Thailand is the number one destination for martial arts vacations in the world. Every year, thousands of tourists visit to train Muay Thai and other martial arts. In recent years, an increasing number of gyms offer BJJ in Thailand.
What’s great about Thailand is that there’s so much to do when you’re not training. Thailand is known for its food, temples and beaches.
A decade ago, BJJ gyms in Thailand were few and far between. Your options were Tiger Muay Thai or AKA in Phuket. In recent years the popularity of BJJ has exploded, partially due to the growth of MMA. As a result of this, there are lots of BJJ gyms in Thailand offering high-level grappling.
In this article, we discuss the 10 Best BJJ gyms in Thailand for martial artists looking to train whilst in Thailand – The home of Muay Thai.
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Venum Training Camp
Venum training camp opened its doors in 2016 to fighters from around the globe. The Venum training camp is a large facility located in the popular tourist destination of Pattaya.
The gym welcomes fighters of all experience levels. Venum training camp has classes in various martial arts such as Muay Thai, BJJ, MMA, strength & conditioning and Boxing.
BJJ classes at Venum training camp are scheduled twice a day throughout the week.
The Venum training camp is located in the tourist city of Pattaya, close to Thepprasit Muay Thai stadium. Above all, Pattaya is the ideal destination for both learning martial arts and enjoying your vacation together.
What impresses us about the Venum Training Camp is the facility. The gym is extremely large and is one of the best looking gyms in Thailand. Another great thing about Venum Training Camp is the number of different martial arts on offer for fighters.
Website: https://venumtrainingcamp.com/th/home/
Location: Kapai Soi 12, Pattaya
Email: vtc@venum.com
Kombat Group Martial Arts
Kombat Group gym is an all in one fitness facility on the outskirts of Pattaya. The gym offers BJJ, MMA, Muay Thai and weight loss programs.
The late Christian Daghio founded Kombat Group in 2004. Christian Daghio had over 200 fights in his career and was a 7x world champion.
Kombat Group offers BJJ classes six days per week, and has both BJJ Gi and No-Gi classes.
The gym is popular among tourists looking for a BJJ or a martial arts vacation.
Kombat group offers authentic Thai food, a swimming pool and affordable accommodation.
Check out their recent timetable using the link below.
Website: https://www.kombatgroup.com/
Location: Huai Yai, Banglamung, Chonburi, 20150
Email: info@kombatgroup.com
Team Quest Chiang Mai
Team Quest Chiang Mai is an MMA gym run by Dylan Fussel that opened its doors in 2011. The gym is the most established MMA facility in the North of Thailand, and offers Muay Thai, BJJ, MMA and wrestling classes.
Team quest offers a mix of BJJ, No-GI and wrestling classes. Grappling classes take place six times per week.
The gym located 5 minutes from the international airport and 10 minutes outside of Chiang Mai old town. Chiang Mai is the perfect destination for Muay Thai holidays.
Team Quest welcomes both fighters and hobbyists to its state of the art facility.
What’s great about Team Quest is the variety of different martial arts on offer. Also, the location of the gym makes it a great destination for fighters to explore the north of Thailand when not training.
Website: https://teamquestthailand.com/
Telephone: +66 86 091 1536
Email: teamquestthailand@gmail.com
Tiger Muay Thai Thailand
Tiger Muay Thai is the most famous martial arts camp in Thailand. The gym is located on the tourist island of Phuket. Over the last 15 years, Tiger Muay Thai has evolved into a mega MMA facility that provides martial arts and fitness training. Tiger Muay Thai is one of the most established BJJ gyms in Thailand.
Tiger Muay Thai has an air-conditioned indoor area for MMA and grappling classes. BJJ classes at Tiger take place twice a day, and grappling classes include GI, No-Gi and wrestling.
Alongside BJJ, the gym offers a range of classes including:
- MMA
- Muay Thai
- No-Gi/Wrestling
- Kickboxing
Tiger Muay Thai is one of the premier MMA training facilities in the world. The gym has multiple outdoor and indoor training areas, a gym, restaurant, hotel, pool and fitness area.
The thing we love about Tiger Muay Thai is that you can relax and enjoy the facilities and island of Phuket when you’re not training.
If you’re looking for a large facility to train BJJ in Thailand, Tiger is a great option. The gym has specific BJJ and grappling classes designed for fighters of different experience levels. Check out the full timetable below.
Website: https://www.tigermuaythai.com/
Location: Soi Ta-iad, Ao Chalong, Muang, Phuket
Email: info@tigermuaythai.com
Fairtex Training Centre
Fairtex is one of Thailands original Muay Thai camps. The gym opened its doors in 1971. Over the past fifty years, Fairtex has evolved into a large martial arts resort with a pool, training facility and accommodation.
