I have been in Bangkok near on five years now, and pretty much tried every gym there is worth trying. From California Wow to True Fitness, to small condo gyms and back alley spit n' dust Rocky Balboa esque' gyms, I have been there and worn the t-shirt, as they say.
For the past five months I have been using my condo gym, which is okay, but lacks big free weights and a variety of machines. There's a pool, too, but I don't swim in the sun so I rarely use it.
Anyway, it was time to search out a new gym, somewhere with more variety and space; some bags to hit, some proper benches, some ol' skool leg machines that take plates, an area to skip and do circuits…but where!
My actor-model-ex-marine mate Tom was looking for somewhere too. As luck would have it a new place had opened just around the corner from my condo. It's attached to the Amanta Suites hotel.
We went in for a look. It wasn't huge but had very new equipment, great showers, an awesome selection of weights and TVs, etc. It is by all accounts a modern gym. The nice lady showed us the pricing and said she'd waive the 1,500 Baht signing on fee, “Errr, cheers, does it cost that much to scan a passport and laminate a card these days? Man, I need to get out more”.
Cut a long story short, I now know why the gym is empty and 10 personal trainers were sitting in the back room watching Thai soap operas. It costs 5,000 Baht a month! “Shieeet”! I said, in my best Clay Davis (The Wire) accent. Man, that certainly will keep the riff raff out.
Forget it. True Fitness is only 1,500 a month, and as Tom pointed out, Bannatyne's in the UK is only 60 nicker a month on Gold Membership, and you get a free haircut thrown in every month.
Three days later Tom calls me like an excited kid. “Mate, all these stunt actors are telling me to go to the Thai-Japan, Ding Deng. It's 40 Baht a year and they have everything”! “There's no way it will be that for farang”, I said, disbelievingly.
And so today we went down there. Unreal. We showed our passports, filled in the form, took a picture and collected our membership cards.
The gym is a tad old school, but it's big and has everything you need. They have a full size boxing/MMA ring. Lots of bags, lots of space to skip, run, jump and whatever else you like doing.
They have two floors of equipment; the first proper 80's bodybuilder style; solid plate weights and machines for every part of the body, and then an upstairs which is more leisure-centre like. There's a nice ab section upstairs too.
It doesn't stop there, either. They have…
– A full size running track (stadium)
– A full size football pitch with beautiful grass
– An Olympic -sized swimming pool (you need a health certificate from the doctor to use this. Very clean.)
– Squash courts
– Outdoor park-style gym
– Onsite shop (x2)
ALL FOR 40 BAHT A YEAR!
Why So Cheap?
This place isn't in it for the cash, obviously. Apparently, the Thai-Japan youth centre is an initiative between Thailand and Japan to provide training facilities for one and all; anyone living in Thailand, rich or poor.
From taxi drivers to executives, it's open to all. Of course a number of sporting and social events are held here too.
I like to workout, and I like my sport. If this place was just a crummy little gym I wouldn't have joined just because it was cheap. I'd prefer to pay 2,000 Baht a month and have access to what I need. But honestly, this is certainly the best gym in Bangkok when you consider the overall amenities. The grounds also provide a lovely place to chill out.
Perhaps I'd feel bad about using the place if I was just on holiday, but I have been in Thailand 5 years and figure I am entitled to occasionally take advantage of government amenities.
Where Is The Thai-Japan Youth Centre?
Address: 2, Mit Mitri Rd, Din Daeng, Din Daeng, Bangkok, 10400
Area: Ratchadapisek / Zone: Vibhavadi / Metro: BTS Sukhumvit Line – Sanam Pao (1,155m)
Hour: Tue-Sat 10:00-21:00, Sun 13:00-21:00 / Close on: Mon, Nat'l.holiday
All the info you need to get there is on this page. And don't forget to take your passport with you!
Last Updated on
Craig says
They offer a range of membership options; daily, weekly and monthly.
Aug 08, 2020 at 12:03 pm
TheThailandLife says
Aug 09, 2020 at 4:18 am
Indra says
Jul 10, 2019 at 11:11 pm
Steve says
May 27, 2019 at 10:29 am
Craig says
May 11, 2019 at 10:53 am
scott phillips says
I just moved to Ari so this place is close to home and I love the black iron old school vibe.
