Video #11 | November 20, 2017
In this video I’m going to cover staying fit in Bangkok, and how to find a great Bangkok gym! As an aside, this video came about because I found out that many people are searching Google for the keyword phrase “gym Bangkok”.
The video is broken into the following sections.
– Free, or very low cost, options for staying fit in Bangkok.
– The most well-known Bangkok gyms and sports clubs.
– The Bangkok gym that I use; ‘The Atrium Athletic Club’. [I’ll also include some footage inside ‘The Atrium’, so you can get an idea of what to expect].
Click on the following link to check out more on Personal Care in Bangkok.
#VIDEO TRANSCRIPT#
Alrighty then! Welcome to the eleventh video of Bangkok Unmasked! The YouTube channel that helps you get the most out of your visit to Bangkok city! If you’re new here, please consider subscribing! In this video I’m going to cover staying fit in Bangkok, and how to find a great Bangkok gym! As an aside, this video came about because I found out that many people are searching Google for the keyword phrase “gym Bangkok”.
Before I begin, this video will be broken down into 3 sections:
Section #1. Free, or very low cost, options for staying fit in Bangkok.
Section #2. The most well-known Bangkok gyms and sports clubs.
Section #3. The Bangkok gym that I use; ‘The Atrium Athletic Club’. I’ll also include some footage inside ‘The Atrium’, so you can get an idea of what to expect.
Let’s get started!
Staying fit in Bangkok isn’t easy! There’s food literally everywhere you look, and liquid calories can be extremely difficult to avoid. If there’s an excuse to drink, many Thai, and most foreigners, will find it! Even if you’re determined to stay in shape, the city puts up quite a fight to either keep you at your desk, on your bar stool, or in your bed.
Hope is not lost though! These days there’re plenty of ways to maintain your fitness routine during your stay in the city.
First off, I’m going to go through the free, or very low cost options.
Option #1. Bangkok’s Parks.
There are a handful of parks dotted throughout the city. The most well known are Lumpini Park, and Chatujak Park. In both of these parks you can walk, run or bicycle. Plus, in the mornings and evenings they’ll have open air aerobics classes, and Tai Chi group meetings. They both also have open air gyms for those who can exercise without air-conditioning. I absolutely can’t!
Option #2. University Facilities
Some Bangkok universities have fitness centers that are open to the public for either a very low fee, or even free of charge in some cases. The most well known of the university fitness centers is the Chulalongkorn University Sports Complex, which is located near MRT ‘Sam Yan’.
Option #3. Meetups
On meetup.com, you’ll find lots of groups meeting up to exercise together. Most meetups generally charge a small fee, or request donations in the range of THB 100 to THB 200. They’re a great way to explore new activities like volleyball, or yoga for example. You’ll also be able to meet people and discover parts of the city you might not normally visit.
Some of the meetups are totally free. Bangkok Runners is one of the biggest ones.
Option #4. Your Condo
Most apartment buildings in Bangkok have some sort of fitness facilities that can be used free of charge by residents. Usually they’re similar to what you’ll find at a hotel gym; some dumbbells, resistance training machines, and some cardio machines. If your place doesn’t have a gym, one of your friends should have access to one at their building, and they can take you along. Ask around, or on Facebook!
#5. Youth Centers
At around THB 40 per year, Youth Centers are among the best fitness deals you’ll find in Bangkok. Despite their name, Youth Centers are open to anyone. Locals and foreigners alike. Some of the well known Youth Centers are; Lumpini Youth Center, Khlong Toei Youth Center and Thai-Japanese Youth Center. All three offer access to swimming pools.
While all these options are great if you’re on a budget, I much prefer either an established fitness chain like Virgin Active, or a sports club. As an aside Virgin Active now has 6 locations through the city; find out of there’s one near you by checking out their website; virginactive.co.th.
Regarding sports clubs and gyms, Bangkok offers a wide selection. Though some of them will burn a hole in your wallet! A handful of the best known sports clubs in the city are;
#1. The Racquet Club
In terms of fitness, The Racquet Club is a great deal. THB 21,400 for a yearly membership gives you access to a 25m pool, as well as their entire range of facilities which includes a gym, badminton, squash, and – as the name implies – racquet courts.
#2. The British Club
One of the oldest clubs in Bangkok, The British Club offers a very good sports club option downtown in Silom 18. Originally started as a club for British, and later on to Commonwealth citizens, it’s now open to all. Prices start from a very competitive THB 17,469 for the first year for a single member below the age of 30.
#3. The Royal Bangkok Sports Club, and The RSBC Polo Club
This is the most exclusive, closed sports club in Bangkok which offers some of the best facilities in the city. However, unless you get personally endorsed by an existing member, and are ready to put down the substantial sign-up fees, you won’t be able to get into either of them! If you’re determined to go to this club, they do have ‘Reciprocal Clubs’ through Oceania, Europe, Asia, Africa and North America. Though most of them are not cheap, or easy, to join either.
#4. The Atrium Athletic Club
This is the Bangkok gym that I personally use, and have done so for the past 5 years. It’s located on the 5th floor of Tipco Tower, on Rama 6 road, and is open from 6 AM – 10 PM. If you’re taking public transport, to get there is a 5-10 minute taxi ride from either BTS Ari, or BTS station Saphan Kwai.
The Atrium Athletic Club has a great selection of gym equipment, as well as a decent sized pool, saunas, and a studio room for yoga, pilates, tae-bo and other activities. If you want a personal trainer, this is no problem to arrange as they have a good number on staff. There’s even a separate gym room on the second floor for sessions with personal trainers, in case you feel uncomfortable working out in front of strangers.
Let’s take a look at some footage of The Atrium Athletic Club that I took on my last visit.
In terms of cost, you’ll be looking at around THB26-40k for a year’s membership, depending on the type of plan that you sign up for. If you want to get a discount on your membership fees, email me at: James at BangkokUnmasked.com, and I can get you a discount through the member-get-member campaign they’re currently running.
Anyway…That’s it for this video. I hope that it will help you in your quest for staying fit in Bangkok! Expect a new video shortly. It should be posted in about a week, or so.
For all you techies out there, this video was shot on a Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus, and edited using HitFilm Express.
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Thank you very much for watching. I’ll see you next week. Goodbye.
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