Reasonable Priced Gym To Join?

[johnbits]

I stopped at several gyms in BKK, but they wanted 1000 baht a day for a short term membership, way too high. I worked out in the free outdoor gyms, but they really aren't that good. At least for weights, they did have a running walking track.

In the USA a one month membership would cost $30 - $40. I personally only pay $50 a year, but that is only because I bot the membership in 1975 and it is a lifetime membership which now is to LA Fitness. I mention this as maybe they have some sort of related club in Bkk?

I spend time in both Bangkok and Phetchabun, but the later is much smaller and maybe harder to find a reasonable gym.

I tried looking for a mostly local Thai gym, but they were hard to find.

So if I want to join a gym for 1-2 months, any suggestions, and if it is chain, are memberships good throughout thailand or only for the one gym you join?

So any suggestions?

[bonobo]

CaliWow is good at all branches, but other than Bangkok, I think they are only in Chiang Mai and Pattaya. I am not sure if any of the other chains have many branches, and they will be more expensive.

Your best bet would be to find a local gym and bargain with the management, I think.

[vtjforyou]

C wow is the best if you know how to bargain.

[Shurup]

Cal WOW has gyns in more places than just mentioned above, but I couldn't remember, the locations are on my membership card I believe.

I bought a life time for 10,000 baht, a good deal, too bad they don't offer them anymore, or so they say. Don't know what their daily rates. Maybe worth buying a monthly pass or even yearly if you need it for a few months, maybe well worth it.

When you bargain with them, they will try to sell you a lots of s*** it addition. Tell them you don't want yoga or anything else, just gym access.

Edited December 29, 2011 by Shurup

[bonobo]

Cal WOW has gyns in more places than just mentioned above, but I couldn't remember, the locations are on my membership card I believe.

I bought a life time for 10,000 baht, a good deal, too bad they don't offer them anymore, or so they say. Don't know what their daily rates. Maybe worth buying a monthly pass or even yearly if you need it for a few months, maybe well worth it.

When you bargain with them, they will try to sell you a lots of s*** it addition. Tell them you don't want yoga or anything else, just gym access.

You got my curiosity up, so I went to their website (boy, is that ever an annoying website!). I was correct in my earlier post. Other than their Bangkok clubs, they are only in Chiang Mai and Pattaya.

[Bangkok2012]

Hi JohnBits,

I know all about your problems. I myself have spent countless hours searching the internet for good places to work out in Thailand. Besides the price of the big chains are ridiculously high, it is also more or less impossible to find out what the prices is. Therefore, I dropped the idea of working out in a gym in Bangkok, until I accidentally ran into a gym in Sukhumvit soi 50. The center is associated with a tenniscourt, they have no team training, but their equipment is new and the center is clean.

They charge150THB per hour to work or 300 THB for a whole day.

its called the fifty thennis and fitness club

Edited December 29, 2011 by Bangkok2012

[patongster]

Gyms are usually way to expensive in Thailand, especially in Bangkok with the major chains like Cal WOW and Fitness First. Best gym I ever trained at was Tony's Gym Pattaya 3rd road, the 24 hour one. Great hardcore gym at a reasonable price.

[MrMuddle]

johnbits, I've lived in Phetchabun, for many years, and have never seen a gym in town. I bought my own equipment, weight machine, speed walker, exercise bike, from Big C. Total cost was under 18,000 baht.

[johnbits]

Hi JohnBits,

I know all about your problems. I myself have spent countless hours searching the internet for good places to work out in Thailand. Besides the price of the big chains are ridiculously high, it is also more or less impossible to find out what the prices is. Therefore, I dropped the idea of working out in a gym in Bangkok, until I accidentally ran into a gym in Sukhumvit soi 50. The center is associated with a tenniscourt, they have no team training, but their equipment is new and the center is clean.

They charge150THB per hour to work or 300 THB for a whole day.

its called the fifty thennis and fitness club

Thanks Bangkok2012

I will check out fifty thennis and fitness when I am in BKK, I expect I won't be a long time in Bangkok, so a daily rate sounds best.

