Sad facts about the fitness industry in Bangkok.

[Realprofessional]

MTT comment: This was moved and combined with this posting. Please do not post about the same thing under separate topics. Thanks.

First posting:

Business conducted in Public Parks

Postby Realprofessional on Sat Jun 06, 2009 8:28 pm [58.121.218.xx]
Second time let's see if this is deleted.

It is my understanding that a private for profit business is not allowed to be conducted in Thailand's public parks. If I am in correct how would someone get a work permit to conduct said business are work permits not location specific?

If this is offensive to anyone get you priorities straight this is a question.

Second posting:

This is a letter that was written to The Nation and The Bangkok Post it was not published.

When someone decides to become a boot camp instructor, he/she should seek specific
training in leading a boot camp. Being a boot camp coach requires unique skills that
are different from the skills needed for personal training, as a group fitness instructor,
Serving in the military, having rankings in martial arts or any other discipline you may bring to boot
Camp training.
The beauty of being a boot camp leader is that, regardless of your fitness and athletic
background, you can incorporate different disciplines into a well-rounded boot camp program. But
you still need boot camp training.
At times, a personal trainer will appoint themselves as a boot camp coach without any formal
training. Like personal training, being a boot camp instructor is unregulated. However, I believe that,
like yoga instructors, kettlebell instructors and other fitness leaders, very specific training is necessary
to safely, effectively and ethically lead a specialized class such as boot camp.
By Kelli Calabrese, Quoted PFP E-Magazine April 2009

Unfortunately right now in Bangkok this is what is occurring. Unqualified, inexperienced “trainers” are instructing people in fitness activities they themselves do not understand. One company specifically hires uneducated, inexperienced people to pay them little and does not provide them a work permit. In fact this very company holds workouts in a local park. This is illegal according to the Thailand Parks authority. No moneymaking business may be conducted in government parks. Further more work permits are location specific. I doubt the local park can be used as a place of business. I urge anyone thinking of hiring a trainer to be aware. People have been injured but because these businesses are acting illegally there is little if no recourse.

Concerned Professional

Kelli Calabrese is an International Fitness Expert and has written articles for many publications. I once asked a "Trainer" where he learned and was certified to use Kettlebells the response was< "I am not certified but I only train ladies and we do them very lightly."
These are the types of people charging good money to people who don't know any better. I feel sad and many people have already been injured.

Third Posting:

How to Find a Qualified Personal Trainer
Qualified personal trainers are in high demand now, and many consumers choose a one-to-one workout over group fitness classes. Personal trainers can be hired to get you in shape in a gym or in the privacy of your own home.

A trainer’s goals are to meet your specific fitness needs and help you accomplish your goals. The following checklist shows you what you should look for when working with a personal trainer.

Is the trainer certified or does he or she have a related formal education?

A few quality certifications to look for are: American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), American Council on Exercise (ACE), Aerobics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA), National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), and the YMCA. Educational background may include degrees in physical education or exercise physiology.

Are you the first client, or does the trainer have previous or current clients you can use as references

Did the trainer give you a fitness evaluation and work with you in designing a program that meets your needs?

Does the trainer pay close attention to you and correct your techniques and form, or spend most of your session chatting about his or her last dinner date?

Does the trainer introduce new exercises and equipment to you and educate you on how to perform or use them on your own?

Does the trainer measure your progress and reassess your fitness needs and goals?

Do you feel compatible with the trainer?

Does he or she motivate you?

Fees for personal trainers vary depending on where you live, the duration of your workout, and the location of the actual training. Remember that you’re paying not only for the trainer’s knowledge and skills, but also for the personal attention to you and only you.

This is from Dummies.com

Please let me clarify some points specific to Bangkok. The ACE test in Bangkok is not the same as the ACE test in The United States. Some trainers lie about credentials. References are subjective everyone thinks their trainers is the best regardless of education or experience make sure the knowledge matches the praise.

[Realprofessional]

#1. The post are not similar one is a legal question one is about a letter I wrote and why I wrote it.
#2. I have extensive knowledge about Thailand and what a group of clowns operate there.
#3. I am not promoting any business.
#4. The consumers in Thailand deserve better but I guess this could be said about any service there except the obvious that is pretty good.

[Sean Moran]

#1. The post are not similar one is a legal question one is about a letter I wrote and why I wrote it.
#2. I have extensive knowledge about Thailand and what a group of clowns operate there.
#3. I am not promoting any business.
#4. The consumers in Thailand deserve better but I guess this could be said about any service there except the obvious that is pretty good.

