Jamal Younis coaches at the Aspire Club in Bangkok’s Asok. He explains how he got hired, which certifications count, why THB50,000 a month is a fair starting salary, and what a foreign trainer has to bring to justify the extra cost.
The following post is a chapter from our book, Working in Thailand: How to Ditch the Desk, Board the Flight, and Land the Job, written by Patrick Taylor and Karsten Aichholz.
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Key Takeaways
- Bangkok has plenty of very good local trainers, and hiring a foreigner costs a gym more.
- The baseline requirement is a personal trainer certification or a fitness or health degree.
- Fluent English is a must at Jamal’s gym, but Thai isn’t.
- Jamal got his job through networking, after the company’s former fitness manager approached him.
- Being able to bring in clients and grow the brand is what makes a foreign trainer worth the extra cost.
- Expect around THB50,000 a month to start, with more from clients, sales, referrals, consultations and seminars.
- You need a work permit before you start coaching.
The Coach
Unless otherwise noted, all quotes by Jamal Younis, fitness coach.
High above the urban scramble of Bangkok’s Asok junction, on a sun-soaked Saturday morning when many of the city’s revelers are nursing hangovers in darkened rooms, the sounds of high-energy techno music and cries of exertion fill the air.
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