endless money pit, thats all thais not just the women

[ferret]

Looking at going myself and found these three places which seem a fairly decent price to stay and train but I haven't heard many people mention them. Does anyone have any info or experience on the following

Suwit Muay Thai http://www.muaythai-camp-thailand.com/

Patong Boxing Gym http://thailandmuaythaigym.com/

Phromthep Muay Thai http://www.thailandmuaythai.com/

[Soreshins]

Suwit is a solid, no nonsense gym in Chalong which gets a decent reputation. I haven't been there to train but have attended some fights there (as they convert the gym into a stadium for fights). Personally, I don't like the location and prefer Rawai down the road but the gym itself gets a good rep.

Patong MT I would avoid purely because you are in Patong. Probably the worst place to be in terms of "distractions". Good for a night out but would hate to stay there.

Promthep Muay Thai is run by an australian guy who used to be a partner in Rawai Muay Thai gym. Some of the old rawai trainers are there now. Its a brand new gym in a decent part of Rawai. No idea what the training is like but Rawai MT had a reputation as being more a "fitness" gym than a pure fight training gym and I think Promthep is a bit of the same. I wouldn't go there personally but lots of people seem to like it so it must be doing something right.

However, there are other options in Rawai - I've already mentioned Sinbi (as this is my second home) but i've heard decent things about Lion Muay Thai which is also located in Rawai.

Hope that helps

[ferret]

Cheers for the advice mate. Deffinately don't want to go to a fat camp as I more a less run them myself as a job on a daily basis. I know there is an element of this at all camps but looking to go to a camp to work on technique, sparring and chill during downtime. Is sinbi near to beaches etc?

[Shaun.R.]

patong boxing gym is alright but its in patong, word is tho its moving!

i think its moving to kata or karon. it will be better if it does.

training is good there as in you will get alot of padwork but some days they get lazy but i find this at nearly all camps you go to.

there is loads of gyms down rawai and chalong way, check them all out till you find the one you like

[syngon]

Tiger MT is a great facility but it is also very commercial. The BJJ is good but the MMA in general is a little lacking. The only real coaching there in my time was BJJ. After that it was just put on the gloves and bang away for MMA. There was virtually no wrestling training at all which was disappointing. Still, the training was tough and you will get fit training there.

Mamas (Forrest Bungalows) is a pretty cool place to stay, reasonably priced too.

[Soreshins]

nothing against tiger MT but just dont understand why someone wanting mma would go to thailand for it? Be better saving and trying to go to vegas or something similar. The blokes at tiger were nice enough when i visited but so cant say anything bad about the place but if you are going purely for muay thai then i'd say there are better options out there.....

[syngon]

nothing against tiger MT but just dont understand why someone wanting mma would go to thailand for it? Be better saving and trying to go to vegas or something similar. The blokes at tiger were nice enough when i visited but so cant say anything bad about the place but if you are going purely for muay thai then i'd say there are better options out there.....

For sure. Why go to Thailand for MMA? Why not! Training MT twice a day every day can get fairly monotonous, doing some MMA as well if I good way to break that up. Of course there are better places in the world to go if money was no obstacle but it's a lot more manageable to leave in Thailand for a few months than in Vegas I would imagine.

[Romeoblood]

I am going to Thailand purely to train MT

I'd love to be able to afford to train with a top class MMA coach but the fact is (as above) its not possible due to the cost

I figure really good stand up isnt everythign in MMA but it will be useful

[featherz]

Do people ever travel to Holland for training as there kickboxing/thai is meant to be great?

[ALPHA PUP]

I'm off to Thailand too, can't wait. where you going romeoblood? I'm going to sinbi in phuket

[RedBaron]

When are you going? I'm going back out on the 28th of this month!

[ALPHA PUP]

I'm going this Sunday for a month so il see you there, you training at sinbi?

