Muay Thai gym operators and foreign Muay Thai enthusiasts in Phuket and Bangkok have welcomed the government's decision to grant a 90-day special visa for foreigners who want to visit Thailand to practise Muay Thai.
Phuket in particular is popular among foreign tourists interested in health tourism, particularly Soi Ta-iad in tambon Chalong of Muang district where many Muay Thai gyms and boxing equipment stores have opened.
Janjira Charoenvitthanadet, manager of Apollo Gym, told the Bangkok Post the gym has been open around three months and customers have steadily increased from three to more than 10 trainees per class.
Ms Janjira said the gym offers courses including Muay Thai, western boxing, s&c (strength and conditioning) and kickboxing from Monday to Saturday. Six sessions cost 3,000 baht a week, though trainees can also pay monthly for 11,000 baht. The Apollo Gym also offers a hotel, pool and sauna services, she said.
"I agree with the government's special visa for foreigners who want to learn Muay Thai as it can really push Muay Thai as soft power to spur Thai tourism," she said.
"If foreign trainees stay with us for a long time and complete the course, they may share their experiences and tell more of their friends to learn Muay Thai," she added.
Henry Lee, an American trainer at Yak Yai Muay Thai, said the gym has been open for more than a year and Muay Thai is popular among foreign tourists from Germany, the US, Chile, Spain, South Africa, Peru, Japan and China.
Mr Lee said that a visa that allows trainees to extend their stay from six months to a year might also be helpful.
Janjira: Agrees with the special visa
90 days 'still not enough'
Sathana Songprasert, 40, a partner at the Jitti Gym in Bangkok, said the visa would allow foreigners to complete their course within 90 days. But for professional boxers, more than three months is needed.
"If the visa can be further extended, it would be great for both foreign professional fighters and foreigners who are really keen," she said. "Two or three months is not that long.
"Learning Muay Thai requires consistency and it takes a long time to get professional. So, many people want to stay longer for more practice," Ms Sathana said.
Staff at Jitti Gym have been training only foreign boxers for competitions. The gym recently added an exercise session for tourists who want to experience Muay Thai for a short time.
"We have a lot of foreigners who study with us, especially from Asia, the Middle East, and Europe including Britain and Scandinavian countries. They joined us for both the exercise sessions and training to be professional boxers," she said.
Alice, 37, an Australian who works for an NGO and has been living in Thailand for over a year, said she had taken Muay Thai courses on and off for the last 10 years.
"I started Muay Thai in 2012, at a training camp in Phuket. I love it so much, I kept coming back for short trips.
"I know Muay Thai because I was a personal trainer, so I used to look at the different countries and see what exercises they offered," she said.
"Muay Thai is a fun form of fitness. You learn self-defence and it's practical. Muay Thai also builds up my confidence," she added.
Osher, 32, who comes from Israel and has been in Thailand for five weeks, said Muay Thai is popular in his home country and people enjoy watching it. Many Muay Thai gyms have opened there. "I have been learning Muay Thai for two years now. I like the power, the aggressiveness and the dynamic. I saw Muay Thai for the first time when I was 13 years old in Israel on TV and in the Ong Bak movie," he said.
Back to Alice, from Australia. Asked about the visa issue, she said: "I think it would be really good if the Muay Thai visa is at least up to six months and renewable.
"I know with the language visa that they test you on the language. But for Muay Thai, there is no way to test whether you are actually learning," she said. "A Muay Thai visa for professionals should be six to 12 months. However, they need to check whether trainees are actually learning Muay Thai when they get the visa."
Officials could check with the gym to ensure they meet minimum standards of attendance.
Sathana: More than 3 months needed
