To All California Fitness Members And Future Members - Please Read This

[frenchFARANGbkk]

Hi,

I just know that some Thai have started a petition to protest against California Fitness management that has decided to close ALL CLUBS at 11pm starting from August 2007.

Please sign the petition when somebody proposes you at the fitness or at least complain at the desk because WE PAID TO HAVE A FITNESS OPENED UNTIL MIDNIGHT EVERYDAY.

And if they start to reduce opening time now, what will happen next?!

We are used to their sales methods which are already unacceptable but now they still cheat new customers by not tellng them that they will close earlier soon.

I was happy to find out that some Thai also do not accept all what happen, and this time we can help them, so please, even if you don't go to fitness often, please go there to complain, or call them.

And even if you never go to fitness after 11pm, just think that one day you might want to go, and that you paid for that service anyway, so please protest!

Thanks for reading.

Edited July 18, 2007 by frenchFARANGbkk

[JetsetBkk]

How many people did you used to see there, between 11pm and midnight? I don't mean the staff, but the members? Maybe they need to cut costs during the low season - staff wages - and the alternative in the long run is to close down the business. Maybe?

Edited July 18, 2007 by JetsetBkk

[frenchFARANGbkk]

How many people did you used to see there, between 11pm and midnight? I don't mean the staff, but the members? Maybe they need to cut costs during the low season - staff wages - and the alternative in the long run is to close down the business. Maybe?

There is never less than 10 members at each club between 11pm and midnight.

But actually it's not my business whatever is their reason, I paid a membership for a club opened from 6am to midnight, and that's all, even when I don't go there from 6 to midnight.

Also what about the guy who finishes his work at 10pm and applied for California membership because they were opened until midnight?

And I hope they would never dare to talk to me about staff wages in a country where labour is so cheap...

Thanks for reading.

[Jimjim]

I thought they were open 24 hours a day. Well, maybe that's just one branch or something.

[flightcrew1]

I've been a member since they opened the first branch on Silom nearly 7 years ago. Though I work out in the morning or afternoon I will gladly sign any petition I see regarding hours. Many a morning after a long flight when I can't sleep I go to the gym at 6am but have to wait until staff open up the place at 615 to 630am. There have even been instances where nobody showed up at all.

They have also began to cut and reduce classes at the club as well, which means the next class is over full and you have to fight for space. I do know that they pay the class instructors 600baht per class. Other costs are are also minimal as well. A letter is going around for signatures as well for this.

As for not being enough people using the gym after 10p. I find that hard to beleive. Just drive or walk by any evening and look up at the club and you can see many a members on the machines and that is just the 2nd floor.

I would gladly leave the gym and go somewhere else but I have paid lifetime membership and it's damm bloody convenient to my condo.

[frenchFARANGbkk]

I thought they were open 24 hours a day. Well, maybe that's just one branch or something.

This is just a rumour that they carry as many others to get new members, but they NEVER opened 24 hours nor had intention to do, even if the original name was 24 hours fitness.

And to Flightcrew1, you can be sure that they will open at 8am soon instead of 6am if we don't start complaining NOW.

Edited July 19, 2007 by frenchFARANGbkk

[Jimjim]

Anyone know of any fitness center open all day and night in Bangkok? Isn't that one near Soi Cowboy open 24 hours?

[frenchFARANGbkk]

Anyone know of any fitness center open all day and night in Bangkok? Isn't that one near Soi Cowboy open 24 hours?

Near Cowboy it is California fitness, and there is no fitness opened 24 hours in Thailand.

[TopDogger]

Many a morning after a long flight when I can't sleep I go to the gym at 6am but have to wait until staff open up the place at 615 to 630am. There have even been instances where nobody showed up at all.

Professional operation then..

[bendix]

Outrageous. Totally outrageous.

I don't know if I'm going to be able to sleep now that I've heard of this vicious afront - yet another anti-farang move by . . ummm . . somebody or other.

I've a good mind to leave Thailand. I really have.

[cdnvic]

they NEVER opened 24 hours nor had intention to do, even if the original name was 24 hours fitness.

Gotta love the place

[TopDogger]

Outrageous. Totally outrageous.

I don't know if I'm going to be able to sleep now that I've heard of this vicious afront - yet another anti-farang move by . . ummm . . somebody or other.

