Gymnastically Disappointed

[xandreu]

I joined the gym on the 3rd floor of Kad Suan Kaew shopping plaza yesterday and made the fatal mistake of being offered a one day pass but deciding to go for a 3 month membership. I saw that it had a couple of treadmills and a good free weights section at the back, which were the two main things I was looking for, so I thought why not join up for 3 months and pay less?

Went there today for the first time and went on the first treadmill which was as unpredictable as a female at the wrong time of the month. No matter what I put into the control panel, it seemed to go from 20kmph to 2kmph and back again at random intervals, and at one time it just came to a complete stop. I called the lady over and asked her what was going on and her immediate response was "It doesn't work, what do you expect me to do?" which gave me the impression that I wasn't the first person to complain about it. It seemed to me that it hadn't been working for quite some time. I asked her about the next one and she pointed to the piece of paper stuck on it with Thai writing which didn't take much of my Sherlock brain to work out said "This machine is out of order".

She kindly showed me a cross trainer and enthusiastically ushered me onto it with a "there you go, is everything in your life happy now?" grimace on her face. I wasn't happy because I hate cross trainers and just enjoy running but I thought it might be worth a go. I immediately noticed that the resistance level was set to that of a 5 year old on a sugar rush, and tried to change the resistance but no matter how hard I pressed the buttons, nothing seemed to be registering. I tried a few more machines and it was the same for every machine. It was as if they had either been locked at a certain resistance level akin to stepping onto a comfortable king size mattress or they were simply broken.

So the moral of the story is, if your ever offered a chance to test something out first in Thailand (or anywhere for that matter) ALWAYS take it, no matter how good things seem on the surface.

The dilemma of the story is, what are the chances of quitting my membership and getting at least some of my money back? Or do I just deal with it Thai style and put it down to experience?

The question of the story is, can anyone recommend me a good gym in Chaing Mai around the Kad Suan Kaew area which has some good working treadmills and a free weights section?

Thanks.

[heybruce]

Welcome to Thailand, land of compromises. In few areas are the compromises necessary illustrated more clearly than in selecting a gym.

You touched upon the problem for people looking for a gym with well maintained cardio equipment--the Thai attitude that so long as the wheels are spinning and displays lighting up, there is no need to do maintenance. And if the wheel's aren't spinning and displays not lighting, so long as there is a cardio machine somewhere in the gym that gives the appearance of functioning, there is still no need to do maintenance. In general, maintenance is an unnecessary expense to be avoided at all costs. That is why there is an abundance of treadmills with belts that slip and stop unpredictably and cross-trainers and stationary bikes that offer no resistance, the equivalent of a multi-gear bike permanently stuck in first gear. Hey, the wheel's are spinning and the display is lighting up, so what's the problem?

This situation is compounded by people who want to give the appearance of exercising without actually exerting themselves, so they are happy to find machines that allow them to "work-out" without actually working. There are also people who insist a gym is excellent because it's big and has lots of stuff in it. I think the latter category is dominated by Hillside 4 residents who insist their gym, full of archaic exercise equipment that has never seen a day's maintenance, is "an excellent gym". I won't go into why I think they maintain this fiction.

I have only qualified answers to your question about good gyms in the Kad Suan Kaew area. Hillside 4 has a gym, but unless they've done a major overhaul in the last couple of years (I doubt it), it's crap. Powerhouse Gym on Nimmanhamin Soi 6 is perhaps the best maintained gym in Chiang Mai, but it's small and often crowded--check it out during the times you want to work out before joining. Also, while I don't know the details on membership, it is definitely more expensive than the gym at Kad Suan Kaew. Many people, myself included, consider Fitness Thailand, on the eighth floor of the parking garage behind Icon Computer Plaza, to be the best value gym in the central Chiang Mai area. They could definitely do better on maintenance, but they have enough equipment so you can usually find something that is working that will satisfy your needs. California Wow, in the Airport Plaza Mall, looks decent but I've never checked out the details because I don't want to deal with the road and mall traffic to get there. Many people insist they know of an excellent hotel gym, but based on the hotel gyms I've seen I think these are mostly people who don't have high standards for gyms.

BTW, forget about finding a gym where customers rack their weights; Thailand is full of "Mama's boy" weight lifters, men who have never had to pick up after themselves in their lives, and aren't about to start in the gym. Weight racks are frequently empty and the floor of the free weight area so cluttered with barbells, dumbbells, and weight plates it's difficult to walk.

