Has anyone ever done a fitness camp in Thailand?

[AlexThompson]

I would love to come to Thailand and (1.) meet a lot of hot locals and (2.) get in the best shape of my life at one of the Thai fitness camps.

 

Anyone have personal experience or success stories?  I'd love to stay in Chang Mai, Phuket or Bangkok for a month.

[kokopelli]

Wouldn't it be better to get in shape at home rather than in Thailand? 

[pong]

NO, I have not, nor have 99,99% of Thai (my guess)-that is, as always, if you use your western concepts, which usually dont work at all here in TH.

The best known and probably most frequently in use is the military training for those young real Thai who had the bad luck of taking the wrong colour of ball out of the sack. Sorry-as said, only open for real identified Thai, not even those with just pink cards.

Summercamps for THai matayom (=high-school) students are common, but in the heat of the hottest time of year and the general tendency of Thai, doing strange'fit''ness exercise is out of the question. Sitting behind their smartfone in AC-comfort would be more fitting for their lifestyle, incl. drinking too much sugary fruit-imitation drinks.

What is rife and available in any larger town are the ''exercise/fitness (speak: fhit-neht) rooms'', esp. those with long-time membership at grave discounts, touted by ms. beautiful. Think of the former California WOW (gone broke) etc-they are very well known as hot dating spots.

alt to @1: as said here so often, those new-time fone-apps.

[DivineMadman]

I have done cleanse/detox stays that have involved some Muay Thai as part of the exercise regime, but I have never done one of the fitness "bootcamps" that I think the OP is referring to.  A bit too intense for my taste but for the right person I'm sure it's a great experience.  A fun thing about Thailand is that these sorts of places abound.  Fitness bootcamp, a week or a month meditating at a forest temple, the pleasure dome of Pattaya.  To each his own.

 

I don't think of Bangkok as being a place for these sorts of camps.   Certainly Cross Fit classes can be found, but I think the fitness-focussed camps/resorts are elsewhere  A quick google search does suggest that they are to be found in Chiang Mai and Phuket (and I'm sure other places).  

 

If it's what you want to do then I say go for.  Have fun.  I've enjoyed the cleanse programs that I've done and always enjoyed meeting the other people in the program.  

 

Just a few thoughts that come to my mind:

 

-- I would have an escape plan in mind in case you don't like it.  One time I was at a cleanse program and there was a Dutch gent at the same time and he was utterly miserable and lasted, I think, a day and half.  Rather than be miserable, he wisely decamped to one of the nearby $15/night beachside bungalows. found a contact who took him foraging for hallucinogenic mushrooms and ended up having a stay much more to his liking.

 

-- You might find that the program is disproportionately women.  (If that matters to you.)  My non-scientific survey suggests that young women do like to work in a fitness or detox/cleanse program on their holidays, while young men are more inclined to rent and wreck motorbikes with their bros.

 

-- Strictly for me, I would try to match a hardcore exercise program with a cooler location.  So maybe January in Chiang Mai?

 

-- You might meet locals working at the camps, but not as participants.

[nynakedtop]

I am kind of engaged with the fitness/wellness community, and almost all of the camps I know of are organized by and generally populated with westerners.... the one's who are enchanted with and under the spell of.... thailand.

 

I have been a member of some of the commercial gyms in Bangkok... the old California WOW and Fitness First - the latter is populated by trendy Thais and peculiar Westerners. Their facilities are nice, and there is plenty of charming eye candy to be had, but it is what it is - a commercial gym.

[vinapu]

Wouldn't it be better to get in shape at home rather than in Thailand? 

depends on home cooking it may not be as easy as it sounds 

[Guest]

Thai conscripts are probably younger than most members here, so might be more suited to going from hardly any exercise to hard military training, without keeling over.

 

Notes:

1  I've said most members, so if the opening poster is about 24, of course he may be more up to it.    However, at my age, the best way is to build up any exercise regime.  This may apply to most other members.

 

2  I was going to say "Thai conscripts are probably younger & fitter", then realized your average bar boy is allergic to walking more than a few hundred metres.  Those who can afford motorcycles, even more lazy,

 

Whilst we are on the subject, what is the availability of gyms like in Thailand, on a non-contract basis ?  

I do some occasional exercises at home & have been stopping whilst in Thailand.   

It would be better to go somewhere and pay 50~100 baht, or whatever it costs to use the facilities.  Guess the farang price might be double that. 