For years Fairtex has produced Thai boxing champions. Since the creation of its world-class MMA and BJJ facility, Fairtex has produced a stable of MMA fighters, who regularly fight on organisations such as ONE FC.
Fairtex Pattaya offer BJJ classes six days per week. In addition, the gym offers BJJ classes for fighters of all levels in both GI & No-Gi.
The BJJ room at Fairtex is air-conditioned and a cage wall with custom padding for takedowns. The BJJ room at Fairtex is cleaned several times per day, as when training BJJ in tropical climates hygiene is extremely important.
What we like about training BJJ at Fairtex is that they cater for fighters of all experience levels. The history of martial arts at Fairtex gym, makes it a must-visit for any grappler visiting Pattaya.
Make sure to check out the timetable for Fairtex Pattaya.
Website: https://www.fairtex.com/training/muay-thai
Location: 212 Moo 5 Naklua Banglamung Chonburi 20150
Email: resv@fairtex-pattaya.com
Pure Grappling Chiang Mai
Pure grappling is a BJJ gym located in the northern Thai city of Chiang Mai. Unlike the other martial arts gyms featured in this article, Pure Grappling focuses only on BJJ.
The facilities at Pure grappling are clean & modern, and the gym has a friendly & inclusive atmosphere. Pure grappling in Chiang Mai has classes BJJ classes scheduled six days per week.
What also makes pure grappling unique, is the fact they offer a number of yoga classes alongside BJJ.
The gym is located 10 minutes outside of Chiang Mai’s old town, just off the famous Nimmanhaemin road. Chiang Mai is a perfect destination for fighters looking to relax and take a slower pace than the islands or Bangkok.
Pure grappling is perfect for fighters who are visiting or living in Chiang Mai. We love that they also offer Yoga daily to improve your flexibility for BJJ.
Website: https://www.puregrappling.org/
Location: Suthep, Mueang Chiang Mai District, Chiang Mai 5020
Superpro Samui
Superpro Samui is located in the centre of Koh Samui, near the famous Chaweng beach. The gym welcomes fighters of all experience levels, and is one of the premier BJJ gyms in Koh Samui.
Superpro offers martial arts including BJJ, MMA and Thai boxing. Superpro has BJJ/grappling classes five days per week and open mat training on Saturdays.
The facilities at Superpro are clean and modern. Superpro Samui has a weights room, a large Thai Boxing gym, a pool and an MMA cage.
The gym is located near Chaweng beach. Chaweng beach has to be one of the most idyllic beaches in Thailand. Chewang has developed into the nightlife centre of Koh Samui, home to hundreds of shops, bars and restaurants.
Koh Samui a perfect destination for fighters looking to enjoy island life whilst training. Above all, Superpro has everything needed under one roof for a BJJ training in Thailand.
Website: https://superprosamui.com/
Location: Chaweng Beach Tambon Bo Put, Koh Samui, 84320
Email: info@superprosamui.com
Phuket Top Team
Phuket top team has been around since 2012, providing a world-class training hub for martial artists in Phuket. The gym has some word-class trainers and has developed a strong team of MMA fighters that compete globally.
Phuket Top Team has world-class MMA, BJJ, Muay Thai and strength & conditioning programs. They are regularly voted for as one of the best MMA camps in Asia.
The BJJ program at Phuket Top Team is lead by Olavo Abreu. He is a 5th-degree black belt and former head trainer at Brazilian Top Team.
Phuket top team offers both BJJ, No-Gi grappling and wrestling. The current timetable has over 15 grappling sessions scheduled throughout the week.
Phuket Top Team is located in Chalong, close to Dragon Muay Thai and Tiger Muay Thai. The area is home to dozens of restaurants and bars catering towards the fitness enthusiasts in the area.
Phuket top team is perfect for grapplers who are looking to train at a large established facility.
Website: https://www.phukettopteam.com/
Location: Soi Tadied Chalong, Mueang District, Phuket
Email: findmeafight@gmail.com
Bangkok Fight Lab
Bangkok Fight Lab is a mixed martial arts gym located in Bangkok. The gym offers a combination of martial arts including Muay Thai, BJJ, MMA and western boxing.
Bangkok Fight Lab has BJJ classes scheduled seven days per week. In terms of grappling, the gym has classes in wrestling, BJJ, MMA and No-Gi grappling.
