Thailand - one of my favorite countries to visit! Between having family and local friends there, all the things to do and see, and Thailand's openness to tourism, it's one of the easiest Asian countries to travel. For this trip I of course stopped by Bangkok, and also made a quick trip to Chiang Mai. And here's where I worked out to:
Bangkok
Ok, something I learned about Bangkok gyms...they are kind of pricey, relatively speaking! Most gyms I found were around 500 baht (15$) for a day session, so when I found a decent one for under 300baht I was over the moon!
4/23: this time I stayed near Siam area due to convenience
A good old gym (no AC) at a decent price of 150 baht (4$ usd at time of writing) for a day session. Had all the equipment I could want, fans that kept me just cool enough. Honestly was sweating a lot after. Very easy old school gym, cash only, 4/5
1/23: stayed around Old City/Chinatown area and ended up stopping by this gym
LIVE FITNESS หัวลำโพง-วงเวียน22-เยาวราช
+66 64 950 0593
From old city it was a heftier run clocking in around 1.3mi/2.7km but from the hostel I stayed at in Chinatown, Luk Hostel it was an easy .6mi/1.1km run. Even with the Bangkok heat (during January) , it was bearable
Ok about the gym itself...I was very happy with it. There wasn't a lot of equipment but I enjoyed
Z so how clean and well spaced out everything was. I did manage to find my beloved squat bar and dumbbells + bench downstairs (upstairs had most of the cardio equipment). Again, definitely not as plentiful or big, but for me it was great for the price. day session was 250baht ($8) and a 2 weeks pass was 900 baht (28$). If I were staying in Bangkok longer term I'd definitely consider the 2 week pass! Too bad it's not a bigger chain!
For the price, cleanliness, and the fact it got the job done
4/5 (1 star taken away because of the lack of equipment and lack of other locations!)
4/24 update, stayed close to Khao San Road and found an Outdoor gym option
Located outside in a local park and absolutely torture with the heat, but the cost was great at only 30 baht (that’s like 1$ a day). And while it’s an outdoor gym, it’s super well equipped. Had every equipment I wanted including squat bar, dumbbells, and etc. well worth it if you can stand the heat! (4/5)
Chiang Mai
so with all the gyms I found around old city, unfortunately their hours weren't great, most of them opening earliest at 8am. The ones that were open earlier ended up being a lot farther and not worth the hassle. I stayed at the hostel Cabin Backpackers Hostel which is pretty close to the old city and ended up stopping by two gyms.
I preferred this one, which was about a .75mi/~1.2km run away and made an easy run. Luckily it was also well marked!
PUMP FITNESS
+66 86 923 9903
The first thing that stood out to me about this gym was how small it was but also how much they managed to fit. Definitely felt bit cramp but Omg the selection of equipment was actually great. Somehow with their little space they managed to fit 2-4 squat racks+smith machines, hella strength equipment, a few benches, AND a decent number of cardio equipment too. Even better, all the equipment felt quite clean, new, and in great condition! Temperature was great and overall found the clientele and staff to be friendly, and they even had free bananas! For 100 baht day pass ($3) i'd say this gym was overall worth it! As long as you don't go during peak hours and can get over how it felt a bit cramped I think this was a stellar gym experience.
4.5/5 (half star because of how cramped it feels but otherwise provided everything I need with decent and clean equipment)
The other one I found, I didn't end up using, but did take a peek. A gym exclusively for women, initially I was very excited!
Miss Fitness Tha Phae Gate
+66 86 923 9903
however despite the well intentioned theme, clean environment, and good location (only .5mi/.9km) the lack of legit equipment disappointed me. No squat bar, dumbbells that only went to 10kg. They did have a decent amount of machines but as y'all know, I prefer my free weights, and at a higher level. I think if you're truly okay with the lower weight and lighter workout it's a good fit, just wasn't for me! 100 baht for a day pass if you're interested
1/5 for me, barely any equipment for me to use! 🥲
Pattaya
Oh Pattaya what an interesting destination. It certainly matches its reputation! Old white man playground indeed!
4/2024: came here again to visit a friend and found a much better gym this time
Located inside the hotel (but also accessible from outside), this gym hit the spot. No AC so definitely a hot workout but for 120baht couldn’t be beat. Had all the equipment I needed. Solid 4/5
1/2023: So with that being said, I was only at Pattaya for one night (to visit a friend), and as a stop to Koh Samet. But ofc had to hit up the gym!
One thing I'll say is that it seems like most of the gyms outside of Bangkok open at 8am. It took me a while to find one that opened earlier and lo and behold, it brought me to:
Jomtien Gym Pattaya
+66 61 613 3362
Since I stayed a little bit out of the main area of Jomtien it was a 1.5mi/3.2km run away. There were plenty of gyms closer but given that i wanted to go before 8, it was the best choice!
And well, for 200 baht (~6$) what an interesting gym experience. I'll start with the positives; overall, good selection of gym equipment! I found everything I needed, dumbbells and benches, a squat bar, Roman chair, and more! Also quite spacious and temperature wasn't bad for a winter morning.
BUT with the bad, and oh are they pretty bad. First off, the number of equipment was just lacking. Yes there was a squat bar, but only that one! I quickly grabbed it, but that only brought more issues, namely the clientele. Lord, when they said Pattaya was an old white mans playground they really meant it. The number of patronizing old white men who either gawked at me for using the squat bar, or heaven forbid, turn away their patronizing mannerisms. Idk, maybe they expected me to be a docile local Thai girl that begrudgingly puts up with their ego, but when one of the guys tried to tell me what to do I buffed him and I kid you not this man decided to pull a Karen and have the lady in the front talk to me. Again, don't know what the hell their issue was, but the amount of fragile make egos I encountered and how uncomfortable it was to just do a basic workout.
Primarily for this reason, I'm giving this gym a 2/5 . For the price, selection of equipment, and basic level of cleanienss, this usually would be ranked much higher , but the clientele's egotistical personalities just was disgusting. Here's to seeing less white men at the next gym! Lol
Commentaires