Training Guide

Table of Contents THAI CUSTOMS...... 2 VISAS...... 5 COMMON SCAMS...... 9 SAFETY...... 19 THAI WOMEN...... 21 FOOD & SUPPLEMENTS...... 27 TRAINING IN PHUKET...... 33 CAMPS IN PHUKET...... 34 ENTERTAINMENT IN PHUKET...... 38 GETTING AROUND PHUKET...... 41 COST OF LIVING IN PHUKET...... 44 TRAINING IN PATTAYA...... 47 MUAY THAI CAMPS IN PATTAYA...... 48 ENTERTAINMENT IN PATTAYA...... 51 GETTING AROUND PATTAYA...... 53 COST OF LIVING IN PATTAYA...... 55 TRAINING IN ...... 57 MUAY THAI CAMPS IN BANGKOK...... 58 GETTING AROUND BANGKOK...... 62 ENTERTAINMENT IN BANGKOK...... 66 COST OF LIVING IN BANGKOK...... 69

Copyright Notice

All contents copyright C 2009 by FightPassport.com. All rights reserved. No part of this document or the related files may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, by any means (electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the publisher. So having got this book, you’re clearly thinking about coming to Thailand or you’ve already decided, booked your flight and now you’re just anxiously awaiting your departure date. If it’s your first time coming, you’re probably a little nervous since you have no idea what to expect.

The first time I came to Thailand was towards the end of 2007 and I had the trip all planned out with a buddy of mine. We had been planning it for months. About a week before we were supposed to leave I started getting a little nervous. You know - just the fear of the unknown kicking in.

With each day that passed - and as my departure date grew closer and closer - my levels of anxiety gradually increased. The night before I was booked to leave I was sitting in my room, just adding some last minute items to my suitcase, and my phone rang.

It was my friend - and fellow ticket holder for the Thai airways flight to Bangkok - and he had some bad news to deliver. I’m sure you know where I’m going with this. He called me the night before we were supposed to leave to tell me that he changed his mind and wasn’t going anymore.

At least he had a good reason though. He was bailing on a one-in-a-lifetime trip to Thailand because he couldn’t bare to be away from his girlfriend at the time. Genius, huh? Since then, he’s obviously regretted his decision and prior to my second trip, he actually bought another ticket but ended up bailing again for the same reason!

But it all worked out for the best. He ended up breaking up with the girl and at this very moment, he’s stuck in a snowstorm working a ridiculous rent-a-cop job while she’s at a resort in Cancun with some other guy.

So the lesson here is that if you have the chance to come, take advantage of the opportunity. It can be scary (especially if you’re coming alone) but I guarantee you won’t regret it. As you grow old and look back on your life, you’re definitely not going to regret traveling the world. You will however regret it if you don’t. It’s a big world and we’re here once, so you might as well take the time to see it while you can. THAI CUSTOMS

Thai people love their King, as indicated by the hundreds of portraits of him displayed throughout the country. Do NOT disrespect this man. Alright, before you come here, there’s a few things you need to know. The first - and without a doubt, the most important - is the fact that the love their King and if you disrespect him publicly, you can expect everything from dirty looks, beatings, and even jail time.

Before Muay Thai fights and even before movies at the cinema, they play a tribute to the King which you had better stand your ass up for. If you don’t, you actually run the risk of being arrested and thrown into Thai jail - which they refer to as the “monkey house”. Just stand up and save yourself the hassle, it’ll make your holiday a lot more pleasant.

And speaking of respecting (and disrespecting) the King, you also need to be aware that all Thai currency has an image of him on it. Because of that, you want to avoid crinkling up your bills and you certainly want to avoid stashing money in your shoe because in Thailand, the feet are considered to be dirty and the lowest, less sanitary part of the human body.

So needless to say, placing something with the King’s image on it underneath your “dirty” feet won’t go over well - although I doubt doing so will trigger the same uproar as refusing to stand during one of the tributes or verbally bashing him to your foreign buddies and having Thai people overhear what you’re saying.

Interesting story. During my first trip here, I strolling down one of the side streets (soi’s) on Bangla road and I saw this unbelievably hot girl dancing on one of the table tops. I obviously wanted to talk to her so when our eyes locked, I did what I thought would be a smooth move to entice her to come sit with me - I kicked out the stool a bit from under the table to signal here to come sit down.

When I did that, I didn’t quite get the reaction I was hoping for. Rather than hopping off the bar and rushing to join me, she gave me a disgusted look and turned the other way. Wow I thought, rejected by a bargirl (aka prostitute) in a third world country - it’s time to just give up on life. Might as well stop showering and break out the mustard-stained sweatpants because I’ve officially hit rock bottom.

Okay, that’s a bit of an exaggeration - but I probably rushed to the washroom to see if I had anything funky in between my teeth. From there, I don’t remember all the details but I did end up talking to her and as it turned out, the reason why she got offended was because I directed the bottom of my foot towards her as I kicked the chair out. Girls - so emotional, huh?

So just keep that in mind. You don’t want to point the bottom of your feet towards Thai people. In Muay Thai it’s obviously alright, but aside from that, they consider it to be very disrespectful. Actually, if you go to watch the fights at the stadium and you see a Thai land a high front - or “teep” as they call it - to another Thai guys face, there will be a major uproar throughout the crowd since it’s considered to be so disrespectful. Buakaw does it quite often to his opponents actually.

In addition to respecting the King and not pointing your feet towards people, you also have to be aware that it’s considered disrespectful to touch a Thai person on the head. While the feet are considered to be the lowest/dirtiest part of the body, the head - being the highest point on the body - is considered to be the most sacred.

Now I don’t know if I’d classify the next piece of information as a “custom”, but it’s definitely worth pointing out that in Thai culture, nothing is considered to be worse than “losing face” as they call it. What that means is that you don’t want to do anything, either directly or indirectly, that will cause a dent a Thai persons credibility and respect amongst their peers.

I was at the immigration office in Phuket one day and I overheard a foreigner and an immigration officer in a dispute regarding a long stay visa. I don’t recall all the specifics but I got the impression that the foreigner was right by the way he was thoroughly explaining not only the details of the visa regulations, but also the steps he’d gone through and the paperwork which he had obtained to meet the requirements. Once frustrated by the lack of understanding and compassion he was receiving from the officer he was dealing with, he requested to speak with a higher ranking official - sort of like how we request to speak with a manager when we want to voice our opinions in our own countries.

When the officer came over, I could tell that he wasn’t going to do anything. As a matter of fact, I don’t even think he was really listening to what the foreigner was saying because even if he was right (the foreigner), then the Thai immigration officer wouldn’t have overruled his co-workers initial decision on the matter because if he had, then the officer (the first one) would have lost face.

You really need to be aware of the concept of “losing face” as you go about your day to day activities. Don’t talk down to a Thai - or anyone for that matter - and especially don’t do it when there’s other people around listening. Just use common sense, be as respectful as you can and take a second to think before you act.

Another custom you should be aware of is that Thai people don’t usually shake hands. Rather, they’ll place their palms together (in prayer fashion) and give you a slight bow. This greeting is known as the “wai” and if you’re unsure as to what it looks like, Ronald MacDonald will show you how to do it here.

Aside from that, don’t be loud and obnoxious. Don’t disrespect elephants since they’re considered to be sacred animals and remove your shoes when you enter peoples apartments and internet café’s. As for clothing, the Thai people have gotten used to seeing us foreigners wearing tank tops and shorts - especially in tourist areas like Phuket and Pattaya - but you should never show up to one of the temples dressed casually.

So that about wraps it up. I’m sure there’s a few things I’m leaving out but I’ve managed to get by with the information profiled above so I’m sure you’ll be alright as well. Actually, to in one last semi-related tip, Thai people are extremely family oriented and oftentimes, the children are expected to take care of their parents as they age since the government doesn’t. So, when you’re talking to the Thai girls, it never hurts to talk about your family and how much you love them. Earn yourself some brownie points, they’ll appreciate it. VISAS

For some reason, the Thai government keeps changing the visa regulations. Since the rules are always changing, I recommend that you stay up to date by checking the www.ThaiVisa.com forum every now and then. I find that forum to be the best resource for information and whenever you have a question, just post it in there and you’ll get all sorts of detailed, educated responses - oftentimes within just minutes.

At the time of this writing (March 23rd, 2009), the visa regulations are as follows..

If you’re a passport holder from one of the visa exempt countries, you will get a visa-exemption stamp when you enter Thailand that is valid for 30 days (providing you fly in). In other words, if you’re staying for 30 days or less, you don’t even have to get a visa from the Thai consulate in your home country.

If you’d like to stay longer, you have the following options..

60 + 30 Day Tourist Visas

You’ll need to apply for a tourist visa from the Thai consulate in your home country. They are easy to get, they’re relatively inexpensive and with it, you’ll be able to stay in the Thailand for up to 3 months without having to leave. Before your first 60 days expire, you’ll need to visit the Thai embassy and apply for a 30 day extension. The extension fee is 1,900 baht and there’s no need to be nervous when doing this - it’s a routine procedure. You don’t even need to wait until the 60 days are about to expire, you can apply for an extension right away if you want to just to get it over with.

Staying Longer Than 3 Months?

The great thing about Thailand is that there’s always ways to bend the rules in your favor. What most people don’t realize is that while they have to leave Thailand once the 90 days are up (with the tourist visa), they don’t necessarily have to return to their home country.

Rather, you can just head over to a bordering country and apply for a new tourist visa at the Thai embassy there. “Visa runs” as they’re referred too here are a big business. I’m in Phuket at the moment and I’ve already done a couple of these visa runs to Penang, Malaysia (you can read about the first time I went by clicking here).

Where you go is dependent on where in Thailand you’re located when your visa is about to expire. People in Bangkok or Pattaya usually head over to Cambodia since it’s closer. I've been once (the “Jack Golf” visa run) and it wasn't bad at all.

There’s all sorts of visa run agencies that will handle everything for you for a fee. A visa run from Phuket to Penang (minibus transportation, food, hotel and assistance included) usually costs approximately 4,500 baht - give or take 500 baht or so depending on where you book it.

The whole process is made simple for you and the minibus driver will usually walk everyone through the motions of filling out the forms and getting set up with the passport photos since there’s always people that are unprepared.

Sure, it’s a little bit of a hassle - and nobody looks forward to doing it - but the minor inconvenience is worth it in order to get another 3 months in Thailand.

An alternative to getting back to back tourist visas is to apply for a multiple entry non-immigrant type “ED” or “B” visa from the Thai consulate in your country before you leave. The documentation that you’ll need to provide in order to obtain the education visa will likely vary from consulate to consulate. At bare minimum, you’ll need a invitation letter from the camp you wish to train at and in many cases, you’ll be asked to provide a copy of their school registration forms as well. The forms aren’t hard to get as most camps will be willing to accommodate you. However, not all the Muay Thai camps are registered as an educational institution so if the consulate that’s handling your application requires that you provide school registration papers, then you might have to do things through a different camp.

Tiger, Rawai and the majority of the Muay Thai camps that cater to foreigners will be able to provide you with the necessary forms. After all, the longer you stay, the more money they make so it only makes sense that they have these forms on hand for their potential students.

These multiple entry non-immigrant visas will last you for a year. You’ll still need to leave and re-enter the country every 3 months but the process is easier as you don’t have to apply for a new visa each time. You simply leave, cross over into a neighboring country, get a couple new exit/entry stamps on your passport and then come back into Thailand.

I went through the day trip visa run process once thus far and I went to Burma for it. I’ll admit that it sucked but I really didn’t have a choice, and neither will you. I wrote about the experience here so check it out if you want to know what it’s like.

Another way to get yourself a long term student visa (if for some reason the Muay Thai method doesn’t work out) is to enroll yourself into some Thai language lessons. It’s rather expensive up front - about 800 dollars or so - but if you consider that doing so allows you to stay long term and enables you to learn how to speak Thai in the process, it’s not such a bad deal. Who knows, those Thai speaking skills will not only get you better bargains in the markets, but I’m sure it’ll improve your game with the ladies as well.

So while the Thai visa regulations always seem to be changing, you’ll usually be left with some sort of workable option if you want to visit, and even stay for long periods of time. Tourism is extremely important for Thailand’s economy and they especially respect those who come here to learn their national sport, on account of how proud they are of it. COMMON SCAMS

Thailand is an amazing country and for the most part, I find the Thai people to be extremely friendly - it’s called the “land of smiles” for a reason. That being said, their economy isn’t very strong and when they see foreigners who come from well developed countries, they’ll automatically assume that you have money.

Just the fact that you’re there on vacation (in their eyes) gives them the impression that you’re well off. Assuming that, and given their unfavorable financial situation, they’ll oftentimes attempt to get a little extra money out of you each time you open your wallet - and understandably so.

Now it’s not necessarily a dangerous place - and mentioned in the safety section - but you certainly need to keep your guard up if you want to avoid being scammed.

So read over the list, remember it and hopefully the tips will prevent you from being taken advantage of..

S c am 1: D u e l P ri c i n g

I wouldn’t really call it a scam, but it’s certainly something to be aware of. There’s pricing on pretty much everything in Thailand. Rarely will you ever see the prices listed on items. The reason for that is because there’s a “Thai price” and a foreigner price. The “foreigner price”, in most cases, is as much as they think they can get from you.

You’ll really notice it when you’re shopping in the markets. You’ll find something you like and ask the question the vendors are hoping to hear - “how much?” If you’re asking “how much” something costs, it’s because you don’t know - and they’ll quote you a ridiculous amount.

Of course, you can always bargain the price down but it’s so much easier if you have a general idea what the standard prices are like so you can avoid the entire hassle.