Apr 21, 2018 at 2:23 pm
Shinta says
Sep 23, 2017 at 9:15 am
Georgy says
Jul 29, 2017 at 8:08 am
TheThailandLife says
Jul 30, 2017 at 4:15 am
Asif says
I certainly appreciate it.
Nov 19, 2017 at 1:45 am
Todd says
Jul 19, 2017 at 10:43 pm
TheThailandLife says
Jul 20, 2017 at 2:17 am
Todd says
Have you come across one of those VersaClimber things here in BKK in your wonderings?
Jul 21, 2017 at 12:33 pm
Bruce says
Jun 21, 2017 at 8:47 pm
TheThailandLife says
Jun 22, 2017 at 2:47 am
Ai says
May 12, 2017 at 10:04 am
TheThailandLife says
May 13, 2017 at 2:40 pm
Enzo says
Amazing ! More efficient than in Europe.
The Crossfit boxes in BKK charge 700bath for drop-in, fcuk em all, no way !
I can't believe being able to do my snatch pulls and co here ?
PS : there is a "ghetto" gym at the entrance of the stadium, they are very welcome but the barbells and plates may be older than our parents eheh
Dec 07, 2016 at 10:35 pm
TheThailandLife says
Dec 08, 2016 at 4:08 am
Ferizi says
Nov 19, 2016 at 3:22 pm
TheThailandLife says
Nov 20, 2016 at 10:48 am
jekita says
Oct 10, 2016 at 10:41 pm
TheThailandLife says
Oct 11, 2016 at 11:35 am
Jie says
Feb 09, 2016 at 12:38 am
TheThailandLife says
Feb 09, 2016 at 11:41 am
Jie says
Feb 09, 2016 at 9:15 pm
Sparrow says
Mar 08, 2016 at 7:11 pm
TheThailandLife says
Mar 08, 2016 at 10:03 pm
Pablo says
I have a question. My fiance and I are traveling to Bangkok this summer for 1 to 2 weeks and we are looking for places to train there. We specifically are into Weightlifting and Powerlifting, and I saw that they have a pretty big heavyweights room in there. However, we probably going to stay in a central place in order to visit touristic places etc, etc. How far is it from the touristic places like hostels? (I know there may be several touristic locations but the main ones)
Thanks in advance.
Dec 09, 2015 at 6:39 pm
TheThailandLife says
Dec 10, 2015 at 3:09 pm
micke says
I appriciate all answers!
Thank you, Micke
Nov 30, 2015 at 9:04 pm
TheThailandLife says
Nov 30, 2015 at 11:31 pm
micke says
Thank you very much for this information, you made my day! And greetings from slushy Finland :D
Dec 01, 2015 at 4:06 am
TheThailandLife says
Dec 01, 2015 at 4:08 am
Micke says
THANK YOU
Jan 04, 2017 at 8:33 am
TheThailandLife says
Jan 04, 2017 at 4:33 pm
Tim says
My original plan was to run on a treadmill in the a/c, since it's hot outdoors even during the evenings. Went upstairs and found a non-a/c room with multigym equipment. The door to the a/c room is kept closed and not obvious (at the back of the first non-a/c room). Inside the a/c is multigym equipment too, but no treadmill, unfortunately!
There is a (sort of) perimeter road around the outside of the stadium where most people were running, so I ran there (hot). It was mostly well lit enough, in the evening. You only seem to need the membership card for the building with the gym. The track and perimeter road are accessible by just wandering in.
The card also gets you into the 1F locker room (bring your own padlock) and showers (bring your own towel and watch out for the big hole in the floor outside the locker room!).
Bring your own water too. The shop next to the small amphitheatre selling drinks and snacks was closed by 8:30 or 9pm when I finished running.
Much of the equipment needs maintenance (new cushions) but it's not bad for the money ;-)
Nov 11, 2015 at 5:57 pm
Zar Ni says
I wanna go there.But I want to know one thing..Is the Place welcome all citizen .
I'm worry I'm a migrant worker here...I'm holding Migrant Worker Passport that is agreement between Thai and Myanmar... Can I get a membership .. Thanks...
