Training at Monsoon Muay Thai Gym Koh Tao: What It’s Really Like

I’ve trained at over 120 gyms in 21 countries, from small raw authentic gyms to large mega facilites, and one thing I’ve learnt is that not all muay thai gyms in Thailand are created equal. Some of the most popular gyms I see online, are owercrowded and have no presonalitly. Others you drop into on a whim, and get to train with ex stadium champions and local upcoming fighters.

So where does Monsoon Muay Thai Gym in Koh Tao sit?

I spent the 10 days there during my time on Koh Tao, the popular tourist island, putting the session, coaches and overall vibe to the test. This isn’t a sponsored review or surface level impression - it’s an honest breakdown of what training at Monsoon gyms actually like and weather it lives up to its reputation as one of the best gyms on the island.

Training at Monsoon Muay Thai Gym

Training at Monsoon Gym is pretty much exactly what you’d expect from a well-run Muay Thai gym in Thailand that mainly caters to ‘farang’ -  Hard work, technical and a good vibe.

Each session kicks off with around 30 minutes of stretching, skipping, and shadowboxing before you get into the juicy part of the class. Where Monsoon mixes things up is in how they structure the training week.

The gym rotates daily between padwork and technical drills, which keeps things balanced. When I was there in 2025, we smashed pads on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, while Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday were focused purely on technique. Even as somebody who loves nothing more than smashing the pads, this made sense to me.

What I liked most about training at Monsoon gym was the sparring. Every session finished with three rounds, and there was always a solid mix of people to grab a round with. You never really knew what you were going to get. Being on a busy tourist island like Koh Tao, you could be sparring someone with a few months of experience in one round, then a seasoned pro the next. It was a humbling reminder to never judge a book by its cover.

After sparring, we always finished with some bagwork and conditioning before cooling down.

Classes were split by experience level and lasted around 1.5 hours, which, to me anyway, feels like the sweet spot for a group class in the Thai heat (as an 85kg english man who sweats an ungodly amount)

Monsoon Muay Thai Gym Facilities

You’re not going to find many better facilities on the Thai islands than Monsoon Gym.

The Muay Thai room has two large matted areas lined with different types of punch bags, plus a full-size ring that the gym also uses for their monthly fight nights. It’s a proper setup and never feels rammed, even during busy high-season.

There’s also a fully equipped fitness gym, which my girlfriend Abby would use while I was training, and a separate matted space where they teach 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu. Frustratingly, I never managed to get any rolls in during my 10 days on the Island as I was trying to stay disciplined and focus purely on Muay Thai during this trip.

One thing that really stood out was the cleanliness. The mats were disinfected and mopped after every session, which is rare in Thailand but massively important given the humidity and how quickly skin infections can spread.

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Monsoon Muay Thai Gym Vibe

The gym has a really friendly vibe, and everyone’s there for the same reason: to learn and improve their Muay Thai. I did encounter one ‘meathead’ durng my time there, but let’s just say the coaches were happy to deal with him during sparring.

It’s not always easy for gyms to strike the right balance between the seriousness of a fight gym and the friendliness needed at a busy tourist location, but Monsoon Gym has that nailed. It never feels intimidating, but it also doesn’t feel like a fitness boxing class.

The trainers are always up for a laugh and a joke, but when they ask you to do something, you do it. Simple as! Like any Muay Thai gym in Thailand, you get out what you put in. If you want to have a laugh with your pad holder and take things easy, that’s absolutely fine. But if, like me, you’re asking questions, training hard, and trying to improve specific techniques, they’ll go the extra mile to make sure you leave a better fighter than when you walked through the door.

Monsoon Muay Thai Gym Cost

A single group session costs 400 baht, and a private class will set you back 700 baht.

Below is their current pricing, and to be honest, it’s pretty much in line with what most gyms on the island charge. If you’re planning to train Muay Thai, BJJ, and lift weights, their unlimited package makes a lot of sense and works out as really good value overall.

Monsoon Muay Thai Gym Review

If you’re looking to train Muay Thai in paradise, don’t skip Monsoon Gym. The training is high level, the vibe is on point, and the gym is clean and never feels overly busy due to the way the timetable is structured.

If you’re thinking about having your first fight, it’s also a solid option. They run their own fight nights and, from what I’ve seen, do a good job of matching people evenly rather than just throwing you in at the deep end with an expereinced Thai.

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