With those prices, you don’t even have to ask “how much?” Just hand them the money and if they try to ask for more, tell them that you live in Thailand and that’s how much you always pay. They might question you a bit and ask why you don’t speak Thai, but it’s likely that you’ll end up getting the items for the amount you initially hand them. Now duel pricing at the markets is something you’d expect - after all, it’s all part of the shopping experience in Thailand. But keep in mind, it doesn’t stop at the markets - it applies to pretty much everything!

Here’s a valuable tip. If you visit the clinic, be sure to mention that you live in Thailand and if they ask you what you do to support yourself, just say that you’re a Muay Thai fighter or something - which probably isn’t that much of an embellishment for you anyway.

The reason why it’s important to tell them that you live there is because in a lot of clinics, foreigners oftentimes get charged a “doctor fee” of about 500 baht in addition to the jacked up prices on whatever services you needed.

During my first trip, I visited the clinic and I told the doctor that I lived in Phuket and he himself told me that because I wasn’t a “tourist”, I didn’t have to pay all the additional fees they usually pad the bill with.

During my second trip, I went to the clinic once again to get myself checked out. You know, just out of paranoia. A little off topic, but never try to self diagnose yourself by performing a Google search on your symptoms - that’ll drive you crazy. Everything - whether it be a bruise, a rash, sore muscles, a common fever or even if you just feel exhausted - HIV always seems to pop up as a potential cause in the damn search engine.

Anyway, this time the receptionists wrote out my bill and passed it to me. It was much more than I thought it would be. Remembering what the doctor had told me during my first visit, I looked at the bill and sort of pushed it back along the reception desk and said “oh no, I live here” - just to see what sort of reaction I would get.

As it turned out, I played it well because the receptionist grabbed a pen and started crossing out some of the charges. Just by stating that I wasn’t a tourist and that I lived there, I had my bill reduced by about 50 percent.

So keep that in mind - the duel pricing applies to almost everything and don’t be afraid to test your luck and attempt to get the local prices. And of course, the duel pricing applies to your rent as well so when you’re apartment hunting - and doing so on a budget - be sure to find a nice Thai local to help you out.. Scam 2: The “Free” Taxi Ride

You should know this by now - and I’m sure you already do - but very few things in life are “free” and when a free taxi ride is offered to you by a complete stranger, it’s a pretty safe bet that he’s not doing it out of genuine kindness.

You’ll come across this a lot in central Bangkok. A Thai guy will approach you and up a little conversation. He’ll then offer to take you on a little tour of the city for free. How nice, right? Well, they do make good on their promise of driving you around, but what they don’t tell you is that they’ll take you to all sorts of gold shops, soapy massage parlors and ping pong shows (just do a Google search if you don’t know what those are).

At this point - if you foolishly took him up on his offer - you’ll find yourself in the back of his silly looking tuk tuk as he peddles all sorts of goods and services to you. Of course, the rate will be jacked up a bit and he’ll make a nice commission for his efforts.

I’ve had a few motorbike taxi drivers offer me free rides in Phuket but the sales pitch wasn’t for gold or massages - it was for cocaine instead. There’s a surprising amount of drugs here in Phuket (specifically Patong) and it’s important to keep in mind that you’re not at home. Getting caught with that stuff here carries serious penalties.

S c am 3: Bi l l Pa d d i n g

This is pretty self explanatory. Just double check the bill before you whip out your cash and hand it over. This usually happens at bars since intoxicated vacationers make easy targets. It’s actually never happened to me personally - probably because I’m not really a drinker - but I’ve heard a lot of stories about fights starting over this sort of thing.

And equally as obvious, always double check your change after you pay for something. I’ve actually been short changed a few times. Once was in seven eleven of all places and another time I went to a bar, ordered a water and paid with a 1000 baht note. About 15 minutes went by and the waitress still didn’t bring my change back. I complained and brought it to their attention and ultimately ended up getting it but I wouldn’t be surprised if this was a commonplace practice in hopes that the drunk people just forget. Scam 4: “Sick Buffal o”

This is sort of a long-running joke amongst the foreigners in Thailand. The “sick buffalo” is a common excuse that Thai girls give to their foreign boyfriends when they request money. Of course, the excuses aren’t only limited to the water buffalo's they have up at their villages. They’ll say that their mom is sick, their dad is sick, their kids are sick - anything to play the sympathy card.

Now I know you’re main purpose for coming to Thailand is to train but you never know who you’ll meet along the way. If you do end up in a relationship with one of the locals, just remember to keep your guard up and if you’re asked to “lend” them a large sum of money - don’t!

I made that mistake once and I’ve learned my lesson. It was once I made the mistake that people started telling me to consider all the money that I “lend” to a Thai girl as a gift because the chances of them paying me back are slim to none - which would have been nice to know beforehand.

Now that’s not to say that all Thai girls are shady and are set out to dupe you out of your hard earned cash but I am saying that there are plenty of them that are. Just use your common sense to decipher the difference and think with the big head, not the little one.

Scam 5: Pick Pocketing

I never really understood how people got pick pocketed until it happened to me. I figured that if someone were to reach into my pockets that I’d surely notice it. Not only that, but the egotistical side of me assumed that people wouldn’t even try doing it to me on account of my size. I mean, who would dare, right? Well, someone did and someone succeeded.

I didn’t even notice until a few hours later when I reached for my money to pay for some food I had ordered. I checked my front left pocket - which is where I kept my money that night - and it was empty. My stomach dropped and I immediately checked my right pocket - still nothing. The back pockets? Nope. It’s a good thing I had a friend with me who didn’t mind covering the bill.

I tracked back my steps throughout the night and I was able to pinpoint when the money was taken. There was a point while I was in Lucifer nightclub and looking back, I recalled a point where it felt as though someone briefly reached into my pockets.

At the time, I actually just assumed it was another girl trying to feel me up and get my attention. That’s not a cocky statement either because whether you’re fit and young or fat and old - you’re going to be felt up by the girls as you walk through Lucifer nightclub in Pattaya, Thailand. That’s just an enviable fact of life!

Scam 6: Monopolized Camp Locations

Training in seclusion is a great part of the Muay Thai experience since it allows you to completely focus on your training without any distractions whatsoever - unless you consider being ripped off a “distraction” that is.

A lot of the gym owners know that you’re coming from countries with well established economies and they also know that you have no idea what the average room rates in Thailand are - which allows them to jack up the rental cost on you and even when doing so, you may still consider it to be “cheap” compared to the rates in your home country.

Well, the thing is, you’re not in your home country and the more you can save on accommodation, the more you can spend on gifts for your family, training gear or even an extended stay - which will ultimately make you a better fighter. Whether you’re a millionaire or on a penny-pinching budget, nobody likes being ripped off and taken advantage of.

To get an idea of what I’m talking about, just check out the price page on the Fairtex Bangplee website . They’re charging over 18,000 baht per week for their training package if you opt to stay in a private room with air conditioning. There’s plenty of camps throughout Thailand where you can get your training and an air conditioned room for 18,000 baht per month!

The training itself at that camp is reasonably priced at 650 per day (2 sessions) so it breaks down to 325 baht for each workout. Not bad at all for a camp with so many elite trainers but with the training itself being affordable, and with food being so cheap in Thailand, it’s pretty clear that the rooms are being rented out at a rate that much higher than it should be. I actually have Thai friends in the Bangplee area that rent their rooms for under 4000 baht per month.

Fairtex isn’t the only camp that jacks up their room rates. A lot of the camps do it. If you’re on a budget, or if you just don’t feel like being ripped off, then it’s probably worth it to check out some of the other rooms in the area - preferably ones that have absolutely no affiliation with the camp whatsoever. In some of the remote areas, the camp owners will strike up a deal with the nearby guest houses and work out a commission for all the people that they send. This of course results in a higher room rate to compensate for the cut that the gym is getting.

Scam 7: The Ladyboys

The infamous "Emma" from walking street, aka - the best looking dude I've ever seen..

I’m sure you’re already aware but Thailand is the tranny capital of the world. There’s so many ladyboys here that they’re actually considered to be a third sex. You have guys, you have girls and you have ladyboys - that’s just how they roll in Thailand.

A lot of these ladyboys just work regular jobs in salons, internet café’s and hotels but a lot of them - and here’s why they make the “scam” list - work in the bars & nightclubs with the intention of tricking guys into thinking they’re a legit female and taking them home. Now I know you’re sitting there, reading this and thinking to yourself that it would never happen to you but you’d be surprised at how convincing some of them look.

I was at the Muay Thai gym the other day and one of my buddies showed up for his workout looking visually distraught. I could tell something was really bothering him since he wasn’t acting like his usual self and with a little bit of questioning, he opened up and told me that he accidentally had sex with a ladyboy.

I swear, it looked like this guy wanted to cry. Now, for the rest of his life - and if he was ever to take a lie detector test - he’d technically be lying if he was to say that he’s never had sex with a man. That must weigh on someone psychologically. And to think, the whole thing could have been avoided if he read the how to detect a ladyboy post on my blog. Scam 8: Jacked Up Electric Rates

This happens a lot actually. You’ve searched around and just when you finally think you’ve found a good deal on an apartment, you find out that they’re going to charge you upwards of 10 baht per unit of electricity that you use.

The funny (or not so funny) thing about that is that the government only charges around 5 baht per unit so I’m sure you can guess where the extra money is going - right into their pockets of course. It’s a good scam on their part since most foreigners have no idea what the government rates are and will more than likely just pay without any further questioning.

Scam 9: The Patpong “Ping Pong” Shows

The Patpong area - which is one of the red light districts in Bangkok - is notorious for scammers and this particular scam has been going on for years. The fact that its been going on for so long leads me to believe that the police know what’s happening but they simply don’t care to stop it because they’re getting a cut.

The clubs will have Thai guys standing outside with brochures promoting various sex shows. Once they have your attention, they’ll try to convince you to check out one of the “shows” by telling you that it’s free, and that all you have to do is purchase at least 1 drink - which is only 100 baht. As tempting as a "pussy magic razorblade" or a "pussy electric" show sounds, just keep walking.. Once curiosity takes over and the “target” agrees, the Thai guy will then walk them up to one of the bars. The places that are the most known for this scam are usually located on the second level - although that’s not to say that you won’t get scammed in the first level bars either.

As soon as you walk in and sit down, a waitress will approach you and present a drink menu that doesn’t have any prices on it. People assume that the drinks are only 100 baht each because that’s what they’ve been told by the man outside who brought them in so they rarely question the prices further.

Once you order a drink, a group of girls -sometimes up to 8 of them - will come sit down and ask you to buy them drinks as well. Apparently they pressure you quite a bit to do so. I’ve read about one instance where somebody opted to order a single drink for one of the girls that he thought was cute and as soon as he did, the girls signaled the bar and out came the waitress with 8 drinks (one for each of the girls).

After watching some disinterested, middle aged women shoot ping pong balls out of their pussies, you’ll decide to leave and when you do, you’re presented with a bill for an astonishing amount of cash. Your tab, which you thought would be a couple hundred baht at the most, has now turned into upwards of 3000 baht.

You’ll question it and protest that you were told that the show was free and that the drinks were 100 baht each, at which point, they’ll tell you that the man who lead you up there doesn’t work for them and that you’re obligated to pay the outrageous tab.

It’s at this point, where you’ve been presented with the bill - and you realize that you’re pretty much being extorted - that things can turn very bad, very quickly. The moment you start arguing, staff members (aka Thai thugs) will block off the exit and they’ll basically try to intimidate you into paying the bill.

As mentioned here, the last thing you want to do is get into a physical altercation with the locals and in this particular situation, it’s an absolute certainty that they have guns - either on them or behind the bar - just given the probability that angry customers will lash out and attack them as a response to what they’re doing.

The people that experience this scam aren’t left with many options. Fighting certainly isn’t advised so you can either pay them and take it as a lesson learned or you can stand your ground in a non-aggressive manner and state that you’ll be contacting the tourist police. Be persistent about that. From the stories I’ve read, if they believe that you’ll be contracting the tourist police, there’s a good chance that they’ll try to avoid the hassle and just let you go with paying a few hundred baht for the drinks.

It’s definitely a situation you want to avoid though. To get an idea as to how often this is happening, just check this out . And to get an idea as to how serious it can get, here’s an excerpt from one of the comments on that page. The poster is describing a run in with a foreigner who was exiting the rip-off venue just as he was entering…

“He was rather a large muscular guy, they kind you wouldn't want to be on the opposite side to in a fight. He was shaking. Apparently what had happened when he had disputed the overpriced bill, one of the staff had come up behind him with a knife and held it at his throat to allow others to remove the contents of his wallet.”

So, if you go to the patpong area - which is great for shopping - you’re best off avoiding the sex shows and gogo bars altogether. Now that you know, don’t be a victim! And if you want to do the gogo thing, then just go to soi cowboy or nana plaza instead - they’re just a short sky train ride away anyway.

Scam #10: The Airport Taxi Scam

You’ll land in Bangkok, pick up your luggage, walk towards the exit and within your first 20 steps, you’ll most likely be approached by someone offering you a taxi ride. Knowing that you just landed, they view you as being an easy target since the chances are pretty good that you have absolutely no idea how much a taxi ride into the city would normally cost.

They’ll attempt to negotiate a flat rate with you and they’ll tell you that it’s cheaper if you don’t go by the meter. Well, as mentioned in the Bangkok transportation section, it’s never cheaper if you take the flat rate. You’re a foreigner, they assume you have money. There’s no way they’re looking out for your best interest by trying to give you a better rate.

And to top it off, a lot of them aren’t even real taxi drivers. They’re just people who happen to own their own cars that hang out in the arrivals area looking for foreigners to rip off. It’s certainly not as serious and cold-hearted as what goes on in patpong though since they’ll actually take you to where you want to go. I suppose they’re just trying to earn a bit of money in a semi-legitimate/borderline-sketchy way but if you don’t feel like wasting your hard earned money, then you can either take a real taxi and go by the meter or you can head down to the very first level and catch a bus into the city.

