Snack Payback

He told me he was teaching at a gym in Chong Chom, Surin - which is right next to the Cambodian border. Or has he decided to make use of the border crossing?

Just keep stretching and you should notice an improvement. If you're still struggling after about 6 months then maybe go and see a physio or a chiropractor. I got some acupuncture done on my back and right leg (my right leg was always tighter than my left) and it's made a huge difference. They'll give you some good stretches to add to your routine as well.

If both gyms offer a trial class then give both of them a try. Every Muay Thai gym I've been to has been friendly and welcoming, so definitely look for that. As a beginner you should be getting plenty of correction, so that's something else to look for. Class should consist of stretching, cardio, shadow boxing, pad work and bag work. Hope you enjoy it mate, let us know how you get on

Veeraphol and Samson Issan's boxing highlights

I'm sure most gyms wouldn't mind your daughter hanging around. I started taking my son along to my gym here in Australia for my day classes when he was 3 and a half. He'd run laps of the gym alongside me as I warmed up, then grab some pads and kick shields, take them into the ring and keep himself occupied while I finished off my cardio and did padwork. He's 6 now and trains in the junior class. Your video didn't work but it's great to get them started so young. I'm hoping to take my son to Thailand next year

You're from Glasgow. Tell your parents you're far more likely to get into trouble on a Saturday night out in Glasgow than you are in Thailand. Thailand's a safe country to travel, I've never felt threatened anywhere there all the times I've been. The rare occasions I have witnessed or heard about any trouble, it was almost always a westerner acting like an absolute dick head that caused it. As long as you're respectful and friendly to people, you'll be fine.

The only gym I know of down that way is Parunchai Muay Thai Gym. Haven't trained there but it did have a good reputation for producing top stadium fighters. Also, Oley Kiatoneway (Golden Age legend) was working as a trainer there as well, so would be cool to get to train with him (if he still works there of course). Superbon posted a video recently of his Dad's gym in Phattalung, which is the province south of Nakhon Si Tammarat. Superbon trained there as a kid, looks a nice little gym. https://youtu.be/ZZmT_VkW0I0

If you can afford it, Evolve MMA has an incredible roster of Thai trainers. Otherwise, my friend from Singapore says the good thing about training Muay Thai in Singapore is all the gyms have Thai trainers. So just try a few out when you get there and pick one you like.

There's a post on their Facebook page saying they haven't been able to extend the lease on the land their gym is built on. But it sounds like they're going to be opening new gyms in Ayuttayha and Kanchanaburi.

Pad holding is a skill in itself and it takes time to become comfortable with it. To add to the good points people have made above, what make of pads do they use at your gym? A good set of pads makes a huge difference. The pads at my old gym were awful and didn't provide much protection. I had sore fore arms for 2 weeks after one session. I bought a nice set of Twins pads after that, one of the best investments I ever made. Maybe consider buying your own set? As a Westerner training in Thailand you're paying a premium (in Thai Baht terms) to train there. Say 500 baht a session, 500 baht would be a trainer's daily wage. So they can afford to have more trainers at the gym. In the West, it just wouldn't be economically viable. Only way to avoid holding pads would be to pay for private lessons (or go train in Thailand). Watch videos on youtube of Thai trainers holding pads. They tend to have their elbows by their waist, form a triangle with the tip of the pads, then push down with the pads just before the kick lands.

Good to hear she made it over ok

Hope she makes it over to Thailand ok. Keep us updated

Hi, I tried to post this a few weeks ago while I was away working, but my reply wouldn't upload from my phone. Anyways, Burklerk is offering education visas at his new gym in Lampang. Lampang's a nice town and Burklerk is awesome. https://www.burklerkmuaythaiacademy.com/education-visa https://www.burklerkmuaythaiacademy.com/ I think I saw your friend's fight against Sawsing

The Muay Thai scene is all very respectful here in Western Australia. Never come across any trash talk before events and fighters are almost always respectful in the ring. Just see the occasional exchange of words between a fighter at the end of rounds, but it's rare and they always embrace at the end of the fight. Perth is close enough to Thailand to have budget flights (pre covid anyway) so plenty of people here have trained in Thailand, plus some gyms have Thai trainers. So there's plenty of respect to Muay Thai's traditions. Cannot stand all the trash talk in boxing and MMA. It's cringeworthy and I'm glad you don't see it in Muay Thai.

Malaria map above. It's only really present in border areas, which are all mountainous and sparsely populated (I think). So, no you'll almost certainly not need to take antimalarials. Dengue is transmitted by a different species of mosquito to ones that carry malaria. They bite during the day and dengue can be caught in urban areas. If you're worried about it, just cover up and use repellent.

Sounds like a job for 'Bullshit Man' If the guy is that loud mouthed, he's going to get found out eventually. People are going to look him up and find there's no evidence for his 'achievements'. I think Sylvie or Kevin posted last year about a Muay Thai gym owner in Mexico (I think it was Mexico, apologies if it wasn't, Mexicans) who claimed to have fought and beaten top level Muay Thai stadium fighters in Thailand, and had posted a picture from his fighting days in the ring as proof. The guy in the picture was Karuhat. People were pointing this out in the comments. 'That's not you, that's Karuhat Sor Supawan' Mexican gym owner: 'No, it's me' 'You're full of shit. Here's a video of the fight that picture's from. It's Karuhat' Mexican gym owner: 'No, it's 100% me' The truth always comes out, especially when you have access to the internet.

Where abouts in Bangkok are you staying? If you're anywhere near Khao San area, there's one on Ram Buttri which I've been to a few times over the years, they always do a nice job. Looking on Google maps it's near Max's magic Thai food, and looking on streetview the place is called Ariya hair cut.

I remember you posting questions about your upcoming trip last year. Glad to hear it went well

Just grab some bags of fruit from the market on your way in then, it'll definitely be appreciated. Which gym are you training at? To ask them if they want to go eat, just say 'Gin khao' (means 'consume rice' )

I've tipped trainers over in Thailand plenty of times, and they've always appreciated it. I'm sure they'd be happy with any gift you offered. How about treating them to a meal? The bonus for you would be they'll probably order dishes for you that you'd never know about otherwise. Ask them if they know a good Isaan restaurant (the best regional cuisine in Thailand - in my humble opinion)

My gym's open again now - limited numbers and no sparring or clinch. Went to the lunch time session earlier. West Australia shut itself off from the rest of Australia and the world and it's worked well. I think there's only a handful of active cases in the whole state so things are starting to return to normal (schools have gone back, restaurants allowed limited openings). Felt great to smash the pads again!

I've been to Pai, but it was back in 2005. It was really nice back then, hopefully it hasn't changed too much. Mae Hong Son is a really nice town as well. Beautiful scenery up that way.

Here it is

You got your own ring? Ha, do you just spar in it? Better watch you don't get in trouble with your local authorities like my mate did. I'd met this guy 6 years before I moved to Australia and kept in touch with him, had him on facebook when that got popular. I'd always assumed he owned a Muay Thai Gym in Perth as he was always promoting events at his 'gym' on his facebook page. But when I moved to Perth I found out he'd just been running a fight club in his back yard! Once it was brought to attention of his local council they sent him an angry letter saying the police had been contacted, so he shut it down quick! I took a picture of the letter, I'll see if I can blank out the names and addresses and post it here.

Sylvie if you enjoy rock climbing documentaries and books, have you read or seen 'Touching the Void'? Both the book and the film are absolutely brilliant.