[johnbits]

johnbits, I've lived in Phetchabun, for many years, and have never seen a gym in town. I bought my own equipment, weight machine, speed walker, exercise bike, from Big C. Total cost was under 18,000 baht.

Thanks Mr.Muddle

I have seen an outdoor workout area, but as is typical, it isn't well maintained. I did buy an exercise cross trainer for my GF, I will check out the rubber bands that one can take with you. Then I can use that when I travel around. I often spend 30-90 days in Thailand, so I feel I need something to stay in shape.

If I were to live in Phetchabun for a long time, I would do the same as you, just buy a set of equipment from Big C.

[johnbits]

Gyms are usually way to expensive in Thailand, especially in Bangkok with the major chains like Cal WOW and Fitness First. Best gym I ever trained at was Tony's Gym Pattaya 3rd road, the 24 hour one. Great hardcore gym at a reasonable price.

Thanks Patongstger

If I am in Pattaya, Tony's gym sounds like a great choice.

I was surprised to learn gyms are so expensive in Thailand, I would have expected they were cheap. But I don't see many of them, and the ones I did check into were expensive. I might not mind if I were staying a year, but for a month I will find some other alternative.

[David48]

One suggestion sort of in line with post #6 (Bangkok2012) is to think outside the square.

many of the hotels which I have stayed in open up they Gyms to non-guests for rent/membership.

Might be worth while visiting a few in the area that you stay and ask if they have this option.

When I stayed at the a hotel in Sukhumvit Soi 2 their website showed a gym, but there was none. When I asked, they replied that you could buy daily vouchers for the Marriott for about 150 baht a day, giving you daily access all areas (pool etc) but not valid on the week-end (from memory). Valid for a year.

Oh was the Marco-Polo Hotel !

[2008bangkok]

Your best looking for a public swimming pool normally run by the goverment, they normally have gyms for 1000 baht month and swimming 1000 baht 1700 joint..

Its funny how all thehe gyms are so expensive and probably totally out of the price range of a average thai person

[robblok]

If you really got roots here in Thailand and some money to spare and living in a town house. Do what i did 6 years ago. Buy your own power rack and with bench and Olympic bar and weights. Then add something for cardio and your set for life. I got a great setup at home and it saves me the time of going to a gym.

This is however only possible if your someone with experience and do some serious training. Not for people who liked to be looked at they should go to a gym.

[AlexDorneles]

I found a very decent gym with a nice rooftop pool by the BTS Sala Daeng station. Their daily pass is only 500bth. I think this is the best gym for short term stays in BKK. Better than any hotel for sure. The gym is Clark Hatch Fitness Centers.

Caliwow as mentioned above and Fitness First are better but for stays under 3 months it will get pricey. I also found a very high end gym called True Fitness, this is probably the best gym in Thailand if not south east Asia. I was able to bargain their monthly fees to about US$70 a month for a 6 month contract, it is cheap compared to a high end gym I used to go in the US.

[wana]

I found a very decent gym with a nice rooftop pool by the BTS Sala Daeng station. Their daily pass is only 500bth. I think this is the best gym for short term stays in BKK. Better than any hotel for sure. The gym is Clark Hatch Fitness Centers.

Caliwow as mentioned above and Fitness First are better but for stays under 3 months it will get pricey. I also found a very high end gym called True Fitness, this is probably the best gym in Thailand if not south east Asia. I was able to bargain their monthly fees to about US$70 a month for a 6 month contract, it is cheap compared to a high end gym I used to go in the US.

if you can lift rusty old weights and dont mind doind a bit of hardcore training there is outdoor places all over bangkok

not much music.zero girls and the guys there dont always chit chat much but ive found a few great places if your serious

about fitness and can train in an environment like that

there is one in lumpini park ,one in the park opposie wat po

another one near china town and a few others i dont go to much but have

pull up bars and some heavy weights an d a few almost upside down

sit up machines which the thai boxers and off duty army use to get strong in the mid section

plenty of places to do a bit of training if you really want it !

[robblok]

@wana,

Harcore is the way to train, if there is just an olympic barbel and powerrack you can do most important exercises. You dont go to a gym to talk but to work out. Ill bet you that most guys there are in better shape as those int he more expensive chains.