I hope somebody can make a fool of me by identifying an affordable, well equipped, well maintained gym in central Chiang Mai; I'll rush to join.

[Pillion]

Welcome to Thailand, land of compromises. In few areas are the compromises necessary illustrated more clearly than in selecting a gym.

You touched upon the problem for people looking for a gym with well maintained cardio equipment--the Thai attitude that so long as the wheels are spinning and displays lighting up, there is no need to do maintenance. And if the wheel's aren't spinning and displays not lighting, so long as there is a cardio machine somewhere in the gym that gives the appearance of functioning, there is still no need to do maintenance. In general, maintenance is an unnecessary expense to be avoided at all costs. That is why there is an abundance of treadmills with belts that slip and stop unpredictably and cross-trainers and stationary bikes that offer no resistance, the equivalent of a multi-gear bike permanently stuck in first gear. Hey, the wheel's are spinning and the display is lighting up, so what's the problem?

This situation is compounded by people who want to give the appearance of exercising without actually exerting themselves, so they are happy to find machines that allow them to "work-out" without actually working. There are also people who insist a gym is excellent because it's big and has lots of stuff in it. I think the latter category is dominated by Hillside 4 residents who insist their gym, full of archaic exercise equipment that has never seen a day's maintenance, is "an excellent gym". I won't go into why I think they maintain this fiction.

I have only qualified answers to your question about good gyms in the Kad Suan Kaew area. Hillside 4 has a gym, but unless they've done a major overhaul in the last couple of years (I doubt it), it's crap. Powerhouse Gym on Nimmanhamin Soi 6 is perhaps the best maintained gym in Chiang Mai, but it's small and often crowded--check it out during the times you want to work out before joining. Also, while I don't know the details on membership, it is definitely more expensive than the gym at Kad Suan Kaew. Many people, myself included, consider Fitness Thailand, on the eighth floor of the parking garage behind Icon Computer Plaza, to be the best value gym in the central Chiang Mai area. They could definitely do better on maintenance, but they have enough equipment so you can usually find something that is working that will satisfy your needs. California Wow, in the Airport Plaza Mall, looks decent but I've never checked out the details because I don't want to deal with the road and mall traffic to get there. Many people insist they know of an excellent hotel gym, but based on the hotel gyms I've seen I think these are mostly people who don't have high standards for gyms.

BTW, forget about finding a gym where customers rack their weights; Thailand is full of "Mama's boy" weight lifters, men who have never had to pick up after themselves in their lives, and aren't about to start in the gym. Weight racks are frequently empty and the floor of the free weight area so cluttered with barbells, dumbbells, and weight plates it's difficult to walk.

I hope somebody can make a fool of me by identifying an affordable, well equipped, well maintained gym in central Chiang Mai; I'll rush to join.

I jump on the back of a bike regularly to go to my gym, Fitness Thailand behind computer plaza. I like it inside, it's not too posh and there is usually a good atmosphere there. Unfortunately a lot of the problems that bruce mentioned are evident there. I joined about 4 years ago and it was fine, but of late it's been going downhill. There is a whole group (about 5 or 6) cross trainers that are dead a buried, but they're still on show to fill space, the bikes work on and off, I don't think I've seen a day where all of the running machines work, and weights are always all over the place (not really the gym's fault).

On the plus side, all the classes are free. I do still enjoy going but it's sometimes frustrating.

Unfortunately it probably is the best gym in CM for the money, in town anyway, unless you want to spend lots of cash spending time with the posers in California Wow ( a bit of a stereotype). Plus going to a shopping mall for a workout doesn't really appeal to me.

[junglechef]

Tried most of them and belong for 2 yrs now to FT (Fitness Thailand), great fro my purpose of lifting w/enough choices to change up my workout and occasional steam .

[playyer]

Yes Fitness Thailand is good, i joined on a promotion and paid 6500 for 13 months which i think is a pretty good price. Although ive heard rumors thai people pay less...

Edited September 1, 2011 by playyer

[NancyL]

At the risk of getting beat up by my fellow gym-members, I'll spill the beans on the fabled "excellent hotel gym" -- heybruce has probably heard about the one at the Centara Duang Tawan hotel on Loi Kroh, which is well outside his desired neighborhood.

