July Phuket Trip Suggestions & Advice / Upcoming Travel Possibility

[tsmith47]

Hello Sylvie, Kevin and everyone else on this forum. I've been a big fan of the Muay Thai Library and the work put out by Sylvie & Kevin for a long time, hands down the best Muay Thai resources and content available. 

I am hoping to be able to travel to Thailand from the UK  in early July provided that tourism is re-opened. I've seen in an article that Thailand hopes to open three provinces if they are able to vaccinate 70% of the population.  I initially planned to go to Kru Manop in Chang Mai as I love his library session and detail orientated coaching style but it seems Phuket will be the only province open to go train at.  I plan to stay for 10 weeks if possible and I'd love a smaller, less commercial gym that still has a very high level team who would be able to give attention to those that want to work hard.

With that in mind, I wanted to ask if anyone had been to Phuket to train before or has any recommendations for gyms to train at. I'd like to stick to one gym for the entire 10 weeks and potentially have a fight or two- with me being a beginner I'd want to see how competent I felt after some proper training. I was looking at PhuketKing Muay Thai as I also enjoyed that library session and Kru Pot's demeanor, but would be open to any other suggestions, whether that's Sinbi or Rattachai gym. If it's worth noting whether it'll impact the training/fighting experience- I am 6ft 2 and around 81kg.

I also wanted to open a thread for people to discuss the likelihood of the ability to travel to Thailand to train in the near future- I'm sure theres a few of us who have wanted to go for a while but Covid has prevented it. 

Thank you very much in advance for any replies or comments. I just made my account here today but I'm looking forward to becoming a part of this community. 

[Kevin von Duuglas-Ittu]

I was going to suggest Kru Pot from the Library when I started reading your question. He just has a great energy, seems to take his fighters seriously. If you enjoy the Muay Khao style he teaches it very well, with a large vocabulary. It's a smallish gym which may add to the feeling of more personal attention.

As to Thailand and opening up, there is tremendous pressure within the country to open up to tourism, so it's going to happen more quickly than not. One can never guess accurately though, because if the open up and a variant comes in and sweeps through they will slam the doors shut very fast. The country has a kind of schizophrenic relationship with the West. On the one hand it loves and relies on Western tourism, with large parts of its economy tied to it, but it also has very insular elements, which is why it has been so successful in warding off COVID in the first place. So, it really depends on what happens in the first month or so once they open up the doors to the world.

[tsmith47]

Thank you for your reply, Kevin! If I am able to visit Thailand in the summer before my university course starts again mid-September I'll be sure to visit Kru Pot based on your confirmation of his coaching style and gym. Insightful comment about thailand opening up, fingers crossed I'll be able to visit and more importantly that Covid numbers remain low. 

Edited March 21, 2021 by tsmith47

[derfasd]

For 10 weeks, I'd say sticking to one gym makes sense. Building rapport with the trainers and fighters there can really improve your experience and progress. Your height and weight shouldn’t be an issue; just let them know your goals and level, and they’ll guide you from there.
Travel-wise, July could work out if Thailand’s reopening plans stay on track, but it’s always good to keep an eye on updates.
Flexibility with flights might help too. If you’re considering comfort for a long-haul flight, check out https://travelbusinessclass.com/  for options—it can make a big difference, especially when you’re heading straight into intense training.

Edited January 8 by derfasd

[trailrun]

@tsmith47 I am not finding the information about three provinces. The updated info on Thai Embassy official site is here. From what I understand, the new "Test and Go" program has no geographic restrictions, once you meet the program requirements:

Quote

Fully vaccinated travelers from any country are allowed to enter Thailand without quarantine. Here are the requirements: Fully vaccinated for more than 14 days before traveling; Must book a SHA+ Hotel for Day 1 while waiting for the result of the RT PCR COVID test; must possess a COVID-19 Insurance.