Gyms in Bangkok are <deleted> expensive!

[Thaidude]

Damn these gyms, they are charging whopping 2500 baht if you go for a 1 year contract. Some even have the audacity to charge 5000 baht per month. Sometimes i believe all these gyms are there to scam farangs as local people cant even afford to subscribe to them considering the low wage they provide

/rant

[jed2002]

Hi

got your point

back in 2008 got a good deal with True Fitness, I applied for a one year membership and they gave me 1 year for free, total for 24 months, 20'000 baht

Here in Switzerland, i pay 2500 baht per month, and it's in the top area of my city, can find cheaper deal outside cities.

Bangkok is expensive these days, not only for fitness :-)

I spend less money here in Switzerland than back when I was living in Bangkok, and my lifestyle didn't change much :-)

[jspill]

Lack of much competition so they can charge crazy prices.

Go to RQClub, 21.4k / year so 1.78k / month, better than True Fitness imo.

Also the only one that lists the prices on it's website instead of sitting you down with an agent to see how much they can extract from you.

[Pib]

Many Thais in Bangkok have plenty of money....Bt2500/month is nothing to them.

[Halfaboy]

You can have enough money, but you should be prepared to pay !

[ivan96822]

Screw the gym.

[Thian]

I know several Thai who pay 30k+ a year for their gym. And they even rarely visit it, it's more to brag about.

How did you think they would pay their cars, million baht houses or golden jewelry? Oh have you seen those bicycles they all have now? Yup only to drive in the moobaan, do you know what a moobaan is?

They also have a golfcourse in BKK, membership is 1 million a year.

Edited February 26, 2016 by Thian

[smutcakes]

I know several Thai who pay 30k+ a year for their gym. And they even rarely visit it, it's more to brag about.

How did you think they would pay their cars, million baht houses or golden jewelry? Oh have you seen those bicycles they all have now? Yup only to drive in the moobaan, do you know what a moobaan is?

They also have a golfcourse in BKK, membership is 1 million a year.

Are you okay, you seem really bitter. On another thread you are telling the street vendors to get out of BKK and stop stinking the place up, now you seem to be showing bitterness to those with money... what gives?

Why do you bother living here? Live and let live no?

[Bobotie]

I know several Thai who pay 30k+ a year for their gym. And they even rarely visit it, it's more to brag about.

How did you think they would pay their cars, million baht houses or golden jewelry? Oh have you seen those bicycles they all have now? Yup only to drive in the moobaan, do you know what a moobaan is?

They also have a golfcourse in BKK, membership is 1 million a year.

WOW your bitter...

[villagefarang]

The prices are high to keep the cheap farangs out.

[Thian]

I know several Thai who pay 30k+ a year for their gym. And they even rarely visit it, it's more to brag about.

How did you think they would pay their cars, million baht houses or golden jewelry? Oh have you seen those bicycles they all have now? Yup only to drive in the moobaan, do you know what a moobaan is?

They also have a golfcourse in BKK, membership is 1 million a year.

Are you okay, you seem really bitter. On another thread you are telling the street vendors to get out of BKK and stop stinking the place up, now you seem to be showing bitterness to those with money... what gives?

Why do you bother living here? Live and let live no?

I'm not bitter sir, just realistic. 2500 baht so you can train EVERY DAY isn't too much i would think. They might even have a nice pool as well.

But if you have to walk to it over occupied stinky slippery sidewalks and have to duck for eyeballsticking pins all the time then maybe it's too much. Then you better go to a gym in a mall connected to skytrain.

You forgot to ask me if i know where the airport is!

I'm just tired of people who come here and expecting everything to be cheap. What are they thinking? That those new cars you see or all the brandnamed stuff is all fake? It's all paid for. If you want it cheap then go upcountry somewhere.

Name me one good gym in a metropole like BKK which is cheaper then 2500 baht for a month. And don't come up with a village in the desert in the USA, a real metropole with many highrise buildings and 10 million inhabitants.

[smutcakes]

I know several Thai who pay 30k+ a year for their gym. And they even rarely visit it, it's more to brag about.

How did you think they would pay their cars, million baht houses or golden jewelry? Oh have you seen those bicycles they all have now? Yup only to drive in the moobaan, do you know what a moobaan is?

