Koh Tao is a beautiful island in the south of Thailand. It’s famous for its incredible diving spots, fun nightlife, and lovely beaches where backpackers love to stay. But there’s something new and exciting happening in Koh Tao. It’s becoming a popular place for Muay Thai, Thailand’s national sport.
In this article, I’ll review one of the three Muay Thai gyms on Koh Tao, called Island Muay Thai Gym. I’ll cover the important stuff you’d look at when picking a gym: what it’s like there, where it is, how much it costs, and how good the training is. I spent three days at Island Muay Thai Gym, trying out their one-on-one classes and the group classes they have every day. This gave me a good feel for what they offer and how they teach.
Let’s dive in.
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Training at The Island Muay Thai Gym
Training at the Island Muay Thai gym is awesome.
Each group class starts with a 20-minute warm-up featuring a mix of stretching, skipping, and shadowboxing to get the blood flowing. After that, we dived into a mix of pad work and bag work. The pad work was the right balance of technical work and conditioning, so I was improving both my fitness and Muay Thai technique at the same time.
I finished every group session with three rounds of sparring. The coaches would also jump in and spar with the students, so we had a new training partner every round. The sparring was competitive yet controlled, matching the class’s overall vibe.
The private classes follow a similar pattern, but there’s a bigger focus on improving technique in these one-on-one sessions, making the private lesson even more tailored and impactful.
Facilities
This gym is pretty basic, especially for a Muay Thai facility in Thailand. It’s got a space with mats and some punching bags on one side. There’s also a room to change and a toilet, but there wasn’t a shower when I checked it out. The coach mentioned they planned to make the gym bigger, as I saw construction work begin while I was there.
Honestly, I’m not too bothered about how fancy the gym is. I much prefer a simple place that focuses on real Muay Thai training over a fancy gym that focuses on fitness.
What matters to me is how the gym feels and its quality of training. I love being in a place that feels genuine and where the training is serious and focused on traditional techniques, and in my opinion, The Island Muay Thai gym offers this.
Location
The Island Muay Thai gym is just a quick, five-minute trip from the bustling center of Koh Tao, Sairee Beach. No matter where you’re staying on the island, you’re only 10 to 15 minutes away from the gym at most.
Getting around Koh Tao is super easy. Renting a scooter is the easiest option, but grabbing a taxi is just as simple if you prefer.
Does the gym have a stable number of active fighters?
While the Island Muay Thai gym doesn’t have a specific fight team, the trainers are active on the local circuit and will train you for a Muay Thai fight in Koh Tao.
The Island doesn’t have a large Muay Thai stadium, but both Monsoon and Pankom Muay Thai gyms promote a monthly show in their gym.
I haven’t had a chance to visit a Koh Tao Muay Thai show, but from speaking to fellow Nak Muay, there is a combination of Thais and Farangs who fight from all three Thai Boxing gyms on the Island.
How Much Does It Cost?
Group classes cost 300 baht per session, or if you’re looking to stay long term, they offer bundles including 4 for 1000 baht sessions and 5500 for unlimited monthly training.
Private classes are 600 baht per session. You can save money by buying a bundle 5 classes for 2500 baht.
For the quality of training the session fees are very reasonable. The training price at The Island Muay Thai gym is similar to the other gyms on the Island.
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Should You Visit The Island Muay Thai Gym?
While the Island Muay Thai Gym is one of the more basic in terms of facilities, the level of training is high quality, as you would expect from an authentic Muay Thai gym in Thailand.
The gym welcomes people of all experience levels, and during my time, I trained people on both ends of the spectrum, from a backpacker trying her first class to a professional fighter from Spain.
What sets The Island Muay Thai gym apart from other facilities in Thailand is the vibe of the gym. The trainers are friendly – constantly laughing, joking, and not taking themselves too seriously, which fosters a positive and welcoming environment around the gym.
If you found this review helpful, please feel free to share it, and if you have any questions, get in touch using my contact details below.