I've a good mind to leave Thailand. I really have.

California Fitness is for foreigners only?

[bkkandrew]

I thought that they were closing altogether. Well, thats the rumour circulating around the recently opened one on Ratchada...

[bkkandrew]

Anyone know of any fitness center open all day and night in Bangkok? Isn't that one near Soi Cowboy open 24 hours?

Its the pizza place underneath thats open 24 hours. So you can get fat 24/7, but have to wait to work it off...

[Jimjim]

Hmm, I just swore I've seen people in there exercising as late as 1, 2, or 3 a.m.

[Vampyros Lesbos]

There is a new sheriff in Town. He comes from Sony before and he is cutting everything down. He close many classes and kick out many freelance trainers and he cut off all the dealing with cards that been going on. They want to show a serious front to the shareholders. Maybe they want to generate more money trough stocks and then they must show good papers.

I personally think it stinks because I paid to go 00.00 and I paid for my classes and I do not care that there is only 11 people doing fitness then. Maybe we should only open the fitness during peak time 18.00-20.00 and then close the rest of the day.

Where do sign up !

[jayjayjayjay]

Outrageous. Totally outrageous.

I don't know if I'm going to be able to sleep now that I've heard of this vicious afront - yet another anti-farang move by . . ummm . . somebody or other.

I've a good mind to leave Thailand. I really have.

Bendix, impressive 2000th post!!! Do it man, I'll be right behind you! Before you leave inform the ASC. We might have California Fitness find a few billion baht for behaviour like this......

Edited July 19, 2007 by jayjayjayjay

[jetjock]

I think California Wow has some great facilities and was once a member but I am going to be interested in what happens to them in the next few years. In my 50 years experience of belonging to health clubs, I have never seen a health club or large corporation chain of health clubs survive more than a few years after they started offering fully paid up lifetime memberships. They either went bankrupt or were bought out by another club and the lifetime memberships terminated so it will be very interesting to follow them the next few years. Their reduction in hours of operation may turn out to be a minor inconvenience in the context of the bigger picture.

[ThaiPauly]

Anyone know of any fitness center open all day and night in Bangkok? Isn't that one near Soi Cowboy open 24 hours?

I was under the impression that Soi Cowboy IS a fitness centre

[StateSix]

Anyone know of any fitness center open all day and night in Bangkok? Isn't that one near Soi Cowboy open 24 hours?

I was under the impression that Soi Cowboy IS a fitness centre

Lots of horizontal jogging machines

[tolsti]

Actually if they want to close at 11 all they have to do is turn the mirrors to the wall at 10.45 and the place will be empty by 11....

Edited July 20, 2007 by tolsti

[ricklev]

I live in Chiang Mai and was happy to see California Wow open here because of the quality of the equipment. Unfortunately it's literally painful for me to exercise there (although I do ... go figure). The management installed individual tv's at each of the 30 or so treadmills, all without headphones and all blasting at full volume on one of five different channels. It still doesn't drown out the high decibel pop music from the main speakers. I think the Thais who go there don't see it as a problem and probably like it.

It's a hideous place run by ethically, morally challenged people. How can they sleep at night with full knowledge that they are destroying the hearing capacity of their employees? The American's involved have experience in fitness centers in the USA and know that in the USA they would be both civily and criminaly liable for requiring employees to work for extended periods in an area with noise over 90 decibels without ear protection.

Edited July 20, 2007 by ricklev

[JimmyTheMook]

There is one opening in Pattaya and the hard sell (scam) tatics are on already in some of the shoping centers.

Place will not be able to compete at all with the many BETTER fitness centers here than have pools and tennis courts.

I live in Chiang Mai and was happy to see California Wow open here because of the quality of the equipment. Unfortunately it's literally painful for me to exercise there (although I do ... go figure). The management installed individual tv's at each of the 30 or so treadmills, all without headphones and all blasting at full volume on one of five different channels. It still doesn't drown out the high decibel pop music from the main speakers. I think the Thais who go there don't see it as a problem and probably like it.

It's a hideous place run by ethically, morally challenged people. How can they sleep at night with full knowledge that they are destroying the hearing capacity of their employees? The American's involved have experience in fitness centers in the USA and know that in the USA they would be both civily and criminaly liable for requiring employees to work for extended periods in an area with noise over 90 decibels without ear protection.