They also have a golfcourse in BKK, membership is 1 million a year.

Are you okay, you seem really bitter. On another thread you are telling the street vendors to get out of BKK and stop stinking the place up, now you seem to be showing bitterness to those with money... what gives?

Why do you bother living here? Live and let live no?

I'm not bitter sir, just realistic. 2500 baht so you can train EVERY DAY isn't too much i would think. They might even have a nice pool as well.

But if you have to walk to it over occupied stinky slippery sidewalks and have to duck for eyeballsticking pins all the time then maybe it's too much. Then you better go to a gym in a mall connected to skytrain.

You forgot to ask me if i know where the airport is!

I'm just tired of people who come here and expecting everything to be cheap. What are they thinking? That those new cars you see or all the brandnamed stuff is all fake? It's all paid for. If you want it cheap then go upcountry somewhere.

Name me one good gym in a metropole like BKK which is cheaper then 2500 baht for a month. And don't come up with a village in the desert in the USA, a real metropole with many highrise buildings and 10 million inhabitants.

Sorry i thought you were being bitchy about people having money.

I agree 2,500 is nothing to complain about. For any serious gym goer, say 5 times a week it equates to a fairly measly 100 baht a time.

If 2,500 is to much there are public outdoor work out spaces in Lumpini park for example, and the one next to Emporium which are free. You can run there and back as well.

[kblaze]

Best gym at the moment is Virgin Fitness - they actually have set prices. Not cheap, but lots of high tech stuff, clean, etc.

[Thian]

And the worst gym was named after a huge state in the USA...the owner run with the money and loads of people paid 20-50k baht for a lifetime membership.

I wonder when he will bring the money back.

[bkkbudddy]

Greetings,

I just signed 39 months membership at WE Fitness for 50,300 bhat! WE Fitness is little more expensive than Asoke True Fitness but has brand new equipments and much cleaner!

[bkkbudddy]

kblaze,

Are you sure about that?

[Changwatchap]

First, it sounds like you are talking only about the high end 'health club' gyms: Virgin/We/True/Fitness First. All of them you're paying higher for extra services like towels, swimming pool, classes. Virgin even gives you the damn clothes to wear. And paying a premium because they are centrally located.

But even these aren't super expensive. Virgin is 2400/month. True is 1700/month. Fitness first.. somewhere in the middle. That's 30-60gbp per month. How much do you spend on movies, commuting, or drinking per month? And it's much cheaper than the equivalent large gym in the UK.

Cheaper gyms exist, 1000-1500baht/month, just don't expect them to be on the BTS or to provide things like towels or lockers. I can think of several just along Phaholyothin rd alone.

If you are REALLY looking for a cheap gym, then just go lift weights in Chatuchak or lumpini park. It's free if you speak Thai.

Edited February 27, 2016 by Changwatchap

[inbangkok]

I know several Thai who pay 30k+ a year for their gym. And they even rarely visit it, it's more to brag about.

How did you think they would pay their cars, million baht houses or golden jewelry? Oh have you seen those bicycles they all have now? Yup only to drive in the moobaan, do you know what a moobaan is?

They also have a golfcourse in BKK, membership is 1 million a year.

Are you okay, you seem really bitter. On another thread you are telling the street vendors to get out of BKK and stop stinking the place up, now you seem to be showing bitterness to those with money... what gives?

Why do you bother living here? Live and let live no?

I'm not bitter sir, just realistic. 2500 baht so you can train EVERY DAY isn't too much i would think. They might even have a nice pool as well.

But if you have to walk to it over occupied stinky slippery sidewalks and have to duck for eyeballsticking pins all the time then maybe it's too much. Then you better go to a gym in a mall connected to skytrain.

You forgot to ask me if i know where the airport is!

I'm just tired of people who come here and expecting everything to be cheap. What are they thinking? That those new cars you see or all the brandnamed stuff is all fake? It's all paid for. If you want it cheap then go upcountry somewhere.

Name me one good gym in a metropole like BKK which is cheaper then 2500 baht for a month. And don't come up with a village in the desert in the USA, a real metropole with many highrise buildings and 10 million inhabitants.