Oct 14, 2015 at 2:37 pm
TheThailandLife says
Oct 15, 2015 at 11:50 am
Liz F says
Oct 06, 2015 at 12:31 pm
Liz F says
Oct 05, 2015 at 9:39 pm
TheThailandLife says
Oct 06, 2015 at 11:24 am
Jenna says
Sep 16, 2015 at 12:59 pm
TheThailandLife says
Sep 17, 2015 at 12:38 am
lynia says
I have visited online many Gyms but didn't see a place where they have a dedicated boot camp program. I booked my ticket to Bangkok for a start but willing to move where the suited place am looking for is,if any thoughts appreciated,thanks a lot
Sep 10, 2015 at 4:38 pm
Aline says
Sep 05, 2015 at 9:38 pm
TheThailandLife says
Sep 05, 2015 at 10:30 pm
Aline says
Sep 06, 2015 at 9:33 pm
TheThailandLife says
Sep 06, 2015 at 10:11 pm
Brem says
Re: 'I just Googled the facility and the maps.google.com stated “this place has been reported closed” is what it mentions.' Can anyone confirm if its still going strong? Cheers.
Jul 24, 2015 at 8:10 pm
TheThailandLife says
Jul 24, 2015 at 11:32 pm
brody says
Jul 20, 2015 at 2:48 pm
TheThailandLife says
Jul 20, 2015 at 4:29 pm
Arlo says
I am not fit but I am planning to come to Thailand for a month to get into all sort of activities and lose weight and get fitter.I was looking into Muaythai traing for a month such as luktupfah or tiger phuket but it seemed expensive and then i fumbled on this forum and it got me really interested and i would like to know more
A] Is there any personal training involved / trainer available
B] I am single is it easy to find a badminton partner if so how?
C] Is it easy to find an accommodation nearby? if so any help or website?
D] I still would like to get into muaythai & yoga is there any places close by?
I am aware i have lot of questions but I dont have valuable experiences as the people so kindly provide some advice
I would appreciate it
Looking forward for few response
Jul 14, 2015 at 5:35 am
TheThailandLife says
Jul 14, 2015 at 10:08 pm
Arlo says
Hope you could suggest. Thanks for your guidance in advance
Jul 14, 2015 at 11:01 pm
TheThailandLife says
There's plenty of fitness you can do for cheap and even free. There's Yoga in Lumpini Park. It's on twice a day, at 07:00 and 18:00. Get off at Lumpini station on the MRT. it only costs around 50 Baht I believe.
You can also go running at Queen Sirikit Park. It's lovely there and they also have some outdoor gym equipment. I suggest running either very early morning before the sun gets hot or around 6-7pm. Lots of people go to run and cycle there. It's right next to Queen Sirikit station. Don't forget, at 8am and 6pm the Thai national anthem will be played and you will need to stop and stand still until it ends. Everyone else will do this, so you'll know when it's happening.
In terms of areas to stay, I'd make sure you're quite central. This just makes visiting everything you'd want to visit that much easier, and is also ultra convenient for shopping, etc. You're also more likely to meet more people nearer the centre of town.
If you want a budget place to stay where you are likely to meet other travellers, check out this hostel on Sukhumvit 38: http://www.hisukhumvit.com/rooms_rates.html A friend of mine stayed here and loved it. It's very central.
There's plenty of budget accommodation, but I'd highly recommend paying that bit extra for a place that keeps a decent level of hygiene in terms of changing bedsheets and cleaning the bathroom, etc. The last thing you want is to be sick for a week of your holiday.
If you want another place to visit with lots of cheap accommodation and plenty of yoga classes, go to Chiang Mai for a week.
Hope this helps!
Jul 16, 2015 at 11:57 am
Philip says
As someone who may be moving to the area in the coming months, I just Googled the facility and the maps.google.com stated "this place has been reported closed" is what it mentions. Possibly just a deterrent for the influx of the non-thai residents of the area? Thank in advance if you know otherwise, I saw above your May 10, 2015 post stated you were visiting home.
