Fairtex Muay Thai Training Blog 2023
Vlog of our 2 week trip - Daily catch ups on happenings at training and life at Fairtex! <3
@mattlucasmuaythai, @smilla_fairtex, @thaingan, @riverdaz
January 2023, we’re off to a big start for the year!
This year, we trained and finished off my fight camp at the world renown Fairtex Training Centre in Pattaya. I had a fight set for Fairtex Fight on January 21st 2023 at Lumpinee Stadium. We started camp in Melbourne and continued it there! This would be our first time training in Fairtex and fighting at Lumpinee Stadium!
What’s it like at Fairtex Training Centre?
The Fairtex Centre is quite a sight to behold. There are 9 Boxing Rings, an MMA Cage, 2 BJJ Training areas, rows of Boxing bags, 2 dedicated bag work areas, and 2 Strength Areas. There is also a hot and ice bath (every Tuesday and Saturday) and a sauna.
The energy is palpable. When the rings are full with fighters smashing pads, it’s an amazing training atmosphere. Mr Wong watches over the training, speaking over the microphone and keeping everyone in check.
Right next to the gym is the Fairtex Residence. Sponsored and long term fighters with their pets (loveeee) live there. Rooms can be booked online (eg. on Booking.com) for those visiting. The studio apartment style rooms make it comfortable and reasonable for longer stays.
There is an exotic pet collection at Fairtex lol..!! Mr Wong, head of this international organisation has servals, owls, a huge fish collection, prized dogs and monkeys. You can stroll around the Fairtex compound and admire these beautiful creatures.
Fairtex is located opposite Terminal 21 and walking distance to the beach, food, shopping and massage parlours. Honestly, a really convenient location! Perfect for rolling out of bed… walk to training… across the street to eat .. nap from training dead-ness.. wake up train again… back to bed. Repeat lol.
Getting around the Pattaya main area is easy. You can walk, catch a motorbike taxi or hop on the taxi trucks that have the assigned route around Pattaya for 10/20 baht.
Muay Thai Training
Training is twice a day (Mondays to Saturdays):
Morning group run starts at 6.40am (meet up outside Fairtex)
Morning at 7.45am to 10am
Afternoon at 2.45pm to 5pm
If you have an upcoming fight you’re expected to do all the above and additional strength training.
Training consists of pad rounds - anywhere from 5 to 8 rounds of pads with your assigned trainer. Pad rounds are 5 minutes long with a 1 minute break in between. When coming to Fairtex, you will be assigned a trainer/ picked by one. The manager, Somchai (the friendly face you’ll see at the front desk) will assign you after you’ve organised your training fees. You’ll be given a training card if you’ve selected a 10 class pass - which trainers will sign off every time you train.
While waiting for your turn or other fighters to finish their pad rounds, you work on the bags. After all pad rounds are completed, we move to clinching for 20 minutes straight. Coaches will watch over and assign you to partners.
That’s the usual structure. However on Tuesdays and Saturdays, there is Boxing sparring before pad work. I didn’t get to participate as my fight was too close and they rather I just focus on pad work and clinching.
Light sparring happens occasionally. Coaches may call you over to spar specific teammates and coach you both through the rounds. Everyone is training for something. Fighters have fights lined up and are all working hard towards their goals. Some fighters are between camps and are taking it more lightly or recovering.
If you’re a visiting Muay Thai enthusiast and a non fighter - you will usually be first up on the pads before the fighters. Personal training sessions run between or after these assigned session times during the day. Fighters usually wait around until all the customers have finished their rounds before it’s their turn with the trainers.
Kru Danchai who trained me!
Morning Run
The morning run with the Fairtex group kicks off around 6.40am.
There are 2 running routes - the normal and the long run. The normal route is around 8km and the long is 12km. The long run happens on Tuesday and Saturday. Trainers will be on the running trek with their motorbikes (and sometimes with one of Mr Wong’s prized dogs lol) keeping an eye on you.
The regular route is along Pattaya Beach, through Walking Street, up a little hill and back around to Fairtex. You can take your own pace on the run :)
@ferrari_fairtex
S&C
Fairtex is equipped with 2 strength areas and plenty of equipment to get you through your S&C programs.
I believe the in-house fighters have strength programs assigned to them but most of what we saw were fighters doing their own strength training (with their own programs from coaches at home etc.)
We squeezed in 2 strength sessions by ourselves. The strength room is open Mondays - Saturdays. The gym is closed on Sundays.
Costings
Muay Thai training costs (there is different pricing for their BJJ Classes)
Single Session - 600 Baht
10 Sessions - 5,000 Baht
1 Month (twice a day) - 12,000 Baht
Personal Training - 1,500 Baht
@iony_fairtex
Side Notes
Fairtex has 2 pro shops on site so you can get all your training equipment there if you need.
Bring water and a towel to training!
You can leave your training gear hanging at the boxing rings. We packed our GymLab disinfectant spray - most advised to prevent infections which is common at gyms and in the humidity.
Majority of the trainers can converse with you in English. If you are lost, reach out to Matt Lucas / one of the foreign long term fighters for help. Thai Ngan Le became such a good friend and training partner for me this trip. Translating and keeping an eye out for me throughout the camp and fight process. So much love for you Thai!
If you want to fight - it is advised you stay for a month or more. You can ask to get a fight or trainers will naturally just ask you if you’d like to after assessing your skill level.
For non fighters, don’t stress! You’ll still love training at Fairtex! The vibe is friendly and accomodating to all levels.
You will have to travel to Bangkok for fights - Fairtex organises the travel if there is a group of fighters or you will have to do so yourself.
There are fun and educational activities at Fairtex mostly organised by Matt Lucas - such as English lessons for the Thai fighters and Media Training for the fighters.
You can watch my blunder down here at 15:54 where I walk my goldfish.. yes lol
In closing, we LOVED our short training stay at Fairtex. It is the place to be for those serious about fighting and pushing to be on promotions such as Fairtex Fight, ONE Lumpinee and ONE Championship (basically that’s the fight path for the fighters there).
Highlights of the training for me was being surrounded by such passionate people - everyone there is striving and that’s an energy you cannot imitate. Not only are the fighters striving, the leaders of Fairtex are also inspiring figures to watch. Mr Wong and Prem are day in day out working away. The coaches work through endless rounds of pads with the fighters with passion and do it all over again tomorrow. It’s a well-oiled machine that has a proven method of producing good fighters.
@azackon, @maggievimon - at ONE Championship supporting Stamp <3!
More in the next blog on my fight at Fairtex Fight, the hydration test and all the things on fight day <3 !! This one’s getting a little long :)
