Steroids in muay thai in Thailand?

[DrunkenMaster]

Hello ive been in Phuket for a while now and my trainer asked me if i wanted to fight,we are looking to book some fight but i notice alot of steroid use among farang fighters (some thai but very small amount)

How can i be sure to not fight an opponent using them? i geus there is no testing in Thailand or Asia in general?

I residence in soy ta iad and every pharmacy/supps store tries to sell you PED's and love to show you what exotic things they have,steroids,growht hormone,fatburners the list goes on.

I have heard of Yabba use in fights so i doubt they test it?

Any knowledge will be appreciated because this stays a dark kept secret in fighting sports.

[warszawiaczek79]

I know a lot of thai fighters from smaller gyms, I know how much they earn and I'm sure they can't afford steroids. Maybe figters on Lumpeeni uses them. Some of fighters may use Yabba.

[DrunkenMaster]

22 minutes ago, warszawiaczek79 said:

I know a lot of thai fighters from smaller gyms, I know how much they earn and I'm sure they can't afford steroids. Maybe figters on Lumpeeni uses them. Some of fighters may use Yabba.

hmm ive talked to people and im sure Buakaw and some other superstars use it Yosanklai got tested positive for it a couple time as well,i would like to fight other foreigners im around 80kg so wont be many thai fighters with that weight.

 

so they dont test for yabba?or anything basicly? i rather fighter a steroid user then a yabba user hehe

[Kevin von Duuglas-Ittu]

Steroids are pretty plentiful and available, and some people use Thailand trips to cycle onto them on a regular basis. You can find lots of articles like this one from 2013 about this:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-05-30/bodybuilder-gives-insight-into-thailand-steroid-holidays/4723980

Given these patterns, and also that lots of retired men come to Thailand for hormone replacement therapy, it's just going to be present and prevent. I say this without every running into it directly in a gym, but it just is something you have to assume is out there, and part of some people's preoccupation, both in and out of Muay Thai. There is very little to no drug testing in Muay Thai in Thailand (I'd say zero, but maybe there are some rare instances.) If this is making you nervous about fighting I don't think it should be a determining factor. Just assume the fighter might have some advantages that you need to counter, and trust your gym to find your a fair match up that they believe you can fight well in. Having trust in your gym, and their knowledge of opponents is more important than drug testing, I believe.

[warszawiaczek79]

14 hours ago, DrunkenMaster said:

hmm ive talked to people and im sure Buakaw and some other superstars use it Yosanklai got tested positive for it a couple time as well,i would like to fight other foreigners im around 80kg so wont be many thai fighters with that weight.

 

so they dont test for yabba?or anything basicly? i rather fighter a steroid user then a yabba user hehe

Whan I was younger I was very into drugs, so I'm very sensitive to this topic. And I didn't saw anyone looking like Yabba user. Once when I was oat some kind of tourist arena in Lamai one guy look like he was drug/alcohol addict but he simply can't move. But it was tourist show. in normal fights guys looks ok :D

[DrunkenMaster]

22 minutes ago, warszawiaczek79 said:

Whan I was younger I was very into drugs, so I'm very sensitive to this topic. And I didn't saw anyone looking like Yabba user. Once when I was oat some kind of tourist arena in Lamai one guy look like he was drug/alcohol addict but he simply can't move. But it was tourist show. in normal fights guys looks ok

i have seen one person on yabba during training it was really noticable in his behaviour ^^

[SiclarAvelaz]

It can be tough to find out if an opponent is using steroids or other PEDs, especially in places where testing isn’t common. I was in a similar situation once while training and considering a fight. I found it helpful to ask my trainer about the rules and what they do to ensure fairness. Some gyms and competitions might have stricter regulations, even if it’s not the norm everywhere.I also heard about fighters using steroids, so I even thought about buying steroids myself to level up my game. It’s important to stay informed and choose competitions with good reputations for fairness and testing if you’re concerned about this.

Edited September 4, 2024 by SiclarAvelaz