[Shaun.R.]

ill be in phuket from the 7th of december till end of may,after my little holiday in bangkok

going dragon

[RedBaron]

ill be travelling around a bit but will do my last 10 days at dragon :)

[Romeoblood]

I'm going to Tiger in aug next year

wanted to go sooner but the gf is finishing off uni before we go, and cant get time off work in june or july

[ferret]

After looking around alot i think sinbi will be my choice I am looking at doing 17 days (its all I can get off works at once) What time of year is best to go I keep hearing varying reports

[Soreshins]

November to april is high season - its generally very sunny and hot. Its also when phuket in general and the gym will be busiest. Low season is much quieter but yoiu run the risk of getting lots of rain. I've done both and if depends if you want training only or a bit of a holiday as well. High season is definitely more expensive as well. For your first time I'd probably suggest high season.

Good choice in sinbi. My second home.

[riccosuabe]

you could do it on less than £400 easy but as everyone else mentioned you will be living cheap,but i for one the first year i went out ( '97) i spent a small fortune doing all the tourist stuff and all sorts of other crap.but after that when i went i went on a shoestring and tried to live like the thai fighters over there and i think its way better and you get more from the experience.it all depends on you, do you want to go to thailand for a holiday or to become a better fighter? the choice is yours.i would download (or buy) a documentary called " a lanna trilogy" which tells you everything you need to know.if its your first time (and youve got nothing keeping you at home) i would try and go for at least 6 months to reap the benefits

[DoubleJab]

I found this film very good and quite insightful about Thailand, and about life in general in fact. Highly reccomened: http://www.fightorflight.tv/

[DoubleJab]

I am going to Thailand purely to train MT

I'd love to be able to afford to train with a top class MMA coach but the fact is (as above) its not possible due to the cost

I figure really good stand up isnt everythign in MMA but it will be useful

http://www.thehitsquad.com/ . Not as nice as thailand but cheap as hell, and some very good MMA coaches there.

[Shaun.R.]

you could do it on less than £400 easy but as everyone else mentioned you will be living cheap,but i for one the first year i went out ( '97) i spent a small fortune doing all the tourist stuff and all sorts of other crap.but after that when i went i went on a shoestring and tried to live like the thai fighters over there and i think its way better and you get more from the experience.it all depends on you, do you want to go to thailand for a holiday or to become a better fighter? the choice is yours.i would download (or buy) a documentary called " a lanna trilogy" which tells you everything you need to know.if its your first time (and youve got nothing keeping you at home) i would try and go for at least 6 months to reap the benefits

i wouldnt bother with lanna trilogy, its well dated.

id say go and do your own thing. half the fun is discovering everything for yourself. yer get some advice but not follow in others footstep

[NIGHTMARE fightwear.co.uk]

Get your gear at lumpinee stadium and you'll save a bit of cash, just be sure to go on the days that there's a show on as the shops are closed the other days.

I could'nt find the Boon shop when I was there but apparently it's open everyday and it's near the stadium?

[ferret]

I found this film very good and quite insightful about Thailand, and about life in general in fact. Highly reccomened: http://www.fightorflight.tv/
Anyone got a link for download not being a gypo but I want to watch it now and it doesn't look like one to pick up in the local video shop.

[caveman diet]

Samui is very cheap at the moment because there was a lot of flooding and not so many tourists. Good training in lamai too.

organize itunes (http://www.organize-itunes.com)

[Shaun.R.]

Samui is very cheap at the moment because there was a lot of flooding and not so many tourists. Good training in lamai too.

organize itunes (http://www.organize-itunes.com)


but its a shit hole. worse place i have ever been in thailand.

[Shaun.R.]

whos gonna be in phuket over the next 6 months then?

[Yak]

boon is a short taxi bike from On Nut BTS station..not near to either of the main stadiums

Raja at Raja Stadium shop is open every day not just fight days...

Samui is ok, Pattaya is a much bigger shithole - Samui over rated IMO far too much building has gone on a small island...its not the paradise escape you expect as every other man and has dog has the same idea.... Phuket may be commerical (where isnt in thailand these days unless you head north or north east) but at least it has the space and a bit of infrastructure to cope...

just go an enjoy, dont worry too much, can have a great time with a limited budget and any of the major guidebooks...dont fret too much youll bump into plenty oif other travellers to chat to

[Shaun.R.]

seems that phuket is quiet! its nothing like high season here.

plenty of rooms going for 5-8000 a month in central patong, prob because they keep building guest houses everywhere and they are all empty! its now cheaper to stay in patong than in chalong!

the weather is also a bit shitty, cloud cover and about 27 degrees. nice for training tho