While the Fairtex Gym in Bangplee, Thailand appears to no longer be opened, I still wanted to do a review of it since it was the first gym I trained in in Thailand back in 2008, and I really enjoyed training there. It was also the home gym for my coaches Bunkerd Faphimai and Neungsiam Samphusri who I trained with in San Francisco.
Bangplee is located 38 kilometers outside of Bangkok, Thailand. I didn’t adventure around Bangplee much, my focus was 100% on training, but there were plenty of places to eat, shops and a large mall.
The Fairtex camp was down a narrow side road; it had a small sign out front, nothing glamorous, just a simple logo and some words welcoming you to the camp. You entered the camp through a coffee shop that had former and current fighter’s photos on the wall. Along the back wall was a large window that looked out on four boxing rings that were aligned like a four-square game.
On the other side of the rings were small rooms where people stayed while they were training at the camp. There was also a small area with a few tables and a small kitchen; this is where we had our meals. The food was delicious and authentic Thai food.
Around the corner from the living quarters and far side of the rings was a mat area that had a bunch of bags, weights and stretching area. The area was small but perfect. There were also roosters in baskets all around the outer perimeter of the gym; I can only assume they were used for cock fighting.
On the complete opposite side from the mat area was a pool and another small building for slightly nicer accommodations. This is where you stay if you want air conditioning, private room with private showers.
To left of that building was a small building with a workout area for weights, yoga, treadmills etc. There were also some people training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu on the mats.
There was also a full pro shop full of great Fairtex gear and apparel. The prices were decent and the selection was pretty extensive.
Behind the camp was the home of Philip Wong (founder of Fairtex). He had a big house with a beautiful front yard. There were monkeys, some crazy geese that would try to chase you away. The gates were always open and everyone was welcome to visit the yard.
Training started first thing in the morning, 8:30am I think and we trained for about 3 hours. Everyone got three to five rounds with a pad holder and then we would take turns hitting the bags and working on some additional techniques with the various trainers. The workout was tough, but pretty standard for a Thai gym.
The afternoon training was very similar to the morning sessions, but at the end we would spar or work clinch. The warm ups were either going for a jog or jumping rope. The trainers were very friendly and always happy to give you extra help.
If this gym is indeed closed, it’s too bad; I really enjoyed training here and was hoping to get back there again. I know the Fairtex gym in Pattaya is still open and thriving; I’ll write a bit about about that gym in another blog post.