Even though Thailand is a lot cheaper than many European and North American countries for a great many things, fitness often does not seem to be one of them. Monthly memberships in popular gyms surpass what you would pay back home.
Every so often though, there are budget options and real bargains to be had. If you don’t mind putting up with a bit of a commute, you can get access to top class facilities – some for free and some for about $1.10 a year.
Parks
While Bangkok doesn’t have a lot of parks, there are a few choices that allow for decent workouts, especially before 7am or after 5pm if you don’t mind the Thai National Anthem at 6pm causing a halt to all activities. Parks open as early as 4:30am with the last ones closing down at 9pm.
A lot of parks offer running tracks, some even allow cycling. Larger parks tend to have free workout equipment, though it’s more geared towards people trying to maintain mobility, rather than those who are looking for weightlifting or cardio workouts..
The open air aerobics classes you see throughout Bangkok’s parks every evening from around 5pm onwards are a great budget alternative to subscription gyms. It can be a bit intimidating to join these classes as the only foreigner.
Less eye- and ear-catching are Tai Chi groups meeting in the morning, as well as other groups in the evening – including a ballroom dancing group that meets at night in Lumpini park, which features the biggest selection of free open air classes.
Most of the activities you can discover by going for a stroll at the right time through the park – cardio activities are in the evening, while everything focused on mobility, flexibility and spiritual well-being in any form is more of a 5am to 7am activity.
You can see a big list of parks in Bangkok here.
University Facilities
Some universities offer sports and fitness centers that are available for use free of charge. The most prominent is the Chulalongkorn University Sports Complex which is near MRT Sam Yan. Especially if you’re staying a bit outside the city center, checking with your local university to see if there are any facilities you can use is a worth a shot.
Meetups
On meetup.com, you’ll find groups meeting up to exercise together. Most Meetups tend to charge a small fee or request donations in the range of 100 to 500 baht and are a way of exploring activities like beach volleyball or yoga. It’s a good way to meet some people, get a regular workout and discover new parts of the city.
There are also some free ones. Bangkok Runners is one of the biggest ones.
Of course, you can also start your own group, which is now easier than ever. Posting a message in one of the popular expat groups on Facebook like Bangkok Expats can find you exercise partners and teammates.
Home Sweet Home
A lot of apartment buildings in Bangkok offer fitness facilities that can be used free of charge by the residents. Usually those are of similar quality to what you find at a hotel gym: some dumbbells, resistance training machines, as well as some cardio machines.
You can check out this guide to renting in Bangkok for some help on finding a place that offers fitness facilities.
If your place doesn’t have a gym, one of your friends might have access to one at their building and can take you along. Lots of people would love to have a workout partner to keep them accountable. Ask around on Facebook and you might be surprised who’s up for regular non-boozing activity.
If all else fails, there are also YouTube workout programs that require little to no equipment. ExpatDen readers swear by the fitness workouts from Shelly Dose, Scooby the “German” Bodybuilder and FitnessBlender. Other workouts include Yoga with Adriene and Do Yoga With Me, which the subscribers at /r/Fitness recommend.
Youth Centers
Although not free, but at 40 baht per year, Youth Centers are among the best fitness deals you can find in Bangkok. In spite of the name, they’re open to anyone, locals and foreigners alike. Main reasons for people not using them more are fewer locations, shorter opening hours, a stricter dress code and a more extensive sign up process when compared to commercial gyms.
Sign Up Requirements
- One, 1.5 inch photo
- A copy of your passport
- Medical certificate issued by any hospital or clinic in order to use the pool
- 20 baht to 40 baht membership fee
Gym’s Dress Code
- Top with sleeves
- Long pants
- Clean and dry sneakers to change in to
- Must bring a towel
Pool Dress Code
- Staff doesn’t like seeing people in baggy beach shorts. Speedos are your friend.
Lumpini Youth Center
The Lumpini Youth Center in Lumpini Park is the cheapest air conditioned, centrally located workout option in the city. It’s also one of the newest ones having been completed in recent years.
Opening Hours
- Monday to Friday: From 7am (pool), 8am (gym) till 7.30pm
- Saturday, Sunday: 8am to 5.30pm
- Holidays: Same as Saturday, Sunday (gym) or closed (pool)
Khlong Toei Youth Center
The Khlong Toei Youth Centre has a swimming pool in Benjasiri Park that’s open from 10am to 7.30pm, though it’s a bit of a peculiar system: they have time slots starting at 10am, 1pm, 2.30pm, 4pm and 6pm that each last 90 minutes.
For every time slot you’re present, you have to pay 15 baht. So staying from 3:45pm to 4.30pm would cost 30 baht. Sometimes there are school classes there. You want to avoid the 6pm time slot since it gets super busy. Yearly fees, sign up requirements and dress codes are like the Thailand Youth Center at Lumpini Park.
Thai-Japanese Youth Center
The Thai-Japanese Youth Center is another 40 baht per year option. Even though its location halfway between Victory Monument and Central Rama 9 is a bit out of the way from public transport, it makes up for it in facilities: a well-equipped gym, an Olympic-sized pool, squash courts and a stadium with a football field that has a running track looping around it.
Unlike its more basic counterparts in Lumpini and Benjasiri Park, the facilities at the Thai-Japanese Youth Center exceed what’s provided at a lot of commercial gyms and sports clubs. While some of the equipment is a bit older, the place offers a comprehensive set of training facilities.
The fastest way to get there is a motorcycle taxi from the Rama 9 subway station or the Victory Monument skytrain station.
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