The airport bus runs to various areas of the city and it’ll cost around 5 bucks. It’s actually pretty comfortable and they’ll even drop you off at a specific location. One of the buses goes down Sukhumvit and another goes to Khao San Road, which is backpacker central. Scam #11: Jet Ski Extortio n

I’m not really sure how often this one happens but I had heard about it, and then I came across this video. When you rent a sea-doo or a jet ski in Thailand, you run the risk of either damaging it and having to pay a hefty fine or being blamed for existing damage that you didn’t even cause.

The guy in that particular video - who was a student at Rawai Muay Thai - almost got extorted into paying 50,000 baht when he hit a wave and damaged the sea-doo he was renting. The actual cost of the repairs (as he estimates) was around 3000 baht or so.

The police had gotten involved and they suggested that he pay 50,000 baht even though they knew that it would cost nowhere near that amount to cover the repairs. As he states in the video, he believes that the police would have gotten a cut of that 50,000 for siding with the jet ski rental company.

He eventually negotiates the fee down to 10,000 baht - which is a lot better than the initial 50,000 they were requesting but still much higher than what the repairs would actually cost. That just goes to show that if they initially requested 50,000 baht, and they settled with 10,000 baht, that they knew that their initial asking price was way too much, yet they still tried to get it out of him.

It’s unfortunate that this sort of thing is happening. I’ve even heard of motorbike rental companies leasing bikes to foreigners, then sending people to their hotel/apartment complex (since they have your address) to steal the bike back. When that happens, you’ll be on the hook for about 40,000 baht or so - depending on how much the bike will cost to replace. So, by doing that, it’s almost as if the rental company is getting a free motorbike to add to their stable at your expense.

So that about wraps it up, although I’m sure there’s plenty of other scams out there. And while these scams exist, it certainly doesn’t reflect the country and the Thai people as a whole. As I mention time and time again, the majority of the Thai people I encounter are extremely friendly and all things considered, I think they’re the friendliest group of people I’ve ever met. But in a country of 64 million people, you’re bound to encounter a scam artist every now and then. Just use common sense and keep your guard up. SAFETY

Aside from a political riot here and there, Thailand is a relatively safe place.

Although you might be a badass Muay Thai fighter, you’re probably still wondering about whether or not you’ll feel safe when you come to Thailand - especially if you’re coming by yourself. Having spent over 2 years in total here - and traveling throughout the country - I can assure you that it’s a relatively safe place.

Of course, being a country with over 60 million people, you’re bound to get a few not-so-nice people wondering the streets. I’ve encountered a few of them (read here), but all in all, incidents like that are few and far between. After all, Thailand is known as the “Land Of Smiles” for a reason.

As with anywhere else, you’ll obviously want to use common sense to minimize the risk of anything happening. Keep your money in your front pockets to prevent pick pocking (happened to me) and whatever you do, do not get into a fight with a Thai because you may end up like this guy, or these guys.

I filmed both of those incidents and while they may look bad - especially the first one - those fights could have easily been avoided. Actually, at the time, I was amazed at how tolerant the Thais actually were. What the first video doesn’t show the several times that the “man” - although I use that term loosely - attacked one of the female employees. Even as he was being restrained, he was still pressing forward and attempting to throw punches at the girl - who couldn’t have weighed more than 90 pounds. He then started swinging at the Thai guys who were simply trying to restrain him and that’s when all hell broke lose and the beat-down ensued.

Now, while that sort of behavior will get you beat up anywhere and I’m sure you have a lot more common sense than that guy, you should take note of how the Thai people fight in packs. Basically, you really want to avoid fighting here at all costs - especially with Thai people - because if you get into a fight with one, you’ll likely get jumped by about 5 more within 10 seconds.

Even if you end up getting into a stupid argument with a foreigner, the best thing to do is just to walk away because if you end up fighting - and if the police get involved - you’ll find yourself with two undesirable options. The first is to go to jail and the second is to pay a visit to the ATM and withdrawal some bribery money for the police. And believe me, there are far better ways to spend your money in Thailand than handing it over to the “boys in brown” (the police).

The main thing to ensure that your trip is a safe one is just to use common sense. Treat people with respect and if there’s a conflict/confrontation, you’re much better off “swallowing your pride” so to speak and walking away. Doing so doesn’t make you less of a man. If anything, if makes you the bigger man because you really don’t have anything to prove.

You’re a trained fighter and chances are that the drunk loudmouth that’s starting a fight with you has never trained a day in his life. People who actually train don’t really have anything to prove in the streets unlike drunk idiots who are looking for an ego boost . So just let it slide and move on. You’ll gain nothing from involving yourself in an altercation. THAI WOME N

While the main purpose of your trip may be for Muay Thai, a lot guys end up getting distracted by the women - and understandably so. It’s a complete role reversal over here. In our home countries, we’re used to pursuing the girls - oftentimes having to invest a lot of time, money and effort into the process. But here in Thailand, we’re the ones that get pursued.

I was actually explaining it to an ex-girlfriend of mine back in Canada so she’d get a better understanding as to what it’s like for foreign guys in Thailand. She’s an attractive Chinese girl (I only ever date Asian girls by the way) and I just said “when you go out, you get a lot of attention, right?” She said “yeah”. I said “pretty much everywhere you go, you have guys hitting on you, right?” She reluctantly agreed again. I then told her that I likely get the same amount of attention from the girls in Thailand as she gets from the guys in Canada.

It’s awesome actually. If you’re a single guy, you’re going to love it here. I mean, what straight guy wouldn’t want to have women admiring him almost everywhere he goes? It also doesn’t hurt that I happen to find Thai girls to be incredibly beautiful. They’re always smiling, they have nice soft skin, nice eyes and so many of them appear to be extremely fit.

Not to mention the fact that if you treat them well, it’ll come back to you 10 fold since in my experience, Thai girls go above and beyond anything that you’re used too when it comes to pleasing their men. I’m not sure what the difference is, and I don’t want to label Thai girls as being subservient, but they definitely know how to show their appreciation.

I think that’s a major reason why so many western men pursue relationships with Thai women. There’s an awesome article that I came across (which can be read here) and in it, the author describes a memorable dinner date he had with a Thai girl..

“ She was Thai with a good job, had a post-graduate degree, and was certainly not the poor farmer’s daughter stereotype. We were having dinner and when the food arrived she served me and then herself. When my water glass was half empty (or half full depending on how you look at it) she would fill it.

I was a little uncomfortable with that so I indicated she didn’t need to serve me. She insisted gently saying "You relax. I take care of you." As I thought about it, it made sense. If she likes you then demonstrating that she can be a good girlfriend or wife is very important to her. It would be the same as a guy holding a door open or pulling the seat out for his date. This is her way of saying that she likes me and that this is one of the qualities she intends to bring to the relationship.”

After reading that, I was reminded of similar experiences I’ve had while eating out with Thai girls as well. There’s an all-you-can-eat Korean style BBQ restaurant on Nanai road in Patong that frequent as often as I can. Each table has its own little hot plate that you use to cook the meat and when I’d eat there with a Thai girl, they would insist on cooking the meat for me, serving me first, filling up my water for me - pretty much everything the author of the article was describing.

He then goes on to describe what things are like when dating a girl in the West and I absolutely agree with his perspective.

“It’s very difficult for a woman to screw up on a date unless she doesn’t show up, passes out drunk, or belches at the table. It’s hard for her to screw up the date because she is not the one auditioning. The man is primarily the one who is auditioning. So on a normal farang / farang date the man is expected to demonstrate all of the qualities that he can bring into the relationship and the woman will either approve (agree to a second date) or disapprove (decline a second date) without ever revealing her hand.”

That statement is completely true in my opinion. Western women definitely have the upper hand in the dating scene at the start because if they’re attractive, they’re the ones with the most options. At any given time, they’ll most likely have several guys pursuing them - at which point, they’ll just get to know them all and just weed the guys out one by one. So on the first date, they’re not looking to impress you, there’s no need. They’re looking to be impressed themselves and only if you come with a near-perfect “game” will you be granted a second date.

It’s more of an equal playing field with Thai woman as they’re just as willing to demonstrate what they can bring to the relationship as we are. They’re not afraid of being labeled as subservient, submissive or weak by their peers for catering to their man - providing that he treats her well of course.

The author further illustrates his point by depicting the common relationship scenarios that are portrayed in the mainstream media..

“One needs to look no farther than romantic imagery in the media to see how imbalanced the relationship process is in farang / farang relationships. How does a man show he loves a woman? He buys her roses, chocolates, diamonds, gold, and other gifts. If he’s truly the romantic type he does something huge like fly her off to for an amorous holiday. How does a woman show she loves her husband? Well if we are to believe the media representation of farang / farang relationships then a peck on the cheek might be ample reward for those chocolates. Giving him sex might be the payoff for a diamond ring or a Paris holiday.

The idea of a man constantly showering his wife with gifts and affection is seen as romantic. The idea of a woman who showers her husband with signs of affection is seen as weak and of low self-esteem. In fact, if we’re to believe the media then the best gift a wife can give her husband is to leave him alone. How is the husband rewarded for mowing the lawn and taking care of the manly household chores? He’s allowed to watch football on television. What is the husband’s reward for taking his wife out to go see a "chick flick" which bored him to tears? He gets to go hang out with his mates for a boys night out.”

He’s right again. The media definitely makes it seem that way. I remember watching an episode of King Of Queens where Doug had to take his wife (Carey) to a weekend spa in order to build up enough “wife credit” so that she’d let him go to Vegas with his buddies. Here’s the episode if you wanted to check it out.

So everything considered, it comes to no surprise why so many men end up falling for the Thai ladies. They’re approachable, they’re beautiful, they’re fun and they’re willing to contribute everything they can to the relationship.

Now, with that being said, you really want to avoid making the same mistakes that so many other guys seem to make when they come here. And as for what those mistakes are, well, here are some tips..

The gogo bars: not exactly the best place to search for your soulmate.

Don’t look for a relationship in the wrong places. Upon first sight, places like Patong and Pattaya might seem like great places to meet girls on account of the fact that there’s so many of them. However, the truth is that the girls in those areas are their for a common purpose, and that’s to make money.

Most of them are victims of circumstance and they’re working there because they absolutely have too. Some are single mothers trying to provide for their children. Some are trying to take care of a sick family member. Some are trying to take care of their aging parents who the Thai government doesn’t support. And of course, some are doing all of the above.

Where guys go wrong is that when getting to know the girl and listening to her life story, they’re saddened and they feel like they can save her. They want to be their “knight and shining armour” and show them a better life.

That’s perfectly understandable but what the guy doesn’t realize is that the girl he wants to “save” already has a few other “saviors” from different countries that are sending her money every month. I have quite a few bargirl friends so I get to see things first hand. I actually used to spend a lot of time at the internet café across from my apartment and every night (after the bars close of course), the girls would be in there chatting with their boyfriends.

I’ve sat there and listened to the same girl chat with 3 different guys, all back to back, as if each one of them was the love of her life. The conversations were all pretty much the same and the girl even asked each guy to send her money. They’ll make up some sort of excuse and there’s certainly no lack of creativity either.

A sick family member is probably the excuse I hear them use the most, but from time to time, I’ll hear them give other reasons as well. Their roommate stole their money and they can’t pay for their room; they have to pay for their kids school - the excuses go on and on. It’s really a shame that guys are being manipulated and used by a girl who they believe to be their girlfriend.

These bargirls are experts at deception and while you may think that your girl is different, that she genuinely cares about you and that she’s not after your money - more often than not, you’ll be wrong. Regardless of how cute, built and charming you think you are, the girls family will still come first, and her priorities will never change.

Sure, she might actually be into you. She might even love you. But unless you’re able to financially provide for not only her, but for everyone who she’s been taking care of, then she’s not going to stop working in the bars.

And as much as you’d like to “save” these girls, the truth is that some of them become so hardened - so “damaged” if you will - that they become emotionally unavailable. There’s a great site that I follow called “Stickman Weekly” and in a recent entry, the writer - “stick” as he calls himself - gives his take on how bargirls get lost into the “pay for play” scene. Here’s an excerpt from the entry (the full version can be viewed here).

“I once wrote that guys had 6 weeks to get them out of the industry, after which point they changed. Their sweetness went, their attitude changed and they started to see sex and their body simply as a means of making money. I probably didn't quite get that right, or perhaps, the bar scene has changed - read become more commercial - and that rule may no longer apply. I don't think there is a time period you can put on it but rather, a Thai woman entering the bar industry can be saved by the first farang guy she genuinely falls for. It is he, and only he - that first guy she really falls for - who can take her away with minimal damage. But if for any reason it doesn't work out, then no- one will find the same sweet woman she once was. Farang guys just won't be viewed the same.”

Of course, every situation is different because every girl is different. However, I’ve seen these girls in action first hand. I’ve sat there and heard them flat out lie to their “boyfriends” on the phone and on msn. I actually came across a couple youtube videos that someone uploaded showing exactly that - a Thai girl lying to her boyfriend/sponsor while she was sitting there with another man. Here’s one of the videos where the girl is feeding her boyfriend some bullshit excuse as to why she wasn’t answering her phone (she was really have sex with another guy) and here’s a video where a different Thai girl is kissing and snuggling with one man while asking another to send money to her via msn.

Another mistake that guys make here that ends up getting them into some trouble is that they bounce around from girl to girl without letting each of them know up front what your intentions are. Thai girls can be pretty possessive and jealous at times so if your intent is to be a player - or as they call it, a “butterfly” - while you’re here, then just let them know up front. If you were to hook up with a girl one night, and then go back to the same bar the next night and pick up a different girl, you’re just asking for drama. It just goes back to the whole “losing face” concept that was mentioned in the Thai customs section. The surgeons in Thailand are the best at re- attaching severed penis's for a reason. You don't want to get these women angry.