Bangkok is the home of Muay Thai, and is the number one destination for fighters looking to experience Muay Thai Culture. In recent years, an increasing number of gyms in Bangkok are offering BJJ in Thailand.
Bangkok Fight Lab is our number one pick for training BJJ in Bangkok.
In Bangkok a lot of martial arts gyms cater towards Thai fighters or short term tourists. Bangkok fight lab welcomes fighters of all experience levels, and the gym has an inclusive & chilled-out Vibe.
Website: https://www.bangkokfightlab.com/
Location: Phrakanong Sub-distrct, Khlong Toei, Bangkok, 10110
Email: info@bangkokfightlab.com
AKA Thailand
AKA Thailand is one of the first MMA gyms in Thailand to offer elite BJJ instruction. The gym was founded by UFC middleweight Mike Swick.
AKA Thailand is regularly visited by world-class MMA fighters. Visitors include former UFC champions Luke Rockhold and Chuck Liddell.
AKA Thailand runs BJJ classes six days per week. BJJ classes take place inside AKA’s 5000 square foot MMA/BJJ facility.
AKA gym has some of the best facilities in Thailand. The gym has a fitness gym, an air-conditioned indoor BJJ & MMA room and a large Muay Thai training area.
AKA is easily one of the best BJJ Gyms in Thailand. The quality of instruction and facilities make it a must-visit for any martial artist in Phuket.
Website: https://akathailand.com/
Location: Soi Sermsuk, Rawai, Mueang Phuket District
Email: info@akathailand.com
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Conclusion
Thailand remains the number one destination for martial artists looking to train abroad. For instance, the last decade has seen an explosion of BJJ gyms open throughout Thailand.
The most important thing when picking a BJJ gym is that you enjoy the training environment.
Remember to consider the training location, instruction and your experience level when choosing a BJJ gym in Thailand.
BJJ In Thailand FAQ
You can pick up BJJ equipment in martial arts stores located around Thailand. Alternatively, gyms often have their own range of equipment in stock. You can also pick up lightweight BJJ equipment online, that will fit easily in your backpack on your travels.
Below are some of the BJJ items we recommend.
BJJ GI
Jiu-Jitsu Backpack
BJJ Shorts
BJJ Rashguard
When it comes to picking a location for training BJJ in Thailand, there are four common options. Bangkok, the North of Thailand, the Islands or Pattaya.
Bangkok and Pattaya are known for their crazy nightlife, and party atmosphere. BJJ fighters who are easily distracted and want to focus on training should visit a chilled location such as Chiang Mai.
Lots of gyms offer classes tailored towards beginner BJJ practitioners. For complete beginners, we recommend going to a larger camp in a tourist destination such as Phuket. Tiger Muay Thai offers classes aimed specifically for beginner grapplers.
The cost of training BJJ in Thailand depends on several factors. Traditionally, tourist hotspots such as Pattaya and Phuket cost more than Bangkok and the north of Thailand.
For comparison, at the time of writing this article, the cost of a single BJJ session in Phuket is 500thb whilst in Chiang Mai in 350thb.
There is no such thing as the best gym in Thailand. You should try out a few different facilities before committing to a long term contract. When picking a martial arts gym, it comes down to personal preference.
Some of our favourites include Team Quest in Chaing Mai, AKA Phuket and Bangkok Fight Lab.
When choosing a BJJ gym in Thailand, there are several factors you should consider.
Accommodation – When training at a BJJ camp in Thailand you have 3 options. Stay in onsite accommodation at the gym, book a hotel/hostel or rent an apartment.
Location – When picking a BJJ gym in Thailand, you need to consider the location.
There are four common options for BJJ in Thailand. Bangkok, the North of Thailand, Pattaya and the Islands.
Your experience level – Beginners should look for a BJJ gym that offers beginner classes.
Instruction – Gyms such as Tiger Muay Thai and AKA have a large number of students and tourists dropping in for single sessions. In BJJ gyms that cater more towards tourists training is less personal, as instructors are used to fighters dropping in and leaving after a few sessions.
Hygiene and cleanliness – There is no doubt that over the last decade, the hygiene standards of Thai gyms have improved. The humidity coupled with sweaty grapplers makes a breeding ground for bacteria. To avoid skin infections, you should make sure the gym you train at has good hygiene and cleaning standards.
In recent years there have been a growing number of BJJ competitions in Thailand.
Whilst competitions are not as common as in the USA or Europe there are regular competitions hosted by organisations such as the UAEJJF and local gyms.
BJJ competitors in Thailand often travel to neighbouring countries to compete on the Asain circuit. You should check out BJJ Asia for information on upcoming competitions.