[sglad]

Whilst we are on the subject, what is the availability of gyms like in Thailand, on a non-contract basis ?  

I do some occasional exercises at home & have been stopping whilst in Thailand.   

It would be better to go somewhere and pay 50~100 baht, or whatever it costs to use the facilities.  Guess the farang price might be double that. 

 

Uhm where in Thailand?  You should be able to find gyms in all the major cities if your hotel doesn't have one.  They don't usually advertise their pay-per-use rates but they are available.  Walk in and ask them.  Anywhere from the big chains to hardcore shop-lot gyms.  There are also gyms attached to some municipal stadiums with very inexpensive rates (20-40Bt per entry) but if you're just passing through then maybe it wouldn't be worth your time to seek them out as they're not located in city centres.

[nynakedtop]

Just a follow-up note...

 

I am freshly back from visiting Jetts Chong Nonsri location in Bangkok - a 500THB one day pass did it for me, no pressure, no questions asked

 

The place was awesome.... people really nice, low pressure, no sense of body fascism, and even I, a mature white guy was warmly welcomed.

 

People very much kept to themselves - they are serious about their work-outs so not too much of the socializing that plagues American gyms. The equipment was modern and plentiful, the place was clean.... Strongly recommend it.

 

They have several BKK locations, so just do a web search!

[Guest Hutchison]

yes, gymnastics

 

... in the bedroom

[reader]

Alex,

 

How's the fitness camp going?

[AlexThompson]

Amazing!  I highly recommend it.  I decided on a camp in Koh Samui.  

 

I thought I had been working out in the past.  It is nothing like this.  Intense workouts for about 4 or 5 hours of the day (where I am left heaving on the ground), but then I am free to go to to beach and relax and get a massage.  I am one week in and I am already in the best shape of my life!  3 weeks to go!

 

I also have had two passionate love affairs since arriving, thanks to Grindr.  Thai guys who are educated, working professionals in their late 20s and 30's.  As we ride together on their mopeds along the ocean, kissing his neck along the way, it fees like something out of a romantic 1950's movie...

[Guest]

Intense workouts for about 4 or 5 hours of the day (where I am left heaving on the ground), but then I am free to go to to beach and relax and get a massage.  I am one week in and I am already in the best shape of my life!  3 weeks to go!..

 

4~5 hours ?   I can manage that and more walking, but an INTENSE workout of that duration is another matter & would surely require some level of fitness training to actually prepare for it ?

[vinapu]

....& would surely require some level of fitness training to actually prepare for it ?

try wrestling with the boys, my favorite game is ' don't let me touch your bum ', energizing , entertaining, a bit exhausting but inexpensive and rewarding - I always win

[reader]

I also have had two passionate love affairs since arriving, thanks to Grindr.  Thai guys who are educated, working professionals in their late 20s and 30's.  As we ride together on their mopeds along the ocean, kissing his neck along the way, it fees like something out of a romantic 1950's movie...

 

Glad to hear things are turning out so well for you.

[Liam18]

Amazing!  I highly recommend it.  I decided on a camp in Koh Samui.  

 

I thought I had been working out in the past.  It is nothing like this.  Intense workouts for about 4 or 5 hours of the day (where I am left heaving on the ground), but then I am free to go to to beach and relax and get a massage.  I am one week in and I am already in the best shape of my life!  3 weeks to go!

 

I also have had two passionate love affairs since arriving, thanks to Grindr.  Thai guys who are educated, working professionals in their late 20s and 30's.  As we ride together on their mopeds along the ocean, kissing his neck along the way, it fees like something out of a romantic 1950's movie...

Nice. Details on the fitness camp?

[AlexThompson]

I did it!  I am nearly finished with my one month at a fitness camp and it was an amazing experience!!!  I feel great and look better than I did when I was a teenager!  These camps are awesome.  You work out in classes three or four times a day and then you get to have fun in your downtime.  I just jumped on my scooter and buzzed all over Koh Samui.  I had lots of fun times with the locals, beach days, amazing food at the gym.  Highly, highly recommended if you need a jumpstart to start taking care of yourself, or you just want to improve your fitness. PM me if you want details.

 

I leave on Thursday and I have a 12 hour layover in Bangkok.  I want to USE THIS NEW BODY!   Any suggestions for a day of sex in BKK?  Should I set up at Babylon or another sauna for the day?

[captainmick]

Please tell us more about the Fitness Camp and hotel. I need to lose a few stone and get fitter. Thanks for sharing your experiences Alex.