Making the decision of coming to Thailand and fulfilling your dream of living like a boxer is the first step. But, how exactly do I start this journey to is to train Muay Thai in Bangkok? What do Iyou need to know to avoid problems and make the most out of it?
First point: Why Bangkok and not other places in Thailand?
- The biggest Muay Thai stadiums are in Bangkok. The best of the best fight at Lumpinee and Rajadamnern Stadiums.
- The majority of the most well-known Muay Thai fighters are based here.
- Training in beautiful beach locations such as Pattaya, Koh Samui, or Phuket sounds really nice. But the gyms are not next to the beach, so it doesn’t make a difference.
- The Northern parts or the areas in Isaan would look very traditional, but training in there could be difficult due to communication issues.
- If you decide to train in Bangkok, you can travel directly from the airport to the gym right away. And, the city is a perfect hub for traveling around Asia!
So, if you have already made your decision to come and train Muay Thai in Bangkok for a period of time, what other issues should you consider?
Getting ready to Train Muay Thai in Bangkok
Assuming you have the flight already, there are still so many things to take into consideration. First of all, the kind of visa you need to enter the country. Please, check this in advance with the Embassy of Thailand at your country or over the Internet.
After that, you should consider these points to train Muay Thai in Bangkok:
- Thailand is a tropical country and Bangkok is one of the warmest cities in Asia. Training in here can be exhausting if you don’t take care of yourself. Don’t force yourself over the limits, drink as much water as you can and wear comfy clothes.
- You don’t need to bring your own gear, but it’d be nice if you have your personal equipment while training. All the gyms have gloves, shin guards or handwraps to borrow, but the best is always to use your own specific gear. Our recommendation? Take the opportunity to buy your new gear in Bangkok. It’s cheaper and the quality is great. All the Thai Champions use Thai products, so you should too 🙂
- Accommodation is a must if you want to live the whole experience. Not all Muay Thai gyms have their own accommodation. Think about your daily commute and know that Bangkok traffic is absolutely insane. And, don’t even think about walking; the weather is simply too hot.
- English is not the official language of Thailand, so get ready to use every form of communication you can. Learning a word or two before arriving to the country can help you.
- Your eating routine could be more complicated than in your own country. Thais stick to rice dishes and eat rice with almost everything. So you’ll need to be careful with your carb intake.
- The training schedule in most of the gyms are similar. There are two sessions – one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Mornings start usually around 7 or 8 am. Afternoon sessions start around 3 or 4 pm. Usually, the afternoon sessions are more rigorous.
With those points taken into consideration, you are ready to start training Muay Thai in Thailand.
Why Is It Wonderful to Live The Muay Thai Life in Bangkok?
It’s the experience of a lifetime. Training Muay Thai in Bangkok will give you much more than a different point of view and new training techniques. It’ll show you a different way of living and how Thai boxing is important in this country.
Of course, the gym you select will have the biggest impact on your whole experience. If you try to go to the traditional gyms only for Thai boxers, you’ll feel intimidated by the atmosphere and realize that the service quality is poor. These traditional gyms also tend to focus too much on repetitions, which is the classic “Thai way” of training.
However, we do believe that the Muay Thai experience have to be different. It must be professional and authentic, yet fun and fulfilling. More importantly, the programs must be able to cater to both valid beginners and advanced fighters.
At Khongsittha. we are proud to say that the majority of our students are novices who enjoy discovering the experience. But, we also breed professional fighters who compete at the highest level. We really mean it when we say, “All experience levels are welcome.”
But, what is the most wonderful thing about training Muay Thai in Bangkok? As some of our fighters say, it’s to know that you can break your limits. “You can make plans until you get the first hit”, says one of our fighters. As he explains, that made him happier and to live to the fullest. And that is good.