Thank you for persevering, RP. I agree with you on point #1, however if you consider the inference of #2, then you may see the irony in #3 & #4, apart from what you may see in your own personal way as "the obvious".

Regarding your first topic, could it not be said that some of the popular SCUBA diving locations around the Thai coast may also be classified as public aquatic parks, and that there have been known to be professional diving instructors from foreign countries work in Thailand. It might be more of a technicality that you'd be making more trouble for yourself and others to question some things that are part of someone's honest living. Don't mess with another man's rice bowl.

On your second and third postings, which may have been suited to a single topic as you're arguing the same sorts of points once again about formal qualifications being of greater use than workplace experience, I'd have to agree with this one:

Are you the first client, or does the trainer have previous or current clients you can use as references

but you might think of the mechanisms behind this resurrected thread before claiming that formal qualifications are the only prerequisite for the fitness industry. It's a very separatist sort of attitude and yet that one point about references from previous clients really illustrates what a lot of useless administrivia these New World certificates offer.


It would be nice to continue this discussion in more depth, although I would like to see if you are able to read this reply before it gets deleted and then we can possibly continue either or both topics if we are permitted to use this forum as a conduit for it, but that is no longer a foregone conmclusion. and we must preserve our typing fingers for another day.

MTT comment: I didn't delete his original posts but I moved them last night when he reposted. I think his problem was that he posted in this section, Thai politics and Suggestions for the forum.(posts 1, 2, and 3)

[Sean Moran]

MTT please comment in your own posts in future.

MTT: Okay.

[Sean Moran]

Thank yo for your reply. Perhaps we could let the future start at noon today ? Good luck!

[MTT]

Actually, I just didn't want you guys to think the posts were deleted for the content. It just didn't need to be in three different locations. Interesting topic, but the motivation behind it seems a bit personal for some reason. and I am wondering where it will go from here.

[Sean Moran]

MTT I agree. At first, on Friday night if I recall, I wasn't quite sure how to take a newbie with so much to say, although the two different threads I read, about visas (legal) , and then about fitness (getting around tips??? ), did seem to be full of relevant information to Thailand, although Itend to see fitness as a lifelong pursuit rather than a three-year short-course on it, but it made sense.

I'm glad that you've let it run and it's found the right place, and realistically, there's two very closely related sub-topics both relevant to professional practice in foreign lands on temporary visas. It's all good, but it's difficult to have to keep going back over all 750 threads to look for one reply, when all you need to do is post a post, and we can talk far more efficiently by monitoring the Active Topics index. Thanks for the post, because it's so much easier to respond without all this tardiness in between beers when your reply is listed in the table.

---o0o---

PS: It is after midday here in WA so I'm allowed to drink beer now.

[Sean Moran]

Reply snipped as post was kindly removed.

[Sean Moran]

What does a race time have to do with being a fitness professional? OK you worked in Bangkok but you obviously do not know square one about the fitness industry or you would not equate athletic performance with knowledge and professionalism.
We are done sir. Arguing with you is a waste of my time.

As an ex-professional sportsman I appreciate and endorse your posts here RL. Your last comment is a conclusion which if you read other threads many contributors have arrived at before you but welcome to the club

As an ex-professional sportsman Pap, what professional sport did you play that required formal paperwork but did not require you to be fit? Did you race powerboats or something? What leads you to endorse sport without fitness?

[triptrip]

It's all about marketing.

Consumers rarely cares about qualifications. Most girls in my office join fitness club because it's the in thing to do and to meet other guys. Many gays join fitness club just so they can prance around in the sauna semi naked.

Notice that most personal trainiers around the Asok/Sukhumvit area are good looking boys and girls. Do I care about fitness qualifications if some hot chick is trying to grab my hip and teaching me how to gyrate my body in order to tone my muscles. For sure my muscle in the southern region will go hard!!!

I am not disputing your qualifications. Perhaps what you lack is marketing skills to attract people to your services.

As someone put it nicely, many things in Thailand are unregulated. People just set up a makeshift aerobic stage everywhere including the car park of Tesco Onnut and dance like crazy every evening and I don't think these people will sue Tesco for negligence if the stage somehow breaks into two and people are injured. Or question whether the dance tune blaring out is actually ACSM, ACE or NASM qualified!!!

Here in Asia, people are less prone in taking up lawsuits unlike those in the West who sue just about anyone and anything. If a kid can sue his father for not giving a good enough allowance, something is wrong with that society.