So that about wraps it up. My experience with the local women has been pretty mixed. I’ve met some wonderful girls and I’ve definitely met some psychos. Just use common sense and just remember you’re on vacation so don’t be falling in love with any of the bar girls.

I've mentioned a Thai dating site on Fight Passport before, but I didn't give up the name simply because I didn't want to negatively influence the guy-to-girl ratio, but since you bought this book, and since I'm not using it anymore anyway, here's the site.. Do yourself a favor though and don't tell too many people about it.. It's a gold mine when it comes to finding quality, educated, “high society” type Bangkok girls.. FOOD & SUPPLEMENTS

I’m sure you’ve had Thai food in your home country at some point. It’s delicious. The main difference between eating Thai food in your home country and eating Thai food in Thailand is that the cost of eating it in Thailand is about 80 percent less than what you’re used to paying. A lot of it is also very, very spicy so if you don’t like spicy food, be sure to mention that as you place your order (“Mai Pet” is how to say “not spicy” in Thai language).

Now depending where you order from, eating out can actually be cheaper than cooking the food for yourself. Actually, every single meal I eat here is from a restaurant or Thai food stall. I never cook, I don't need too. Life in Thailand is great in the sense that the tedious daily tasks back home - like cooking and doing laundry - are so cheap that it’s easier to just outsource them.

The cost of food - even for the exact same dish - will vary from restaurant to restaurant. The cheapest way to eat here is from the Thai food stands. The quality of the food is the same, the only difference is the price. For example, on the same block here, there’s a restaurant targeted towards foreigners and a restaurant that’s targeted towards the Thais..

A plate of chicken fried rice at the tourist restaurant is priced at 100 baht while that same chicken fried rice meal costs 40 baht at the Thai place. Also worth noting is the fact that the tourist restaurant requires you to purchase your beverages separately while the Thai place provides water (with ice) for free.

The tourist restaurant = 100 baht for the meal + 25 baht for a drink + a tip (expected) The Thai restaurant = 40 baht for the meal with free water and tips aren’t expected (but appreciated)

You don’t have to be a mathematician to realize that you can save a lot of money by eating the Thai food at the food stalls with the Thai people.

The meal I eat most frequently is just a boiled chicken breast sliced up and served over a bed of rice with chopped up cucumber slices at the side. It also comes with a mini bowl of soup - which tastes amazing. During my entire first trip, I didn’t even know about the dish. I’d always walk by the food stalls and see a boiled chicken just hanging there but I never thought anything of it. It was only about 2 months into my second trip here that I got tuned into it and since then, I’ve ate it pretty much every day since it’s so cheap (30-40 baht) and the chicken is how I get my protein since I foolishly forgot my protein powder at home.

To order it in Thai, you can do so by asking for “cow men guy” - I’m unsure of the exact spelling but at least that’s how it’s pronounced. If you want it without skin, you can either say “no skin” and hope they understand or you can say “cow men guy (chicken & rice) Mai ow nan (no skin). Once again, I’m writing it based on how it sounds..

Here's one of the food stalls..

And here's what the meal looks like.. Fresh fruit here is both easily attainable and inexpensive. There are markets all over which sell all sorts of fruit and vegetables and the street vendors sell pre-prepared fruit for as little as 10 baht a bag. The street vendors sell everything from pineapples to bananas. They’ll even crack open a coconut for you and stick in a straw. Here’s what the fruit stands look like..

If you take protein supplements - or any other supplements for that matter - I recommend that you bring them from your home country because they’re very overpriced here in Thailand. The protein selection is limited to a only a few brands. The two most common brands I see here are PVL and GNC - both of which retail for between 2 and 3 times what they cost back in Canada.

If you don’t bother to bring protein from home - or if you forget like I did - you’re much better off just getting your protein from the inexpensive meat sources. If I was to buy a single protein shake here, it would cost me around 100 baht. For that same 100 baht, I can buy 3 plates of chicken and rice or I can even buy 10 BBQ chicken kabobs - street vendors sell chicken, beef and pork kabobs for 10 baht each. Here’s a photo so you know what to look for..

Aside from protein, the supplement selection is very limited here. You can find creatine, but they’re about a decade behind the times so it’s just the pure monohydrate powder. Finding multivitamins is no problem at all since there’s pharmacy’s all over the place that sell them. For everything else though, don’t get your hopes up. If you’re looking for something fancy, you’re better off bringing it from home.

I find that supplementing with beta alanine before my training sessions makes a huge difference but since they don’t sell it here, I really have to ration my supply. Beta alanine is a supplement that helps buffer the accumulation of lactic acid by the way - which basically allows you to train at a high intensity for a longer period of time before reaching exhaustion.

Also worth nothing - since it’s somewhat related - is the fact the steroids are actually legal here. Most pharmacies have a binder containing a price list of everything that’s available. I don’t know much about the regular cost of steroids in Canada and the States but I do know that they’re much cheaper here. Now don’t mistake this as a recommendation since I don’t recommend it at all but if you’re going to do it - you’re going to do it. To each his own. TRAINING IN PHUKET

Phuket is an awesome place to train. Just look at the picture, it's paradise. The air is clean, the views are beautiful (depending where you are), the training camps are great and it's just a really fun place to be. Phuket is definitely my favorite place in the world. Whenever I go there, even when I have the intention to leave, I always end up extending my stay. It's just so hard to leave a place so awesome.

The transportation sucks, as mentioned below, but aside from that, everything else about the place is pretty good. As for the training itself, just have a look at the next section. Hopefully it gives you a little more insight into things and helps you with your camp selection. MUAY THAI CAMPS IN PHUKET

There’s quite a few Muay Thai camps in Phuket - most of which cater to foreigners. These foreigner oriented camps are marketed heavily on the internet so there’s a good chance you’re already familiar with a few of them - Tiger, Sinbi and Rawai Muay Thai are the most popular at the moment. Phuket is one of the best places to train simply due to the clean air and the beautiful beaches.

The gyms in Phuket are quite “beginner friendly” and compared to Bangkok, the overall skill level of the foreign students isn't as high. Another main difference when comparing training in Phuket vs Bangkok is that in Bangkok, you're training alongside active Thai fighters (oftentimes fighters that are ranked at the main stadiums) and in Phuket, at most gyms anyway, your fellow students are exclusively foreigners.

I’ve been to most of the camps on the island but there’s still a few of them that are on my “to do” list. For the reviews of each individual camp, just use the search option on Fight Passport and you should be able to find the camp you’re looking for. And if not, then keep checking - it won’t be long before the rest of the reviews are up there.

Here’s a list of the camps throughout the island..

Camp Name Location

Patong Gym Click for Information Sing Patong In the hills on “Pee” road Siam Muay Thai Next to Patong Stadium Tiger Muay Thai Click for Information Dragon Muay Thai Click for Information Suwit Muay Thai Click for Information Rawai Muay Thai Click for Information Sinbi Muay Thai Click for Information Phromthep Muay Thai Click for Information Phuket Muay Thai Click for Information J Prapa Muay Thai Click for Information Chang Muay Thai Click for Information Nai Harn Boxing Gym Click for Information Kiat Thanachot Gym Click for Information

Keep in mind that you don’t necessarily have to book your entire stay prior to showing up. Your best bet is to show up, book yourself into a guest house for a few days and try out some of the gyms before you decide. In my opinion, the 3 main things to consider are..

1. Your Trainer

When you’re training at one of the gyms in Thailand, more often than not one of the trainers will sort of take you under their wing. You’ll work with them a couple times and when you show up from that point on, it’ll just be understood by the other trainers that you two are working together so the other trainers won’t approach you for pad work.

If you don’t get a good trainer right off the bat, you may find yourself in a tricky situation. If you request a change, your original trainer might get offended and in Thailand, nothing is worse than “losing face” as they call it. This is a big reason why I recommend trying out the gym(s) before you pay your money up front and make a long term commitment before you know what the training is going to be like.

If you’re lucky enough to find a good trainer who you vibe with and who makes it their personal mission to help you improve as much as possible, then you should definitely stick around. Finding a great TRAINER is key (not JUST a pad holder). I’ve had some bad ones, some good ones and some great ones. For the most part, the trainers I’ve worked with all over the country have been awesome.

2. The Camp Location

Phuket is a big island and since the public transportation in Phuket isn’t all that great, the camp location can be a decisive factor when it comes to deciding where to train. Chalong for example is home to 3 camps; Tiger Muay Thai, Suwit Muay Thai and Dragon Muay Thai. There’s a lot of good training in that area but aside from training, there really isn’t much to do. The area itself is quite uneventful and the areas that are busier (such as Patong) aren’t as accessible as some people would like. So when deciding if you want to train in Chalong - and other remote areas - you really need to ask yourself if you want to isolate yourself and focus on nothing but your training. If you’re not there to party, if you’re not there for the girls, and if you’re not there for anything but training - then Chalong might be a good option for you.

It also comes down to your will power as well. A lot of guys come with the intention of focusing strictly on their training but as soon as they’re tempted with some of the things that Thailand has to offer (women and partying), their training sort of takes a back seat to the other “activities”.

Chalong and Rawai are both located on the southern part of the island and there’s not a whole lot to do in those areas in terms of nightlife. It’ll take you about half an hour to get from Chalong to Patong so I suppose if you wanted to have a few Saturday nights out, you could certainly do so. It’ll cost you about 15 bucks to get back to the camp when the nights over though - which definitely isn’t that much if you’re only staying for a short time.

Kata beach wouldn’t be a bad place to train. The beach itself is beautiful and it’s a little more developed and touristy than some of the other areas. There's 3 gyms there at the moment; J. Prapa, Phuket Muay Tha and Chang. I haven't been to Chang yet but I've been to J. Prapa and it was surprisingly bad. I trained once at Phuket Muay Thai and from what I remember, it was alright – although it was years ago. Actually, come to think of it, that day at Phuket Muay Thai was the first time I ever tried Muay Thai.

Then, 2 beaches up from , you have Patong. Patong is the most developed beach on the island and it’s the center for the nightlife. I’m not a big drinker at all and when training is my priority, I don’t really give into the temptation that’s present in Patong - but that’s just me. I’ve seen guys get caught up in it all and end up skipping training sessions as a result.

The way I see it though, as long as I don’t fall into a lifestyle that’s going to negatively effect my training, then there’s really no harm in staying in that area due to the convenience of everything. There’s lots of apartments, a modern shopping mall, convenience stores on every block, 2 Muay Thai stadiums and it’s the nightlife central of Phuket. As long as I’m not drinking alcohol, there’s no harm in sitting at the bar, ordering a diet coke or a water and watching some MMA fights on the screens. It doesn’t hurt that there’s a lot of hot girls everywhere either.

All that being said, if you’re coming with your girlfriend/wife/kids or if you don’t think you’ll have the willpower to train there without being distracted by the partying, then you’re probably better off staying somewhere outside of Patong.

3. The Price

Everyone’s financial situation is different and if you’re on a tight budget - as I’m sure a lot of you are - the cost of the gyms can be a limiting factor. As I mentioned above, a lot of the gyms in Phuket are geared towards foreigners and unfortunately, that oftentimes means that the prices for things are going to be jacked up a bit simply because the owners assume that we won’t know the difference.

The average cost for training throughout the island is 8000 baht a month. Some gyms cost a little less, some cost a little more. A couple of the really touristy camps will even charge you a VAT tax which is NOT the norm. I’ve trained at a lot of gyms throughout the country and the only camp that charges the additional tax (out of the camps I’ve been too) is Tiger Muay Thai. Not telling you that to detour you from going there (because the trainers there are excellent), but if that’s the camp you had in mind and if you’re on a tight budget, just keep in mind that you’ll need to pay a 7 percent tax in addition to the 9000 baht per month for the training.

Out of the camps that I’ve visited, the ones that delivered the most bang for the buck would have to be Patong gym and Suwit. (Patong gym recently changed locations and raised their prices a bit but it's still an good value). If you’re on a tight budget - and you want to get a lot of one on one time with the trainer - then both of those are good gyms to consider.

In the common Thailand scams section, I have “monopolized camp locations” listed as one of them. What that means is that a lot of the camps will jack up the room rates well beyond what the normal Thai rates are. To give you an example, Sinbi gym rents out a private room with air conditioning for 22,000 baht per month. Patong gym on the other hand rents out a similar room (with air conditioning, large bed, balcony and internet) for 10,000 baht - less than half of what Sinbi charges. Edit: The room price at Patong is now 12,000 baht per month with an additional charge (1000 baht per month) for internet.

In Phuket, it seems as though most of the camps that are in isolated locations charge a lot more for accommodation - which hardly makes sense. It’s like buying a house out in the country as opposed to the city - the place in the middle of nowhere should be a lot cheaper. Likewise, it doesn’t make sense that I can find decent rooms in Patong - which is the busiest, most well developed beach in the island - for 5000 to 10,000 baht per month while in a remote area like Rawai (where Sinbi is located), the rooms are so expensive. Now that’s not to knock the Sinbi Muay Thai camp as a whole, I recently visited the gym and the training wasn't bad at all. As a matter of fact, I could even recommend it providing that you stay off-site and don't pay for their overpriced accommodation. I wrote up an entire review of my experience here. Here's a quick rundown of my experiences/impressions of these gyms..

J. Prapa: I always thought it was a serious gym but I was wrong. The skill level amongst the students is quite low and the training isn't up to par with the other gyms on the island. This is the only gym I've ever been too in Thailand that has “group” pad work. Here's a detailed review I wrote up on the place.

Patong Boxing Gym: I've spent more time training here than at any other gym in Thailand. The The first time I trained here, the gym was located on small little street surrounded by “happy ending” massage parlors leading to the beach. From there, they moved to a new location up in the hills of Patong. Unfortunately, they had some issues with the land lease and despite the gym being in the perfect location, they had to re-locate to a spot between Patong and Karon.