[JNanseo]

Ok, I've just spent/wasted a day figuring this BKK gym thing out.

I've been staying in Saldeng for about a week and using the new Crush Fitness. I understand that it's where the old Cal Wow place was. It's very well equipped and quiet. The sauna and steam room was not open at the time of writing. End of the month I was told. They do a weeks membership for 1500 baht. No shorter term memberships. The place is right beside Sala Deng sky train station.

I went to the Fitness First in the Central Plaza (Rama 9) MRT station. This place is huge, but like 2000bhat a year and 2500 per month. I double checked this and she repeated it. So can't quite figure that one out. Apparently if your a FF member from Aus your FF passport will get u in. I asked for the location of the closest FF to Saladeng, where I was staying. This turned out to be adjacent to the MRT Lumpini. A place called Q house, NOT Lumpini Tower as is stated on the Fitness First business cards. The Lumpini FF is a Platimium. 1000 baht for the first visit and a 50%discound for any subsequent visits.

The last place I looked at was Clark Hatch in the Thaniya plaza just off Silom Road, in the building with like 1000 golf shops. 1800 baht for a week. Ok gym, but not a patch on the others. Seemed a bit crowded for a Monday. Nice outdoor pool that looks like it could be a handy chill out place.

After all that, I think I might just go running

[Marcel1]

80bht a visit or 700a month. When u sign 3months than 1500. Rama 4 accross klong toey market

[anyone]

Anybody knows gym near Wongwian Yai?

[razorramone]

I go to true fitness, its around 1900 a month. They'll make you sign a years contract, but as with all gym contracts, its pretty worthless.

[bkkbudddy]

Greeting,

My review:

True Fitness is well managed fitness center except the music is TOO LOUD, approximately 30% of cardio equipments need service, equipments' vinal covering need reupholstering and they seldom turn on the AC! Moreover, the tower service girls are very rude, inconsiderate and lack of customer service.

[FreemanCarter]

Check out Crossfit Ten500 in Bangkok. You don't have to sign up for year like the other gyms. Equipment is good and nice staff.

[mmh8]

I was under the impression crossfit was just for taking photos. Is the gym well equipped, good olly bars that don't bend, lefiting platforms, decent amouint of weights so trying to squat means you have ample and don't have to search around gym?

[bkkbudddy]

True Fitness: Current Status

Management team bought new bicycles for cycling class, approximately 25 new aerobic machines and hired new workers for towel service! Due to their expensive annual membership rates, members are not renewing and started to join We Fitness! The gym's music is still extremely loud, no AC, vynal coverings need to reupholster and in mens' restroom only 3 working toilets!

[scn9a]

I found a reasonable gym around my area on this website http.//gymfinder-thailand.com They also have many True Fitness locations listed. Cheers!

[Neoluvsiam]

Now's Fitness is a local brand and its considered non-pretentious, straight forward kind of gym. Reasonably priced! They have 3 branches (Ari, Phayathai are few steps from BTS stations and 1 in On nut)

Their Zumba and Yoga classes are the best!

[Marcel1]

Was driving by sukhumvit 26 tje other day and saw that the 4 wings hotel has a year membership for their gym for 10.000 dont know about the quality though.

Before I used to go to balance health club at suk 30, great place with not many people. Now I am happy with my condo gym, no one ever there and bought some extras myself.

Would never set foot in cali, fitnessfirst, truefitness or any of the bigger brands, too crowded with people blocking stuff only there to make selffies to be seen at the gym. From what I read here not even aircon?????? Than better u go to lumpini park I guess.

[NoshowJones]

Why does anyone want to bother about over expensive gyms? Unless you want to end up an over muscled monkey man, why not go swimming or running, or are there not any of those parks with exercise machines in Bangkok?

Even those guys with the fat bellies, tattoos and facial hair look better than some of those freaks who pump iron. I am not referring to those who do weight training just for the purpose of keeping fit.

[BKKBobby]

If I remember correctly I paid 5000 Baht for a month membership at True Fitness, Asoke. A one year membership is about 20k. It depends on bargaining, if you are renewing a membership. They dont state a fix price.