May 29, 2015 at 10:54 am
TheThailandLife says
May 29, 2015 at 11:43 am
Pho says
May 18, 2015 at 12:42 am
TheThailandLife says
May 18, 2015 at 4:53 pm
Randy says
May 09, 2015 at 9:29 pm
TheThailandLife says
May 10, 2015 at 3:47 pm
LA-Trader says
Apr 08, 2015 at 8:33 am
TheThailandLife says
Apr 08, 2015 at 2:53 pm
Mushy Pea says
all in all id recommend it over the expensive, trendy fitness places with running machines as you can run real circuits there or swim, and at 15B per swim the price is great too.
Apr 07, 2015 at 3:49 pm
TheThailandLife says
Apr 07, 2015 at 4:23 pm
Amir says
Mar 30, 2015 at 11:00 pm
TheThailandLife says
Mar 30, 2015 at 11:27 pm
Dan says
Are the squat racks busy?? I live near Bang Wa BTS station so its going to take me a long time to get over there. Cheers
Mar 03, 2015 at 3:31 am
TheThailandLife says
Mar 03, 2015 at 5:15 pm
Dennis says
Anyway, all that aside this looks like the perfect place to workout during my 5 month visit. I was wondering if by any chance they have olympic bars and bumper plates at the gym facility (or at least olympic bars). I'm not sure where I'm going to stay but how would you rate accessibility (wouldn't mind travelling an hour)
Feb 21, 2015 at 11:07 am
TheThailandLife says
Feb 21, 2015 at 5:51 pm
Dennis says
Really appreciate you taking your time and effort to put this out on the internet, without it I would've probably gone to some ripoff gym for farangs.
Feb 22, 2015 at 11:14 pm
TheThailandLife says
Feb 22, 2015 at 11:24 pm
Klara says
Feb 13, 2015 at 9:13 am
TheThailandLife says
Feb 13, 2015 at 4:09 pm
Jet0530 says
Feb 16, 2015 at 3:42 pm
Jet0530 says
Jan 24, 2015 at 11:14 pm
TheThailandLife says
Jan 24, 2015 at 11:22 pm
Jet0530 says
Jan 24, 2015 at 11:26 pm
TheThailandLife says
Jan 24, 2015 at 11:30 pm
Jet0530 says
Jan 24, 2015 at 11:41 pm
TheThailandLife says
Jan 25, 2015 at 11:33 am
Linh Nguyen says
is there a badminton court in this center? I would like to join.
THanks
Jan 06, 2015 at 1:54 pm
TheThailandLife says
Jan 06, 2015 at 2:51 pm
Linh Nguyen says
Thanks
The problem is booking for court take time. We have to book in the morning then in the afternoon we can play. Call booking is not preferred there......
Jan 22, 2015 at 9:44 am
TheThailandLife says
Jan 22, 2015 at 12:49 pm
Maureeses says
Jan 01, 2015 at 4:29 pm
TheThailandLife says
Jan 01, 2015 at 5:03 pm
Icarus says
Nov 24, 2014 at 1:48 pm
TheThailandLife says
Nov 24, 2014 at 11:21 pm
mankato says
May 23, 2014 at 11:24 am
TheThailandLife says
May 23, 2014 at 11:35 am
Alisha says
Just moved to BKK and was having the same problem with too small weights and lack of variety of machines.
Cheers! :)
Jan 23, 2014 at 6:35 pm
TheThailandLife says
Jan 23, 2014 at 6:38 pm
Jake says
Jan 12, 2014 at 8:02 pm
TheThailandLife says
Jan 13, 2014 at 7:33 pm
FFS says
Dec 19, 2013 at 1:17 am
TheThailandLife says
Dec 21, 2013 at 7:21 pm
Jesse says
Nov 04, 2013 at 4:05 pm
TheThailandLife says
Nov 12, 2013 at 6:17 pm
Joe says
May 24, 2013 at 4:04 pm
TheThailandLife says
May 24, 2013 at 4:12 pm
Brian Binns says
Mar 01, 2013 at 1:00 pm
TheThailandLife says
Mar 01, 2013 at 5:41 pm
DIm SUm says
Aug 01, 2013 at 10:02 pm
TheThailandLife says
Aug 01, 2013 at 11:51 pm