Is this a joke? Name you a gym that is less than 2500 baht a month? Um, how about pretty much every major commercial gym in the USA? Standard price of an mid/upper range gym in California is about $30 (1000 baht) per month. And these gyms far surpass anything offered by main ones in Bangkok.

Planet Fitness gyms in the USA are $10 (300 baht per month) regardless of location. These are still better than most of the gyms in Bangkok.

Edited February 28, 2016 by inbangkok

[Agent Sumo]

Damn these gyms, they are charging whopping 2500 baht if you go for a 1 year contract. Some even have the audacity to charge 5000 baht per month. Sometimes i believe all these gyms are there to scam farangs as local people cant even afford to subscribe to them considering the low wage they provide

/rant

Most of those non-farangs working out at the gyms you've complaining about . . . are Thais

There are nearly 70 million of them and a lot of them earn good enough money to afford membership

Try using brain before mouth

[Thainess]

Damn these gyms, they are charging whopping 2500 baht if you go for a 1 year contract. Some even have the audacity to charge 5000 baht per month. Sometimes i believe all these gyms are there to scam farangs as local people cant even afford to subscribe to them considering the low wage they provide

/rant

Most of those non-farangs working out at the gyms you've complaining about . . . are Thais

There are nearly 70 million of them and a lot of them earn good enough money to afford membership

Try using brain before mouth

Show me some evidence that Thais (even in Bangkok) earn good money. The fact is, they don't. The average salary is still less than 30,000 baht a month, often much less. Thais in Bangkok may have all the "trappings of wealth" but that's because they are all up to their eyes in debt. If you have debt, your wealth is lower than someone who has nothing.

[PattayaAl]

Dual pricing does exist but not directed at foreigners.

California Wow was a master of that.

When i joined i was paying from memory 2000/month

My Ex who was senior executive was signed up for 3000/month

My current at the time who was a teacher was signed up for 1200/month, while my unemployed French mate was signed up for 1000.

True and Fitness first are actually pretty fair with their pricing, its just expansive for everyone, but then you get to mingle with fairly decent people in good jobs or super attractive models with either very rich Thai sugar daddy's or semi retarded foreign sponsor boyfriend

PS. Some 8 years ago, True was 2900/month, so i guess prices have come down.

Look on the bright side though, it is large, with decent equipment, showers that work, 5 reception girls to swipe your card and at least 10 totally useless and clueless personal trainers happy to offer you advice on training and get you as a customer, despite you being in better shape, benching triple the weight of what they bench and arms bigger than their legs

[PattayaAl]

Damn these gyms, they are charging whopping 2500 baht if you go for a 1 year contract. Some even have the audacity to charge 5000 baht per month. Sometimes i believe all these gyms are there to scam farangs as local people cant even afford to subscribe to them considering the low wage they provide

/rant

Most of those non-farangs working out at the gyms you've complaining about . . . are Thais

There are nearly 70 million of them and a lot of them earn good enough money to afford membership

Try using brain before mouth

Show me some evidence that Thais (even in Bangkok) earn good money. The fact is, they don't. The average salary is still less than 30,000 baht a month, often much less. Thais in Bangkok may have all the "trappings of wealth" but that's because they are all up to their eyes in debt. If you have debt, your wealth is lower than someone who has nothing.

Well clearly many do, otherwise these Gyms would be out of business

[berybert]

I know several Thai who pay 30k+ a year for their gym. And they even rarely visit it, it's more to brag about.

How did you think they would pay their cars, million baht houses or golden jewelry? Oh have you seen those bicycles they all have now? Yup only to drive in the moobaan, do you know what a moobaan is?

They also have a golfcourse in BKK, membership is 1 million a year.

Are you okay, you seem really bitter. On another thread you are telling the street vendors to get out of BKK and stop stinking the place up, now you seem to be showing bitterness to those with money... what gives?

Why do you bother living here? Live and let live no?

I'm not bitter sir, just realistic. 2500 baht so you can train EVERY DAY isn't too much i would think. They might even have a nice pool as well.

But if you have to walk to it over occupied stinky slippery sidewalks and have to duck for eyeballsticking pins all the time then maybe it's too much. Then you better go to a gym in a mall connected to skytrain.

You forgot to ask me if i know where the airport is!

I'm just tired of people who come here and expecting everything to be cheap. What are they thinking? That those new cars you see or all the brandnamed stuff is all fake? It's all paid for. If you want it cheap then go upcountry somewhere.