The gym is now partnered up with the “Secret Cliff” resort and under a new management. Bow, the original gym manager is still there but she's unable to run things the way she always has because she now has more people to answer too. I recently just spent a couple weeks training there (start of 2011) and I wasn't happy with what I saw.

First of all, with the gym being located between two beaches (and two communities), there isn't much around in terms of basic living essentials. The new location doesn't have an on-site restaurant with affordable meals like the old gym had. Rather, you're expected to get your food from the overpriced restaurants at the resort. The laundry service is laughably overpriced as well.

Another downside to the new location is that the running path I once boasted about on my original review is now obsolete. Now, the road is busy and personally, I wouldn't even feel safe running on it. They've also jacked the room rates up by 2000 baht per month (bringing the total to 12,000) and they've decided to charge an extra 1000 baht per month for WIFI internet as well.

At first, I felt really bad because this was the gym that I recommended to everyone simply because I genuinely felt like they were providing the best value in Thailand. I figured they got a taste of success and were starting to get greedy. However, upon questioning things and voicing my displeasure, I found out that Bow, the gym manager, wasn't happy with the new “changes” either and that she was “butting heads” with the management of the resort. Now, it looks as though the gym will be re-locating once again to a spot in Karon (one beach over from Patong). The new site should be completed within the next 4 months or so.

One thing that remained a constant however is the quality of the training. If anything, the training there has actually improved. They're now timing the rounds and rest intervals (4 minutes with 1 minute rest). The consistency amongst the trainers here is awesome as well. You can work with 4 trainers throughout 4 days and get great training each time. I usually work with Ming, and I can highly recommend him, but at this gym, regardless of who you get matched up with, you won't be disappointed.

Dragon: Several of the trainers at Dragon are former trainers from the Patong gym. While I haven't trained at the Dragon facility, I can attest that the trainers there are more then capable having worked with them in Patong. The facilities at Dragon are rapidly expanding due to the increasing popularity. Dragon has built itself up on taking in unsatisfied customers from Tiger Muay Thai since the two gyms are located right next to each other.

Tiger Muay Thai: Tiger is by far the most popular gym in the country. Sometimes they have upwards of 300 students training at a given time. They're one of the only gyms in Thailand that offer both Muay Thai and MMA. At Tiger, it's almost like there's multiple gyms in one facility. When you arrive, your skill will be assessed (they'll just ask you to kick the bag) and based on what they see, they'll tell you to go to either the beginner, the intermediate or the advanced class. I believe there's a “fighters” class as well now. When I was there, my opinions on the place were mixed (read about it here).

The trainers were good, yet oftentimes a bit over worked. There's plenty of structure, which includes bag work, pad work, , clinching, technique etc.. I never did the MMA while I was there simply because I focus solely on Muay Thai while I'm here so I can't comment too much on that. The main thing that I didn't like was the whole vibe of the place. It seemed very commercial and, in other words, with a couple hundred foreigners in an isolated location, it felt more like I was at a summer camp than in Thailand (if that makes any sense). Dragon, Tiger and Suwit are all located close to each other so if you're set on training in the area, be sure to try each of them before you decide. ENTERTAINMENT IN PHUKET

A Fight Night at the New Bangla Boxing Stadium Phuket is a major tourist destination so there’s all sorts of things to do when you’re not training. Of course, your options are influenced by your exact location on the island. If you’re staying in Patong - which is the most developed beach - you’ll have entertainment options everywhere you look.

Patong is home to the major nightlife district - which is mostly located on Bangla road. Technically, I’d label Bangla road as a red light district but it’s unique in the sense that it has regular bars and huge nightclubs mixed in with the go-go scene.

In Patong, you’ll also find a huge western style shopping mall, all sorts of markets where you can pick up some high quality knockoffs, a bungee jump station, 2 Muay Thai stadiums, massage parlors literally on every block, a cinema, a bowling alley and of course - a beach where you can relax, go swimming, or even go rent a jet ski or go parasailing.

There are plenty of camps in more isolated areas on the island such as Chalong and Rawai. These areas are a lot quieter and less convenient but you’ll still have access to some beautiful beaches and just a short motorbike ride away, you’ll have forms of entertainment such as go kart tracks, a zoo and ranges. The nightlife scene in these areas is practically non- existent though.

Phuket is also a land of bootleg DVD’s so you’ll have no trouble finding movies to watch when you’re too exhausted from training to do anything else. The DVD’s in Phuket are cheaper than in both Pattaya and Bangkok so if you wanted to stock up - this is the place. The cost for DVD’s in Phuket (as mentioned here) is 50-60 baht so don’t pay any more than that. In Bangkok and Pattaya, I found had a hard time getting vendors to sell me the videos for under 100 baht.

After a hard week or month of training, you might want to head somewhere where you can really kick back and relax. Well, for about 15 bucks, you can head to Phi Phi island - which is where they filmed the movie “the beach”. It’s definitely one of the most beautiful places on earth. Here are a couple videos of the place..

Video 1 Video 2

A lot of companies offer island tour package deals where they’ll take you around to 3-4 different islands in 1 day. If you decide to go with one of the packages (it’s more expensive), just remember that all prices in Thailand are negotiable so don’t pay the first price you see advertised.

In terms of places to train, Phuket is a good option if you’re looking to blend a typical beach style vacation in with your Muay Thai getaway. The beaches in Phuket - and especially the surrounding islands - are much nicer than the beaches in Pattaya. The air in Phuket is also a lot cleaner than in Bangkok. More on the training in Phuket is available here . GETTING AROUND PHUKET

With westernized pricing and mafia associated drivers, tuk tuk's aren't the best way to get around - unless you're travelling in a group. The transportation in Phuket is extremely inconvenient. Unlike Pattaya, Phuket doesn’t have baht busses that you can just hop on the back of for 10 baht. Rather than baht busses, Phuket has “tuk tuk’s” but unfortunately, “tuk tuk’s” are a complete rip off.

The first tip I got back during my first visit turned out to be a valuable one - don’t mess with the tuk tuk drivers! There’s a reason why there isn’t a convenient form of transportation from beach to beach and that reason is because the tuk tuk drivers are actually the Thai mafia.

Tuk tuk’s are actually about 4 times more expensive than the metered taxi’s in Bangkok and unfortunately, you won’t find any metered taxi’s here in Phuket. Of course, this is also due to the fact that the Thai mafia wants to preserve the valuable income stream that the tuk tuk’s provide.

The motorbike taxi’s are the most affordable form of transportation in Phuket - providing you don’t act like a tourist. The absolute worst thing you can do - and I see so many people make this mistake - is to hop on the back of the motorbike, have the driver take you to your destination, then get off and say “ok, how much?”.

You will get ripped off if you do that. Try to avoid asking “how much?” in general. Locals know how much things cost while tourists don’t - which makes them easy targets. Through experience, I’ve learned that the best thing to do is to approach the driver, tell them where you’re going and just hand them the money before you even get on the back.

Of course, the amount you give them depends on how far you have to travel but for a 10 minute ride or so, I find that 40 baht does the trick. In Phuket, you will also notice that the price for motorbike taxi’s increases at night and around the nightlife district. So if you’re on a tight budget, try to avoid putting yourself in a situation where you’ll have no choice but to pay those jacked up rates.

Another option you have is to rent yourself a motorbike. If you chose to do so, you really need to drive carefully because the rest of the people on the island don’t! Motorbike accidents are the leading cause of death here in Phuket and whenever I see a Thai person with a scar and ask them what happened, the answer is always the same - “motorbike accident”.

A guy I met while training at Tiger Muay Thai put it best. He was also from Canada and here’s what he had to say about driving a motorbike here in Thailand..

“In Canada, the only thing you have to worry about while on the road is a bad Asian driver.. But here, you’re in ASIA!”

It’s ok, he was Asian - he’s allowed to say that..

Aside from everything I mentioned so far, you do have another option if you need to go long distances throughout Phuket. There is public transportation - but it sucks! Every half an hour or so (up until 5pm), you can catch a bus along the beach in Patong which will take you all the way to Phuket town and vice versa - from Phuket town to Patong.

The cost per ride is only 25 baht but the ride seems to take forever. The bus goes extremely slow and there has even been times where I’ve been waiting for it along the beach and it just never came by - so it’s not very reliable. So that about wraps it up and lastly, if you do chose to rent yourself a motorbike, make sure that you don’t get ripped off. One guy I met told me he paid 6000 baht a month for his. I’ll tell you this, the average cost of a motorbike rental is between 3000-4000 per month, so don’t overpay!

COST OF LIVING IN PHUKET

Most people will tell you that Phuket is one of the most expensive places in Thailand and for certain things, I’d have to agree. However, that’s not to say that you can’t get by here on a tight budget. Judging by the people I talk too here – bar girls excluded - the average monthly wage seems to be anywhere in the 6,000-10,000 baht range. Family mart and 7 eleven workers earn around 1US dollar per hour and they seem to get by.

So yes, Phuket can be expensive but if Thai people are living on such small sums of money, that just means that there are rooms to be found with low monthly rates and there’s food to be found at very low prices. After all, the Thai’s have somewhere to eat and sleep right? The hard part (as a foreigner) is finding these places.

Accommodation

The best thing to do when you’re apartment hunting is to get a Thai local to help you out. If you go apartment hunting on your own, it’s likely that you’re going to be quoted monthly rates that are double and oftentimes triple what Thai people would be charged.

When I went apartment searching here, I tried it on my own for a while and granted it was high season at the time (November - February), I was blown away by some of the quotes people were giving me. Thailand is a second-to-third world country where the average earnings per capita is almost 4 times less than the average earnings in Canada and the US and yet, some of the monthly price quotes for a single room were comparable to the mortgage payments on a house back home.

It didn’t really make much sense and yes, I’m familiar with the concept of supply and demand but this was right after the protesters shut down the airport so while it was technically “high season”, the vacancy rates were pretty high due to the political turmoil.

I did end up finding a few rooms that were seemingly affordable but upon further questioning, I discovered that they intended to charge me 10 baht per unit of electricity that I used. Funny how they planned on charging me 10 baht per unit when the government only charges around 5 baht per unit. This is actually one of the most common scams - and understandably so - since tourists have no idea what the government rates are.

It was at this point when I decided to enlist the help of a Thai friend. We went apartment hunting and within 20 minutes, I had found a nice room, right by the boxing stadium for 5000 baht per month and the government rate for my electric bill. It wasn’t the Hilton but it served its purpose. Here's a photo of the place...

If you’re not staying for a long time and can afford to splurge on a more luxurious place to stay, you’ll certainly find what you’re looking for. Phuket is a very popular tourist destination - the majority of the Muay Thai camps are even geared towards foreigners - so you’ll find all sorts of amazing resorts throughout the island.

S h o ppi n g As discussed here, there’s duel pricing on almost everything in Thailand. The prices fluctuate and are dependent on how much the vendor thinks they can get out of you. They might “size you up” a bit at the start by asking you “where you come from?” and “how long you stay here?” By asking you those questions, what they’re really trying to determine is if you’re from a country with a good economy (how much money you have) and if you’ve been in Thailand long enough to what the real prices are.

So as for the real prices, here’s what you can expect to pay for select items in the markets here in Phuket..

Billabong Shorts 250-300 baht CD’s 80-100 baht DVD’s 50 – 60 baht Tank Tops 100-150 baht Twins Gloves 1400-1900 baht (buy in Bangkok for best price) Sandals 150-300 baht Hats 200-250 baht T-Shirts 150-250 baht (depending on the quality) Muay Thai Shorts Approx. 600 (fluctuates depending on quality).

F o o d

Food in Phuket is slightly more expensive than in Pattaya and Bangkok but it's still cheap as long as you eat at the Thai food stalls. In Bangkok and Pattaya, the average cost for a plate of chicken and rice at the food stall is about 30 baht and in Phuket, it's 40 baht. 40 baht is slightly over 1 dollar so it's not a big deal. They also have subway's (the restaurant) all over Patong and they have a “sub of the day” menu and you can get a 6 inch sub for around 2 dollars (69 baht). TRAINING IN PATTAYA

As mentioned throughout the section, Pattaya is a fun city that draws men by the flocks from all over the world. They come here to let loose, relax, eat good food, drink good beer and hook up with hot women. That's really the main attraction here; the booze and the women.

Of course, there's great Muay Thai here as well but with a quick look around at all the fat old men, it becomes quite evident that the vast majority of the people that come here aren't here for boxing lessons.

It is what it is though. I'm not against having hot women all over the place. Call me crazy, but I kind of like it. That being said, some people – actually, most people – would find Pattaya to be a little too distracting. So keep that in mind. If you want to limit all distractions and focus 100 percent of your efforts on your training, then Pattaya really isn't the place.

However, if you're coming to Thailand to train AND party, then you'll probably have yourself a wild time here. Keep in mind, a lot of criminals flock to Pattaya and it has a rather high crime rate.. MUAY THAI CAMPS IN PATTAYA

While Muay Thai certainly isn’t the main attraction in Pattaya - which is evident upon first glance at all the old, overweight sex tourists that populate the city - there’s a surprising amount of great gyms there. I spent about 3 months here and during my stay, I got some great training in.

I trained at the legendary Sityodtong camp and while at the Fairtex resort, I got to share the ring with Yodsanklai - who’s a former lumpinee stadium champion and the winner of the contender Asia reality series. I also spent a lot of time at Scorpion gym (now “Golden ”), which I felt was the most convenient and reasonably priced of them all.

Here’s a list of the camps in Pattaya (I may be leaving some out)..

