Muay Thai training camps
Not a spectator ticket and not a two-hour taster. This is living at a camp, training twice a day, and finding out what your shins think about it. One week is enough to learn the basics; two is enough to feel a difference.
Muay Thai training camps in Thailand cost $300–600 per week for two sessions a day, room and board, and are open to complete beginners. The serious camps are in Chiang Mai, Phuket and Bangkok; the tourist taster sessions are not the same thing.
- Weekly cost$300–600 including room
- TrainingTwo sessions a day
- LevelBeginners welcome
- Best campsChiang Mai, Phuket, Bangkok
06:00 and 16:00, six days
Morning: 6–8 km run, then skipping, shadow boxing, pad work with a trainer, clinch, and bag work. Two hours, in the cool of the day. Evening: the same shape again, four hours later, usually with more pad work and sparring if you are ready.
Sunday is off. Most injuries happen in week two, when people stop listening to their shins and start skipping the ice.
Where to train
Chiang Mai — the best value and the most foreigner-friendly. A room, two sessions a day and meals can come to $55–70 a day. Camps are smaller, trainers patient, and the city is walkable.
Bangkok — the serious option. Fairtex, PK Saenchai, Jitti: better fighters, harder sessions, higher prices ($80–95 a day without accommodation), and nobody will slow down for you.
Phuket — the resort version. Good camps, beaches, air-conditioned rooms, $90–120 a day. If you want to train and also have a holiday, this is the compromise.
Koh Samui — small scene, hot, but the setting is hard to argue with.
What it costs, honestly
Training alone is ฿300–500 per session. Accommodation at the camp is ฿500–1,200 a night for a basic room. Food is cheap. What pushes the number up is the room standard and whether you add a private trainer — ฿600–1,000 an hour, and the fastest way to improve.
| Where | Per day (room + 2 sessions) | Vibe |
|---|---|---|
| Chiang Mai | $55–70 | Patient, smaller camps |
| Bangkok | $80–95 | Serious, fast |
| Phuket | $90–120 | Resort-style |
| Koh Samui | $70–100 | Small, hot |
| Private trainer (add) | $18–30 / hr | Fastest progress |
Bring your own gloves and shin guards if you train at home — camp gear is shared and worn. Travel insurance that covers combat sports is not the default; check yours, or ask us which policies do.
What nobody tells you
The first three days hurt in places you did not know existed, mostly the tops of your feet from skipping. Most people lose 2–4 kg in two weeks without trying. You will be the slowest person in the morning run for a week, and nobody cares.
Fights are optional and, for a beginner on a short stay, a bad idea. Camps will offer an exhibition bout at a local stadium; some are genuine, some are theatre for tourists. Ask whether the opponent has a record.
Do I need experience?
No. Beginner sessions are the bulk of most camps' business. Tell the trainer it is your first time and they will pair you accordingly.
Is one week worth it?
Yes, for technique basics and the experience. Two weeks is where fitness and coordination start to change. A month is where people actually get competent.
Can women train?
Yes, at almost every camp, with female trainers available at several. A minority of traditional camps still have superstitions about women in the ring; we do not book those.
Can we combine it with a family holiday?
Yes — Phuket and Samui work best, because a non-training partner has a beach. We can put you in a hotel nearby rather than in camp accommodation.
What about the Muay Thai ticket?
Different product. Watching at Rajadamnern is on the tickets page; training camps are here.
Which camp, and how long?
Tell us your fitness and your dates — we will name the camp and the real daily cost.
Written and checked by the Travel Thailand Tour team, Bangkok · Last updated · Prices are per person and were correct at the time of writing.