Muay Thai Camps for Beginners: Four Thai Cities Compared
Beginner classes, published prices, accommodation and visa routes at gyms in Phuket, Bangkok, Koh Samui and Chiang Mai, plus what research says about injuries.
Many Muay Thai camps in Thailand sell the same product: two training sessions a day, six days a week, with a bed nearby. What differs is how kindly they treat a first-timer, what you pay, and how long your visa lets you stay.
This guide compares seven gyms in four places: Tiger Muay Thai in Chalong on Phuket, four options in Bangkok, Punch It on Koh Samui and Santai Muay Thai outside Chiang Mai. It uses the gyms’ own published prices where they exist, and says plainly where they do not.
How we chose
We looked for gyms with a stated beginner class, published prices or a recent independent price check, and a clear route to a longer stay. We have not trained at any of them. Bangkok prices come from a Thailand Starter Kit guide, last updated 15 October 2026, which says it checked most of them against gym websites that month.
At a glance
| Gym | Where | Beginner entry | Published price | Stay options |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tiger Muay Thai | Chalong, Phuket | Beginner class, at most four students per trainer | ฿500 a class, ฿4,500 for ten | Dorm ฿6,000 a month |
| FA Group | Chatuchak, Bangkok | Beginner classes 18:00–20:30 | From ฿500 a session | Not stated |
| Khongsittha | Ladprao, Bangkok | Intro class | ฿500 intro, ฿28,000 a month with room | DTV and ED packages |
| Sitsongpeenong | Prawet, Bangkok | Fighter-oriented | ฿600 a session, ฿18,000 a month | Camp rooms only for longer stays |
| Yokkao | Bangkok | Trainers adjust sessions for beginners | On its website | Not stated |
| Punch It | Maret, Koh Samui | Beginner class | See its pricing page | Tourist, ED and DTV support |
| Santai | Sankamphaeng, Chiang Mai | Fundamentals first | ฿4,000–7,500 a week, room and training | Not stated |
Phuket: Tiger Muay Thai, Chalong
Tiger describes its beginner Muay Thai class as the camp’s largest training area, with no more than four guests to a trainer. It trains Muay Thai and MMA twice a day on a six-day schedule.
A drop-in class costs ฿500, or ฿4,500 for ten, sold on site only. Privates cost ฿700 an hour. The camp lists a dorm bed at ฿6,000 a month, a fighters’ budget room at ฿8,000 and a standard bungalow at ฿16,000. The page does not state the period for the last two. Bring hand wraps, gloves and a mouthguard; rental gloves cost ฿100 a session.
Bangkok: four gyms, four approaches
FA Group in Chatuchak runs beginner classes from 18:00 to 20:30 and charges from ฿500 a session. Khongsittha in Ladprao is fitness-focused and foreign-friendly, with a ฿500 intro class and ฿28,000 a month including a single room, plus a ฿10,000 deposit. It is the only gym in the Thailand Starter Kit guide that publishes DTV and ED visa packages.
Sitsongpeenong in Prawet is for people who intend to train hard. It charges ฿600 a session or ฿18,000 a month for two sessions a day over 25 days. Visitors may be limited to one or two sessions unless they book the camp’s accommodation.
The monthly rate is the real saving. Eighteen thousand baht over 25 days works out at ฿720 a day for two sessions, or ฿360 each, against ฿600 for a drop-in.
Yokkao’s Bangkok gym is open daily from 07:00 to 19:00. It takes drop-ins for at least an hour by booking, and says trainers adjust sessions for beginners. Prices are on its website.
Koh Samui: Punch It
Punch It runs up to four classes a day, Sunday to Friday, and is closed on Saturdays. A beginner class is available, and the trainers have basic English. Private lessons run from 10:00 to 15:00 through its app.
The gym is at 97/30 Moo 1 in Maret. Its FAQ does not list prices, so check its pricing page. It says a tourist visa suits stays of up to 60 days, extendable once by 30, and that it supports ED and DTV applications for stays of three to twelve months. Visa help is free if you book training and accommodation together.
Chiang Mai: Santai
Santai sits in Sankamphaeng, outside central Chiang Mai, and trains twice a day from Monday to Saturday. Beginners learn fundamentals first and join sparring when trainers judge them ready.
It lists weekly packages that include training and a room: from ฿4,000 for a fighter’s room to ฿7,500 for a pool villa. The page was last updated in March 2025, so confirm current rates. It does not mention visa support.
Visas
Punch It says a tourist visa suits stays of up to 60 days, and that longer training needs an ED or DTV visa. The Royal Thai Embassy in Kuala Lumpur lists “Thai soft power-related activities e.g. Muaythai, Thai culinary training and medical treatment” as one of three Destination Thailand Visa (DTV) categories. It says to apply through thaievisa.go.th at least 30 working days before travel.
In January 2024, Khaosod English reported an ED visa route for Muay Thai training at gyms certified by the Sports Authority of Thailand, with up to 90 days at the gym. Rules change, so check with the embassy and the gym before you book.
What the research says about injuries
A 2001 survey of 152 Muay Thai practitioners in Britain and the Netherlands, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, found lower-limb injuries most common in all groups. Soft-tissue trauma was the most common type. Beginners reported the highest injury rate of the three groups. The survey relied on interviews and is more than two decades old, so treat it as a rough guide.
Train sensibly in the heat
- Book the morning session, which is usually cooler.
- Many beginners ease in with one session a day. Ask the trainers what they recommend.
- Bring your own gear. Tiger does not allow shared equipment.
- Ask the trainers to adjust the pace for the heat.
Talk to a qualified doctor before you start intensive training, especially if you have a heart condition, a joint problem or have been inactive. Heat and humidity add strain.
Know before you go
- Where: Chalong (Phuket), Chatuchak, Ladprao and Prawet (Bangkok), Maret (Koh Samui), Sankamphaeng (Chiang Mai).
- Price: ฿500–600 a session, ฿18,000–28,000 a month in Bangkok and ฿4,000–7,500 a week in Chiang Mai (as published between March 2025 and October 2026).
- Book: Tiger Muay Thai, Punch It, Santai and Yokkao.
- Good for: First-timers who want structure, a bed nearby and a defined trial before committing to a month.
- Check first: Whether a monthly rate covers both daily sessions, your visa length, and what a trial class costs.
The habit that pays off most is boring: sleep. Camps that run two sessions a day only work if you recover between them.
Jonas. Jonas covers medical travel, fitness, costs and the rules that affect wellness travellers in Thailand. A pragmatist who treats health as a long project, he wants to know what something costs, what the evidence says, and who it’s really for.
RestRobin is editorial content, not medical advice. Prices, programmes and opening details change, so check with the provider before you book, and talk to a qualified doctor before starting a treatment, fast or detox programme.