Camp Name Location

Fairtex Pattaya Click for Information Sityodtong Far .. Take a Taxi Click for Information Sipholek Gym Sukhumvit Soi 34 Kombat Group Click for Information RMB Gym Click for Information WKO Gym Click for Information Sor. Klinmee Click for Information

Fairtex Pattaya: Of all the gyms in Pattaya, the Fairtex one is by far the nicest. Actually, in terms of the actual facility, it’s definitely the nicest in Thailand. It’s a full out resort with rooms, basketball and tennis courts, a pool, a fully equipped weight lifting gym and to top it off, they basically buy champion fighters so you’ll have the opportunity to train alongside some of the best fighters in the world.

If money was of no issue, I’d go to the Fairtex gym at least a couple times a week. I’ve only been there once but it was a good experience. If you’re going to be in Pattaya, I definitely recommend checking it out at least once. The cost per session at the Fairtex gym is 800 baht per session, which is a lot more than not only the other gyms in Pattaya, but it’s most likely the most expensive gym in the country. But the high price is somewhat justified when you consider how much money they invested into the place.

Sityodtong: Sityodtong is off the beaten path. To get to the legendary Sityodtong camp from central Pattaya, it’ll take you about 15 minutes and about 80-100 baht via motorbike taxi. My overall experience at Sityodtong was a good one as well. They’re not money oriented there whatsoever and the cost per training session is only 250 baht.

Like any gym, Sityodtong had it’s positives and negatives. The positives would be the affordability, the history and the authenticity of the place. By “authenticity” I mean that Sityodtong has brought up a lot of champions (training the fighters from childhood) and just the fact that the place is so well known and respected. I wrote up a few Sityodtong articles on Fight Passport (read here and here).

The location can be a positive or a negative, depending on how you look at it. If you're solely about the training, then being isolated away from the Pattaya mayhem would be a good thing. However, if you're on somewhat of a “training holiday”, and you want to enjoy the nightlife as well, then you may be a little inconvenienced having to commute to the gym every day.

A lot of top fighters have been produced at the Sityodtong camp, most notably, Samart Payakaroon – who is widely considered to be one of the best Muay Thai practitioners in the history of the sport. The training intensity at the gym varies depending on the purpose of your stay. They're still training children in hopes that they become future champions but also, since the gym is so respected and is welcoming to foreigners, you get a lot of Pattaya “sexpats” that train there as well. It's definitely worth checking out though.

Golden Glory: I spent a few months based out of Scorpion gym and I really enjoyed the training there. About a year ago, Scorpion gym was purchased by Golden Glory (famous team based out of Holland), and the team is now using the facility to prepare for their fights in , Korea etc.

Alistair Overeem held a portion of his training camp in Pattaya prior to the K-1 tournament this year. The idea of having the gym here in Thailand is to prevent jet leg when the fighters fight overseas. The gym is still open to the public and they've kept the same drop in rate of 250 baht. Whit, who was a trainer at Scorpion, is still holding pads for students there. Unfortunately, Somphot, who was the most technical trainer I've ever worked with, isn't training there anymore.

Kombat Group: When I was training at Scorpion, I took a day off and tried out the “Kombat Group” gym. The owners of the place were really nice and let me try out the gym for free, but to be honest, I wasn’t really impressed. I did a couple rounds of pad work (it may have been only 1 round actually) and during the rest period, the trainer just started training another student and that was that. I was left to hit the heavy bag on my own.

It could have just been an isolated bad experience since I only went there once but if I’m basing things on that training session, I can’t really recommend the place - especially considering how many other good gyms there are in Pattaya.

There’s so many good gyms in Pattaya that you can even find them by taking a wrong turn, and that’s how I found this one . I don’t remember the name of it but it was just off of the Sukhumvit road sort of near the Tesco Lotus. Training at that place was cool because I was probably the only foreigner who had trained there in years. The true definition of a back alley gym.

WKO Gym: The World Kumite Center is located on Pattaya central road just 1 block east of Carrefour. Not much is known about this gym since they don't even have a website. They offer boxing, MMA, and Muay Thai. What's interesting though, is that apparently Sakmongkol is one of the Muay Thai trainers here. Sakmongkol is a legend of the sport, a lumpinee and raja stadium champion and he has wins over fighters such as John Wayne Parr and . However, I heard a rumor that he was moving to Denver to teach out of a school there. If that's true, hopefully it'll be a temporary thing and he'll make his way back to Pattaya.

RMB Gym: Not a bad place to train at all. There's not much structure and the training is very independent. You just sort of arrive, “book” a trainer, warm up and then go through the pad work. Everything else is “up to you” as they say here in Thailand. That being said, the gym is easily accessible via baht bus (10 baht) and I've always gotten a full 5 rounds with the trainer. They've had some good trainers working here as well, Sudsakorn being one of them. Unfortunately, he's not there anymore though. I think he's splitting his time between a gym in and his family gym, Sor Klinmee.

Sor. Klinmee: Sor. Klinmee is located in Bang Lamong, which is just outside of Pattaya. The head trainer here is “Tappaya Sit Or”, who's a former champion, champion and WMC world champion. Not only is he an accomplished fighter, but he's also trained his nephews, Ramba Somdet “M-16” and Sudsakorn to titles as well. At the time of this writing, Sudsakorn is involved in an 8 man tournament at Omnoi stadium and in the second round, which was on TV last weekend, he defeated Kem Sitsongpeenong on points.

I haven't had a change to visit Sor. Klinmee but as soon as I do, I'll put up a review on Fight Passport. It seems like it could be a “hidden gem” though, especially considering that training there is only 200 baht per session.

So, the training here is of good quality and it’s affordable. The main thing to consider though when trying to decide if Pattaya is an ideal place for you to be training is whether or not you can block out all the distractions and stay focused. And by distractions, I’m referring to the “entertainment” options around the city. ENTERTAINMENT IN PATTAYA

Forget Vegas; Pattaya Thailand is the real sin city! And if you have any doubt, then check this out. Mention Pattaya to a friend in-the-know or even type it into Google or Youtube and your immediate feedback will be all based around the same topic - girls, girls and more girls!

I read somewhere that there’s just under 100 go-go bars (strip clubs) in Pattaya alone. To put that number into perspective, try to imagine your home city with over a hundred strip bars. The girls and alcohol don’t stop there though. In addition to the hundred-or-so strip clubs, there’s likely between 700-800 “beer bars” - all of which have a bunch of girls available for the customers as well.

As soon as you walk out of your hotel room and witness the scene for the first time, you almost laugh to yourself in disbelief that a place like this actually exists in the world. As you walk around, you’ll have packs of beautiful women screaming and waving you over to come and sit with them.

A lot of guys come to Thailand to train and get caught up in the party scene. That’s fine and all, do what makes you happy but don’t get drunk and make stupid decisions. If you’re going to involve yourself in the “P4P” (pay for pleasure) scene, then I recommend you get the girls from the gogo’s and beer bars rather than the street and in the nightclubs. Reason being is because most of the girls working for proper establishments undergo mandatory HIV tests every 1-3 months and their results are required to be kept on file at the club. Now that doesn’t guarantee that the girls are clean - especially considering that it takes up to 3 months of even being infected to stimulate an HIV positive result - but the tests, along with your own protective measures (condom use) will certainly reduce your risks.

When a girl is freelancing, you need to ask yourself why? Sure, some of them just prefer it because they don’t have a boss to answer too, they can work when it’s convenient for them and perhaps they’re trying to avoid the stigma of being a “bargirl”, but then there’s always the possibility that they’re freelancing because they’ve been kicked out of the beer bars and gogo bars due to a failed STD test.

Not to mention the fact that picking up freelancers puts you at more of a risk. If you get drugged, if you get robbed, if anything happens whatsoever - you may never be able to track this girl down again. If something like that were to happen with a girl you picked up from a proper establishment, you could go there the next day to find out exactly who she is.

Women and alcohol aside, there are still plenty of other ways to entertain yourself in Pattaya while you’re not training. There’s a stadium (Fairtex stadium) where you can go and watch live Muay Thai fights. There’s a couple beaches where you can go to relax - although the beaches in Pattaya certainly don’t compare to the beaches in Phuket.

There’s a big shopping mall (Mikes shopping mall) with a rooftop pool that most people don’t even know about. There’s go kart tracks and shooting ranges. There’s huge movie theaters and great gyms. Actually, there’s a California Wow gym in Pattaya that’s coincidently located right next to the movie theater. If you’re staying long term, I’d recommend training at California wow but if you’re only there for a short time, and you’re on a budget, then just train at the Tony’s gym off walking street since it’s only 100 baht per visit. Of course, that’s if you have any energy left after all the Muay Thai training.

There’s also a tiger zoo, a crocodile farm and various markets and temples. If anything, there’s almost too many things to do in Pattaya. If you’re someone who gets easily distracted, then you might get caught up with in the wild Pattaya lifestyle and your training my suffer as a result. If you’re a single guy who’s looking for a balance between training during the day and partying at night, then you’ll probably enjoy what Pattaya has to offer. GETTING AROUND PATTAYA

The Pattaya "Baht Buses": Just wave one down and hop on the back. The cost is a mere 10 baht.

Pattaya can be pretty overwhelming when you first arrive but once you understand how the baht buses run, getting around is both convenient and affordable. The baht buses in Pattaya run constantly and all you need to do is wave one down and hop on the back. The cost for doing so is a mere 10 baht (you pay when you get off) but the downside to this is the fact that you have to understand the pre-determined routing in order to get to where you want to go.

And oftentimes, the routines will randomly change so you really have to know where to get off if the driver decides to take an unexpected turn. It took me about 2-3 weeks to really understand the routes. I also saw a lot of people make the mistake of asking the driver the question that all Thai people want to hear - “how much?”. In one particular instance, their destination was on the pre-determined route but that didn’t stop the driver from quoting them 100 baht each when had they known, they could have just hopped on the back for 10 times less.

Another thing worth mentioning is the fact that when riding these buses, you should make sure that you have exact change to pay with because on more than one occasion, I paid with a 20 baht note and even a 50 baht note and the driver just said thank you and tried to drive away in hopes that I didn’t know any better. Can’t really blame them for trying though, most tourists either don’t know or just don’t care because 50 baht really isn’t a lot of money at all. But of course, when you’re staying for a long time - it all adds up. Another good way to get around is via motorbike taxi. As I also mention in the Phuket transportation section, the best way to save money when it comes to motorbike taxis is to give the cash up front before you even get on the back. You’ll need to have a general idea regarding how much to pay but here’s a little guideline..

From central Pattaya to Jomtein I would pay 60 baht (although you can take a couple baht busses instead). From central Pattaya to Sityodtong I would pay between 80-100 baht, and as mentioned in the Pattaya Muay Thai camp section, the Sityodtong gym is pretty far away. Based on the fact that you can get all the way out to there for 100 baht or less, you can get pretty much go anywhere in the Pattaya region for the same.

Once you get used to taking the motorbike taxis, the right amount to pay will become evident but remember, if you ask before hand, you’ll usually get quoted an inflated amount. And if you get tired of paying someone else to drive you around all the time, you can just rent your own motorbike for approximately 3000 baht per month or so.

If you decide to rent a motorbike, just make sure that you carry around your license and passport at all times and make sure you wear your helmet in the zones where you’re required to do so. Thailand is weird in the sense that it’s not required that you wear a helmet at all times, but rather, you only have to wear it in certain areas.

Being a foreigner, you’re a target for police officers who are looking to line their pockets with some bribe money. Cops in Thailand don’t exactly get a lucrative salary so oftentimes, they rely on bribes to make ends meet. Since Thai people assume we all have money, it’s likely that you’ll be pulled over at every opportunity they have. Just follow the rules of the road, make sure you have all the necessary documents (photocopy of your passport is important) and don’t give them a reason to even pull you over.

So, between renting a motorbike, taking a motorbike taxi and hopping one of those baht buses, getting around in Pattaya is a piece of cake once you know your way around. The convenience of getting around in Pattaya is something I really missed when I flew down to Phuket. COST OF LIVING IN PATTAYA

Another thing that I liked about Pattaya - aside from the Muay Thai and the hot girls everywhere - was the fact that it’s quite inexpensive compared to Bangkok and Phuket. Sure, you can get by on a tight budget in both those places, but it requires a little more effort when it comes to searching out the deals. In Pattaya, it’s not hard to find cheap food, a cheap room, cheap training and well, whatever else it is that you’re looking for.

As always, the best way to find a cheap room is with the assistance of a Thai. However, even without a local helping you out, you have a pretty good chance at finding a nice, yet reasonably priced room on your own. There’s something for every budget in Pattaya.

There’s guesthouses all over the place with the average nightly room rate being between 500 - 700 baht. If you stay for a month and up, you can get yourself a discounted rate. I stayed in the rooms above “club blu” for a month and paid 12,000 baht. The room was pretty small, but it was modern and comfortable. I also had maid service there, which as I’ve come to learn, is something that I absolutely need. Here are some photos of the place.

Another decent place to stay is in Jomtein at the View Talay condos. You don’t get the room cleaning there but they’re nice buildings in a quiet area. Building 1 and 2 are the least expensive. The other view talay buildings are a lot nicer, but they’re more expensive as well. I lived in the view talay 2 building for a while. Once was with a Thai girl who was paying 6000 baht per month for a fairly large room and the second time was on my own - after the Thai girl went crazy - and as I recall, I was paying a higher rental rate than she was, but it was still pretty reasonable. Here’s a photo of the complex..

And if you’re really on a budget, you can certainly find rooms in the 5000 baht per month range. You won’t have maid service and you may have to pay for your electricity usage separately, but if you’re staying long term and you‘re trying to limit your spending, there’s no shortage of inexpensive rooms.

As already mentioned in the Pattaya Muay Thai section, the training is pretty cheap as well. Scorpion and Sityodtong both charge 250 baht per session and if you’re training at the camps long term, you can get those rates discounted further. If you’re training once a day, you can get a month of training at Scorpion for under 4000 baht.

So, the rooms are cheap, the training is cheap, the transportation is cheap (as mentioned in the “getting around Pattaya” section) and the food, well ..the food is cheap all throughout the country as long as you at the Thai food stalls.