I don't think I'd call it "excellent", but it's very, very good. I'm impressed with the maintenance of the equipment. Several times, I've seen the manager of the place do a systematic study of every machine -- using it thru a full range of speeds and settings, breaking a sweat, taking notes. A few days later, I see a maintence team from the equipment company working on the cardio machines with issues. Weight machines with problems get shipped off someplace and return in a week or so; I've seen them sitting on the loading dock of the hotel waiting to be picked up to be taken to the gym equipment hospital.

Customers usually rack their own weights, but they don't sit around the floor for long if they don't. The place is a little crowded and they have more than enough staffers, so they're quick to replace unracked weights and check out other signs of trouble, like people clanging weights on the machines or kids messing around with the cardio equipment (under age 16 isn't allowed in the gym; wish they had the same rule for the pool!)

Oh yeah, there's a pretty good outdoor pool, too. Not 100% ideal for lap swimming because it's a dog-leg, but each leg is more than twice the length of the pool at my former condo. The pool can get clogged with hotel guests (and their uncontrolled kids) in the afternoon, but it's pretty good for laps in the morning.

[LemanRus]

Le Meridien has an excellent gym. I wonder if it's only for hotel guests?

[Dante99]

Le Meridien has an excellent gym. I wonder if it's only for hotel guests?

I wonder why you don't call them and ask.

[heybruce]

Le Meridien has an excellent gym. I wonder if it's only for hotel guests?

To my mind "excellent" means a wide variety of free weights and appropriate benches, weight machines, and cardio equipment (stationary bikes, treadmills, elliptical/crosstrainers, etc.) all well maintained and sufficient in number so a customer can go to the gym at any time and go through the workout of their choice without waiting for equipment. Does Le Meridien meet this standard? If so, do you have any price information?

[LemanRus]

Le Meridien has an excellent gym. I wonder if it's only for hotel guests?

I wonder why you don't call them and ask.

Cos I'm in a difficult timezone and its expensive and some kind soul might already know.

Peace be with you

[LemanRus]

Le Meridien has an excellent gym. I wonder if it's only for hotel guests?

To my mind "excellent" means a wide variety of free weights and appropriate benches, weight machines, and cardio equipment (stationary bikes, treadmills, elliptical/crosstrainers, etc.) all well maintained and sufficient in number so a customer can go to the gym at any time and go through the workout of their choice without waiting for equipment. Does Le Meridien meet this standard? If so, do you have any price information?

Perhaps it may not meet all your criteria. It has, from memory, 3 each of the stationary bikes, treadmills, elliptical/crosstrainers. Probably 6 nautilius type machines and a 12 ft weight rack. Its open 24 x 7 but attendants are only available 1/2 that time. Maintenance and cleanliness are very good. There is a 25 metre lap pool. One thing though the temperature in the gym is a little on the high side.

[Lobo4819]

No one seems to have mentioned 700 year sports complex. I wound up there looking for a lap pool (8-lane, 50 meter, hardly anyone there, always a lane open). They have about everything from tennis to swimming to golf short course, basketball, soccer field, track. It is frequented mostly by Thais, but is farang-friendly. A one-year membership is 500 baht, which gives you half off the daily rate (which averages about 50 baht) on any of their facilities. You wold have to do the math on how often you want to work out to determine if the membership was worth it for you - ten visits in a year would pay for it. I have not used their fitness room, but it appears to have a little of everything with no glitz. It would be worth checking out.

[NancyL]

Le Meridien has an excellent gym. I wonder if it's only for hotel guests?

To my mind "excellent" means a wide variety of free weights and appropriate benches, weight machines, and cardio equipment (stationary bikes, treadmills, elliptical/crosstrainers, etc.) all well maintained and sufficient in number so a customer can go to the gym at any time and go through the workout of their choice without waiting for equipment. Does Le Meridien meet this standard? If so, do you have any price information?

Centara comes pretty close. Yes, you do have to wait sometimes if you come between 5 pm - 7 pm; otherwise it's just fine. Oh yes, sometimes you have to "motivate" people on the weight machines if there is some big sporting event on the TV. They tend to sit on the machines and only do reps during commercials. The Thai members are pretty good about finally realizing why you're standing next to them, staring patiently but persistently.

Price is about 1300 baht per month; less if you join for the year.