Name me one good gym in a metropole like BKK which is cheaper then 2500 baht for a month. And don't come up with a village in the desert in the USA, a real metropole with many highrise buildings and 10 million inhabitants.

Sorry i thought you were being bitchy about people having money.

I agree 2,500 is nothing to complain about. For any serious gym goer, say 5 times a week it equates to a fairly measly 100 baht a time.

If 2,500 is to much there are public outdoor work out spaces in Lumpini park for example, and the one next to Emporium which are free. You can run there and back as well.

I think the gym in Lumpini park is not free. I seem to recall someone saying it was something like 10 or 20 baht a time to use it. So maybe a bit too pricey for some on here.

The one next to the Emporium I wouldn't call a gym. Its a few metal machines and some pots filled with concrete. But it is free so expect a rush once people on TV get to hear about it.

[Agent Sumo]

Damn these gyms, they are charging whopping 2500 baht if you go for a 1 year contract. Some even have the audacity to charge 5000 baht per month. Sometimes i believe all these gyms are there to scam farangs as local people cant even afford to subscribe to them considering the low wage they provide

/rant

Most of those non-farangs working out at the gyms you've complaining about . . . are Thais

There are nearly 70 million of them and a lot of them earn good enough money to afford membership

Try using brain before mouth

Show me some evidence that Thais (even in Bangkok) earn good money. The fact is, they don't. The average salary is still less than 30,000 baht a month, often much less. Thais in Bangkok may have all the "trappings of wealth" but that's because they are all up to their eyes in debt. If you have debt, your wealth is lower than someone who has nothing.

Duuuuh, because credit is simply unheard of among ordinary, working people in the West, isn't it?

No one relies on credit to supplement their incomes back home, do they?

If only you knew just how completely uninformed you sound but I'm not here to lift the fog of ignorance from your view.

Suffice it to say that not all Thais sell moo ping or soup noodles off a food cart.

[tinat]

"Sometimes i believe all these gyms are there to scam farangs as local people cant even afford to subscribe to them considering the low wage they provide"

So they are just scamming the Western caucasians ? Or did you mean "foreigners" ?

[kblaze]

kblaze,

Are you sure about that?

Yes, in terms of facilities being offered, quality of equipment used, convenient locations, etc.....Virgin is "best" at this point. Of course this is just my opinion. Hard to find a sub-3k/month club with a pool

[JayBird]

There are a LOT of Rich Thais out there. And a lot happy to pay 2k/3k/mo. There are a lot of poorer thais, so much so that the average comes down (simple mathematics).

There are also lots of good gyms that can be had for less. They just may not publish in English or geared towards foreigner but that doesn't make them any worse. After all, all these Muay Thai fighters have to train somewhere

[Thian]

Many moobaans have them for 14000 a year, all included. Fitness, swimmingpool, sauna, aerobics,tennis (not sure if included, maybe you pay the electric bill).

But of course you guys know it better.

[Lumbini]

Lumpini park gym with lap pool , tennis courts , full weight room and aerobic machine room and yoga classes all in AC with 2.4 kilometer running track 40 Baht a year [emoji106] an exercise oasis thats second to none [emoji269]

Edited March 28, 2016 by Lumbini

[Merylhighground]

I think the above poster has a point about the prestige of such places here.

The only exercise type of place I've even been a member of was the Tennis Academy of Asia when we lived in Muang Thong Thani from 2004 to 2007. It was a steep 3500B an month for using all the facilities so not being a gym rat nor a tennis player I opted for the pool only bash at a (I then felt) steep 1000B a month.

It was heaven. I had the place to my self most days as it was a steep 200B a pop to use the pool which put most locals off.

The only other people I'd see were the more well heeled locals, mostly from the more affluent (former) Thai Airways Village or Lakeside Estate who certainly were all there for the 'prestige' as both estates had pools already, who would arrive once the Sun had lowered enough to cease to send it's deadly rays on their fair skins but I seldom hung around after evenfall as I was still sniffing around the now wife then and as she was working as a Chang Promo Girl at a nearby eatery I'd have to be in there by 6 most nights to be sure of my prime 'sniffing table' while declaring my honourable intentions to her.