If you’re here strictly for the training, then Pattaya is very affordable. That being said, while the necessities in Pattaya are inexpensive, the people that come here end up spending more than they would have if they had went somewhere else.

And the reason why people end up spending so much here, as mentioned in the Pattaya entertainment section, is because there’s just so much to do. There’s a lot of temptation here so if you’re on a budget, you really need to exercise a lot of restraint to stay away from the naughty nightlife - which is where most people end up dumping their money.

And if you’re in a good financial situation and you have money to blow, then enjoy it because Pattaya is a place where you can live like a rock star for the same amount of money that you’re likely spending in your home country to sustain a modest, uneventful lifestyle. TRAINING IN BANGKOK

For myself personally, Bangkok isn't an ideal place to train. It's overly populated and overly polluted. I like having my space and I especially like having clear air to breathe while I'm running, so the population and the pollution really turn me away from the city.

That being said, some of the best gyms, with the best fighters, are located here so thats a major advantage that training in Bangkok provides. The entertainment options in a city like this are endless and the cost of living – providing you live like the locals – is very affordable.

Since the international flights arrive and depart from the Bangkok airport, you'll likely be arriving in Bangkok prior to embarking on your final destination, in which case, I certainly recommend that you spend a couple nights here, check out some of the gyms, swing by lumpinee stadium and pick up some cheap training gear and just check out the sights. MUAY THAI CAMPS IN BANGKOK

Bangkok is, as they say, “where the big boys are”. The best fighters in the country tend to live and train in the Bangkok area simply because the most prestigious stadiums are located here. The Lumpinee and Rajadamnern stadiums are the pinnacle of Muay Thai and the fighters that fight here are the most respected in the country. And it only makes sense that if they’re actively fighting at those stadiums, that they train nearby as well. As for where they’re training, well, here’s a list of some of the Muay Thai camps in (and around) Bangkok.

Camp Name Location

Kaewsamrit Gym Click Here for Information Sasiprapa Gym Click Here for Information Ingram Gym Click Here for Information Fairtex Bangplee Click Here for Information Por Pramuk Gym (Outside Bangkok) Click Here for Information Bangkok Fight Club Click Here for Information Chacrit Muay Thai Click Here for Information Fighting Spirit Gym Click Here for Information Jitti Gym Click Here for Information Jockey Gym Click Here for Information Kiatphontip Gym Click Here for Information Muay Thai Institute Click Here for Information Rompo Gym Click Here for Information 1 Click Here for Information Sor Vorapin 2 Click Here for Information 13 Coins Gym Click Here for Information Keatkhamtorn Click Here for Information Sitsongpeenong Click Here for Information Muay Thai Plaza 2004 Click Here for Information Poptheeratham Gym Click Here for Information Eminent Air Gym Click Here for Information Chuwattana Gym Click Here for Information Pinsinchai Gym Click Here for Information Saengmorakot Gym Click Here for Information

Many of these these camps have a lot of history and a solid track record for producing quality fighters. I haven't been to them all, but I'm working on it. Here's a quick breakdown of a few of them..

Por Pramuk Gym: Perhaps the most famous of these camps due to the success of Buakaw Por Pramuk in the K-1 Max tournament. I haven't been there yet personally, so I can't comment on the training but I have a friend who's been there a couple times and he provided a valuable tip..

If you look at their website, it says that they’ll pick you up and take you to the camp for 2000 baht. Two-thousand baht may not seem like a lot of money but regardless, it's too much to pay when you can get there for 300. To do that, here’s what you need to do..

• Go to the Ekkamai bus station (Ekkamai station via BTS skytrain) • Buy a ticket to go to Shaoshensao (about 90 baht and an hour and a half away) • When you arrive, get a tuk tuk to take you to the gym (150-200 baht)

Kaewsamrit Gym: Won the prestigious “gym of the year” award on several occasions. Anuwat is the most famous fighter out of this camp, followed by “Bovy” Sor Udomson. Both fighters have aggressive styles and while they're exciting and get a lot of , they take a lot of damage as well. The gym has gained a lot of popularity and based on what I hear, it's oftentimes quite busy. I'll be visiting and reporting on the gym soon so if you do a search on Fight Passport in the near future, you'll be able to get some more information.

One thing worth mentioning though is that Kaewsamrit makes their own line of Muay Thai equipment and the Kick Pads are considered to be the highest quality and the preferred choice at many of the gyms throughout Thailand. You might want to pick yourself up a pair while you can since they're only available at the gym.

Sasiprapa gym: Has also won the “gym of the year” award and unlike Kaewsamrit and Por Pramuk, I’ve actually trained at this camp. The gym is located near “The Mall Bangkapi”. I've lived in Bangkapi for a few months and during that time, I was cross training between 13 coins and Sasiprapa. Sasiprapa is a small, modest facility but it provides quality training. The skill level amongst the foreigners training there is quite high though so you may find it intimidating if you're a complete beginner. The training is serious, with timed rounds/rest intervals. If I was to have a complaint about this gym, it would be regarding the inconsistency of the pad holders. Some are great, while others are rather old. Not that they don't have extensive knowledge regarding technique and whatnot, but I imagine it's rough for them to be holding pads for hard kickers.

– I've profiled Sasiprapa here and here, so check it out for some more information..

Sor Vorapin: Has 2 branches, one being located on the infamous Khao San Road. I've been to the Khao San Road branch and to be honest, I hated it. I don't recommend this gym at all and here's why. I haven't been to the 2nd location though so I can't comment on it.

13 Coins: I've spent about 3 months training here. When I arrived, things were awesome but by the time I left, there had been a lot of negative changes. Most of the foreigners students left due to poor training, mistreatment and the departure of the in-gym superstars ( and Pornseneh). The area is great (I'm writing this update right now from an apartment down the road from the gym), but I can't recommend training at the gym at the moment. I put together a detailed review of the place here.

Fairtex: The Bangkok Fairtex facility is located in an area called “Bangplee” - which is somewhat near the airport. I stopped by once to check out the facilities, the training and the overall “vibe” of the place. The on-site facilities are great (fitness center, pool etc) but the accommodations are laughably over-priced. For some reason, when I went to check it out, training was canceled so I can't comment too much on that.

If anything, if you're into Fairtex gear, I'd recommend stopping by the place to pick some up. There's some great deals in the on-site shop (cheapest prices around for unfilled training bags). There's also a Fairtex facility in Pattaya (profiled here). Something worth noting about the Fairtex gyms is that Yodsanklai Fairtex does his training out of the Pattaya facility and the head trainer at the Bangplee location is Apidej Sit-Hirun – who was named the “fighter of the century” by the King of Thailand.

Rompo Gym: Rompo was, and perhaps still is, the training home to Ramazan Ramazanov. At the time of this writing, Ramazan the world heavyweight Muay Thai champion. That’s what's awesome about the sport of Muay Thai. You have these current and former world champions and for about 10 bucks, you can actually go train with them. I can’t think of any other sport where you can do that.

The Rompo gym is located in a district of Bangkok called Klong Toey. Within the Klong Toey district lies the largest, most crime-ridden slum in the city. I haven't been to Rompo yet, so I can't comment on the exact location of the slum in relation to the gym but if you're planning on training at the gym, it's at least something to take note of.

Jockey Gym: Here's a secret that not too many people are in on. Jockey gym is OPEN – despite the fact that their website says otherwise. Some of the top fighters in the sport have trained out of Jockey. Saenchai, Kaoklai, Jean Charles Skarbowsky, Lerdsila Chumpairtour, Somrak Khamsing; the list goes on and on. I've trained at Jockey a few times thus far and I plan on making some more trips. It's a long journey (all the way to the Bang Sue MRT station) followed by a 50 baht taxi ride. You'll need to ask the driver to take you to the “Kalad Te Ma” market, at which point, just ask a local to point you in the right direction (it's a 5 minute walk from there).

The 2 trainers there are the original trainers that trained all the champions. Lerdsila is still there as well as a few other Thai boys. The gym is very quiet and unique in the sense that after training, they all crack open bottles of whiskey and start smoking cigarettes. Jean Charles Skarbowsky, who was “made” at this gym, is one of George St. Pierre's Muay Thai coaches and on season 12 of the “ultimate fighter”, he made an appearance. If you haven't seen it, here it is. Now I know where he got the drinking habit from..

Kiatphontip Gym: is located in the outskirts of Bangkok and it’s owned by Rob Cox. Rob is originally from London, England but he’s now living in Thailand, running his gym and he’s been working as a Muay Thai journalist for the past few years. He speaks fluent Thai and which is a plus since I doubt many people speak English in the area. Although I’ve never been to this gym, I’ve heard good things about the training so it might be worth checking out. I'll be going soon because it's main appeal with me is that it has a “countryside feel”, which means FRESH AIR, yet it's still about a 13 dollar taxi ride from central Bangkok.

Sitsongpeenong: I have mixed feelings about this gym. I absolutely love the area. but as for the training, it's hot and cold. The gym is situated next to the Rama 9 park – which is beautiful. It's a nice quiet area with great scenery. I can just imagine starting my training sessions off with a run through the area. I was planning on training out of the gym and I even had my apartment all picked out. Before committing, I decided to try the gym one more time but unfortunately, neither me or my friend were impressed with it..

It was the same old story. You know, , punch, punch .. kick, kick, kick – get you tired and they collect your money. They train hard here, but they're not a technical gym. The rounds are timed (4 minutes) with only a 30 second rest period. I'd say it's a serious gym, and it's certainly not “beginner friendly”. The owner has even told me that he wants a “fighters gym”, so if you're just starting out, you may feel out of place.

The training facilities are great, as are the on-site rooms. However, as of April 2011, people who stay off-site (get your own apartment) will NOT be admitted access to the training. This is horrible. The rooms, while nice, are quite expensive and by restricting training to only the on- site guests, it shows that the number 1 here is to turn a profit.

The students who are the most serious about learning Muay Thai (and eventually taking it back and spreading the art in our home countries) are NOT the ones who can afford to pay 50,000 baht per month for training and a room. Rather, we're usually the ones who stay in Thailand for a long time and live on a budget to stay as long as we can to ultimately learn as much as possible. I don't agree with what they're doing and I just hope that the other gyms don't follow suit and do the same.

Eminent Air: I stopped by the gym to check out a session and the training appeared to be high quality. The atmosphere was great, the skill level amongst the foreigners was high and the trainers were friendly. The downside is that the cost for training was much higher than the norm. At 15,000 baht per month just for training (roughly 2x the average Thai salary), the cost to train might be a roadblock.

However, when we were there, my friend started to negotiate and he was able to get 2x per day training for 12,000 baht per month. Still overpriced, but much better than 15k. I imagine that if the owner was willing to knock off 3000 baht off 2x per day, she might even be willing to knock 3k off 1x per day training – which would bring the cost down to 7000 baht per month.

Price aside, the training and atmosphere here seemed to be top notch so if it's in your budget, I can certainly recommend the place.. Here were my impressions of the gym.

Saengmorakot: I went to this gym with high hopes. It was hard to find (as its located within the temple gates) but unfortunately, I was disappointed with what I saw. The gym has a great reputation for producing quality fighters and it looked as though they were in the process of doing so. However, the majority of the Thai fighters at the gym were young and tiny. There were a couple bigger guys, but they were few and far between. I took some videos while I was there and included a price list as well. Check it here.

Keatkhamtorn: They train hard here and the gym is known for their clinch work. They sort of break their afternoon session down into two phases. Things will start off with a run, which is followed by bag work, pad work and some technical sparring. Once all that's done with, everyone sort of takes a break, takes a quick shower and meets back in the ring for clinching. Keatkhamtorn is known for their clinch work simply because they spend more time on it than at other gyms.

At 1200 baht per day for training/accommodation (36,000 baht per month), Keatkhamtorn is extremely overpriced. It's the same old story. If you go with one of these all-in package deals, they're going to rip you off. For that price, you don't even get your own room. Rather, you get a shared room with a couple mattresses on the floor. If you want to train here, you're much better off paying for your training and staying off-site. There's plenty of nearby accommodation available in the 5000 baht per month range.

I've trained here once, but I have a few close friends who trained at the gym for a long time. It's a serious gym. The training is structured and hard. Nopparat Keatkhamtorn is the top fighter at the gym although they have a few other high level fighters as well.

Here's some footage and my initial impressions of the place from when I went.

Jitti Gym: Jitti is a modest gym with a long history. It's located directly across the street from the Ratchada MRT station – so the location is extremely convenient. The purpose of the gym is to make money rather than produce fighters. When I went in, my initial conversation with the owner went something like this..

Jitti: “Do you want to train?” Me: “Yes” Jitti: “Can you pay me now?” Me: “Um.. alright, I suppose”

I was asked for money before I even set down my bag. Actually, I was asked for the money before I was asked for my name. Jitti Gym is an “international” Muay Thai school which means that cater specifically to foreigners. There are no Thai fighters training out of this gym. There's 1 ring, a few run down bags and usually a lot of students. The website says that the cost per session is 300 baht but when I got there, I was charged 400. The monthly cost for training is 12,000 baht. My pad work wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either. It was average. I won't be going back.

Poptheeratham Gym: This is a fairly new gym that's owned by Samart Payakaroon. Samart, who was brought up at the Sityodtong gym, is a 4 time lumpinee champion (4 different weight classes) and a WMC boxing world champion. He's widely considered to be one of the greatest Muay Thai fighters ever and he's extremely famous here in Thailand (he's also an actor). His gym is expensive (as expected) but if the price suits your budget, it might be worth checking out. I'll be going soon to report on it and hopefully pick up a few pointers from Samart himself.

Chuwattana: Chuwattana is a “heavy handed” gym so if your boxing needs work, Chuwattana may be a good option. The gym is located in Chinatown and from what I hear, it's pretty hard to find. I haven't been there yet, so I can't comment on the training but if you head there before me, here's a guide that will help you find the place. The top fighters at this gym is Lamsongkram – who is a WMC, S1 and Raja stadium champion.

As for the other gyms listed, I haven’t visited them yet. I can’t exactly recommend them and I can’t necessarily say anything bad about them either. However, I do plan on visiting them all and as I visit new camps, this training guide will be updated and as previously mentioned, I’ll be sending out revised editions to everyone as content as added. GETTING AROUND BANGKOK

Since Bangkok is a mega city with over 11 million people, the traffic situation is a nightmare. There’s been a few occasions where I’ve spent upwards of an hour in a taxi just to get to a location that’s about 5-10 blocks away. The only good thing about taking a taxi in Bangkok, providing you avoid the busiest districts during peak hours, is the fact that they’re unbelievably cheap.

However, being a foreigner, a lot of the taxi drivers will try to get you to agree to a flat rate instead of going by the meter (just in the tourist areas though). They actually claim that the flat rate will be cheaper but it’s definitely not. If you’re a foreigner visiting their country, they automatically assume that you’re rich simply based on the fact that you can afford to take a holiday so believe me, the Bangkok taxi drivers are not trying to save you money. So just hop in, tell the driver where you want to go and if he refuses to go by the meter, just get out and find another cab since they’re all over the place.

An alternative to the taxis are the “tuk tuks”. Honestly, don’t waste your time with these. From my personal experience, which I’ll admit is limited, a lot of the tuk tuk drivers in Bangkok are extremely pushy and annoying. Regardless of where you’re going or how rushed you seem, they’ll bombard you with fliers for soapy massage parlors and try to convince you to go because they’ll earn a commission if you do.

As mentioned in the common scams section, these tuk tuk drivers will oftentimes offer you a “free” ride and claim that they’ll take you anywhere you want to go. They’ll even take you on a little tour of Bangkok “out of the kindness of their hearts”. Don’t fall for this trick either because as we know all too well, nothing in this world is free.

So, the taxi’s are affordable providing that the driver turns the meter on for you but the traffic is insane most of the time. The tuk tuk drivers in Bangkok are scammers so I don’t really recommend taking them. So when it’s busy and you don’t want to take a taxi, then you have two other options - the BTS and the MRT.

The BTS is the sky train and the MRT is the subway. Both are clean, quick, affordable and very convenient. People oftentimes have to use a combination of both to get where they’re going because they cover different aspects of the city. For example, to get to Lumpinee Stadium, you’ll need to take the MRT but in order to get to the MRT station, you might have to take the BTS.

The prices for both are dependent on the distance you want to travel. If you want to go only a couple stations over, it’ll cost you less than if you wanted to go across the city. It’s really cheap though. A buck or two (oftentimes even less than a dollar) will get you anywhere you need to go on the sky train route. Here’s a map.. Those stations probably don’t mean anything to you now but once you familiarize yourself with Bangkok, getting around becomes extremely convenient. Here’s a very brief overview of what you can find around some of the stations..

Mo Chit Station is where you want to get off when you want to go to the “weekend market”. The weekend market is insane and as the name indicates, it’s only open on the weekends. It’s insanely busy so if you don’t like crowds, then you might not last long there. There’s around 200,000 people that go there each Saturday and Sunday to shop from the 15,000+ stalls that are set up over the 35 acres of land.

National Stadium is where you want to go to visit the MBK shopping center. MBK is by far my favorite place to shop in Bangkok simply due to the convenience of everything. You can find cheaper merchandise at the open air markets but at MBK, it’s all right there and you don’t have to scale thousands of vendors over acres of land to find what you’re looking for.

When you’re there, head up to the second highest floor (just under the movie theaters and arcade) and you’ll find all sorts of Western brand clothing. Actually, on that floor you can find gear from every designer you can think of. And a couple floors below that, they sell all sorts of amazingly cheap cell phones as well as bootleg movies, computer software and video games. As mentioned here though, you can get the DVD’s for half the cost in Phuket.

Siam Station, which is just one stop over, is where you’ll find the Siam Paragon. Siam Paragon is one of the craziest malls I’ve ever seen. It’s extremely upscale and to be honest, I don’t shop there simply because I can’t afford it. It’s full of high fashion stores (Gucci, Prada, Louis Vutton etc.) and they even have an exotic car dealership in there. Lamborghini's and Ferrari's aren’t exactly what you’d expect to see in a developing country like Thailand but apparently there’s a lot of really rich people here.

Ekkami Station is where the bus station is located. If you wanted to go to Pattaya for example, this is where you’d go to catch the bus. Pattaya is about 2 hours away and you can get there for about 113 baht, which is about the cost of a beer at the bar. Most of the destinations are inexpensive to get too from there. Make sure that you don't get scammed here either. Oftentimes, people will try to wave you over and convince you go get on a bus without paying at the designated ticket counter. When this happens, you'll find yourself on a start/stop bus route (picking people up and dropping them off) and it'll take you a lot longer to get to your destination. Sala Daeng Station on the Silom line or Asok station on the Sukhumvit line is where you can catch the MRT (subway) to get to Lumpinee. As for why you’d want to go to Lumpinee? Well, to check out Lumpinee stadium of course. There’s also a few shops around the stadium and it’s at these shops where you can get your training gear at the lowest prices in the country and as a matter of fact, the entire world. So check it out and get yourself some gloves for about 30 bucks (I recommend Top King instead of Twins as they're more comfortable and last longer).

While on the topic of buying Muay Thai gear, you can also use the BTS system to head to the BOON shop. Head to the On Nut station and from there, take a motorbike taxi for about 10 baht. Here's a detailed guide that'll show you exactly how to get there.

Nana Station, Asok Station and Sala Daeng are the stations you want to hit if you want to check out the gogo bars. At Nana station, you have the Nana plaza. At Asok station, you have Soi Cowboy and at Sala Daeng station, you have the infamous Patpong district - which is great for shopping by the way. I won’t get into detail here regarding each specific area because I’ve done so in the Bangkok entertainment section.

Bangkok is a huge mega city and providing you stay near a sky train or subway station, everything becomes extremely accessible thanks to the great public transportation system. However, the public transportation shuts down at around 11 pm so after that, you’ll need to rely on taxi’s but by that time, the roads are pretty clear so the crazy traffic jams that Bangkok is known for won’t even be an issue. ENTERTAINMENT IN BANGKOK

With Bangkok being a mega city of over 11 million people, there’s no shortage of entertainment options. Actually, of all the big cities, Bangkok is known throughout the world to be the wildest. There’s the wholesome entertainment options such as the restaurants, shopping malls, arcades, movie theaters, markets, temples and the regular nightclubs.

Then for additional “entertainment” options, you have the gogo bar and massage parlor scene. Now I know some of you aren’t interested in this aspect of Bangkok, but I also know that some of you are so I’ll discuss it regardless and you can do whatever you want with the information.

G o G o Ba r s

Nicholas Cage pays a visit to Soi Cowboy in "Bangkok Dangerous"

As mentioned in the Bangkok transportation section, the 3 main gogo districts in Bangkok are Soi Cowboy, Nana Plaza and Patpong. Of those 3 districts, the main one that you want to avoid is Patpong. Patpong market is a good place to shop, but don’t bother going into the gogo bars and especially don’t agree to watch one of the “shows”. The reason why you don’t want to get involved with this place (shopping aside) is discussed in the common scams section.

Nana plaza is located around Sukhumvit soi 4 and it’s a pretty grimy area. The place attracts a lot of shady characters from all over the world. There’s 3 floors (from what I remember) with dozens of bars and well over a thousand girls. Some of the girls are extremely hot looking - especially in a bar called “Rainbow 4” - but the amount of hardcore sex tourists in the complex sort of ruins it.

You know, the type of guys who clearly flew halfway around the world solely to get laid and nothing else. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, I guess everyone has their needs, but when 80 percent of the patrons in the bar are hairy old drunk guys who are borderline obese, you really start to question why you’re there.

Then there’s soi cowboy, which is located on soi 21 (asok station on the BTS sky train). Of the three districts, I found soi cowboy to have the best atmosphere. There’s girls are pretty, the people aren’t pushy and there’s even elephants in the street. There’s actually a scene in the Bangkok Dangerous movie where Nicholas Cage is there. In this clip, Dean Barrett - who’s well known for his Thai oriented novels - is seen giving a tour of the infamous street.

Grand Palace

Now moving onto something a little more “wholesome”. While you’re in Bangkok you should definitely check out “”. Yeah, that’s right - from gogo bars to temples. The Grand Palace is perhaps the most recognized and revered landmarks in the country. For all the specific details, just click here and if you decide to go, just pay close attention to the dress code..

“The Grand Palace with The Temple of the Emerald Buddha is Thailand's most sacred site. Visitors must be properly dressed before being allowed entry to the temple. Men must wear long pants and shirts with sleeves (no tank tops. If you're wearing sandals or flip-flops you must wear socks (in other words, no bare feet).” To get to the Grand Palace, you can take the sky train to the national stadium station and then take a taxi from there. Oh, and if when you arrive, somebody tries to tell you that the Palace is closed, don't listen to him and proceed to the entrance. He's just trying to set you up for a scam.

Nightclub Districts

In Bangkok, the clubbing options are seemingly endless. Listed below are the most popular nightlife areas in Bangkok and when clicked, you’ll be redirected to page profiling the best clubs in each district. Of these areas, the one that I've spent the most time at is RCA. RCA is a strip of clubs that attracts the University crowd. The “foreigner” entrance fee is 200 baht and that gets you access to all the bars as well as vouchers for 2 drinks. If you're looking to get out one night, I highly recommend that you check the place out.

Sukhumvit Clubs Khao San Road Clubs Silom Clubs RCA District Siam & Ploenchit Clubs

Lumpinee and Rajadamnern stadium play host to the biggest fights in the country and they’re both located in Bangkok. Watching a good Muay Thai event at either of the stadiums would certainly make for an entertaining evening - or at least a good way to start your night anyway. Since you’re a foreigner, the cost of your tickets will likely be jacked up to the 1500 baht range. Thai people pay a couple hundred baht max. It’s still probably worth it though. I really don’t think being bored in Bangkok is something you really have to worry about. There’s so much to do here that when you do get a moment of peace and quiet, you probably welcome it.

COST OF LIVING IN BANGKOK

With Bangkok being the capital, and one of the most populated cities in the world, it comes to no surprise that the biggest businesses in Thailand are stationed here. For a developing country, you certainly see a lot of BMW’s and Benzes - many of which are being driven by Thai people.

That being said, the average wages for unskilled workers is still extremely low (as it is throughout the rest of the country) at a little over 6 bucks a day. So while a lot of people in Bangkok are doing well for themselves and earning well over 30,000 baht per month, there’s still millions of people earning extremely low monthly wages.

With so many people living on such a limited budget, there’s cheap meals to be had and inexpensive apartments to be found. One of my old Muay Thai trainers relocated back to Bangkok from the Patong gym and he told me via MSN that he pays 4000 baht a month for his room, which seem to be the average room rate for most Thai people.

Finding those rooms can be the tricky part though, especially since you’re most likely a visible minority and you’ll automatically be pigeonholed as being “rich” just for being a tourist. However, finding a room in Bangkok is not near as difficult as it is in say, Phuket. Here is a website that showcases all sorts of nice, affordable rooms throughout the city.

The transportation in Bangkok is pretty affordable. The taxi’s are cheap, as are the sky train and the subway. You can actually get a 30 trip pass (valid over 30 days) for the BTS sky train for 600 baht, which is approximately 17 US dollars. So unless you’re constantly traveling around the city visiting various camps, you don’t really need to set aside a huge budget for transportation.

As for food, it really depends. It’s Bangkok so there’s certainly no shortage of the popular restaurants that you’re used to in the west but if you chose to eat there, you’ll be paying only slightly-less than typical western prices. The real bargains in Bangkok - and throughout the country - are at the Thai food stalls. It’s at these food stalls where you can get a meal for between 20-40 baht, depending what it is. The cost of training certainly fluctuates depending on which gym you visit. I definitely found the training in Bangkok to be more expensive than in Pattaya and Phuket though. Eminent Air gym charges 15,000 baht per month for twice a day training and 500 baht for single day sessions. Sor Vorapin gym - which is a huge rip off by the way - asks for 500 baht before they even ask you your name.

I’d say that the average cost at the gyms in Bangkok is between 400-500 per session although that price gets discounted a bit if you pay the monthly rates. Ingram gym charges 900 baht for the first session but included with that is a pair of sick “Ingram gym” embedded Muay Thai shorts, so that’s not a bad deal at all.

Then there’s the shopping; an expense that’s obviously dependent on how much you buy and where you shop. If you visit the malls around the Siam/National Stadium area via the BTS sky train, the prices are going to be a little higher than if you did your shopping at the markets like the Lumpinee Night Bizarre or the weekend market near the Mo Chit station.

Your negotiation skills will be a determining factor when it comes to your shopping expenses. In Thailand, pretty much everything is negotiable so just low-ball the vendors as much as you can, because they’re definitely highballing you. More often that not you’ll be able to meet at a price point somewhere in the middle. So that about wraps it up. I hope you picked up some useful tips that’ll help decide where to train, help you save some money so you can stay longer, help keep you out of trouble and avoid getting scammed and basically, just make you more prepared give you a better idea regarding what to expect.

This guide will be constantly updated as I tour the country, experience more of the culture and train at more of the camps. Information on training in Chiang Mai, Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and throughout Issan will also be added.

When these changes are made, an updated copy of the guide will be sent to your inbox.

If you have any questions regarding anything I’ve discussed, or anything I may have left out, just send me an email at..

[email protected]

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Have a safe trip,

Bill Forestell

www.FightPassport.com

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