Fairtex; which is the leading Muay Thai equipment manufacturer, has a large training camp in Thailand. It’s located in North Pattaya, right across from the Terminal 21 shopping mall.
Fairtex has been in business since the early 1970’s, and their original camp was just south of Bangkok in an area called Samut Prakarn. The gym was called Fairtex Bangplee.
Over the years, there have been many top fighters who have trained out of their gyms and represented the company by fighting under the “Fairtex” name. A few examples are Yodsanklai, Naruepol, Neungsiam, Jongsanan, Kaew and Bunkerd Fairtex.
Those fighters have all moved on, but the gym is still stacked with several Thai fighters currently fighting at the big stadiums and in ONE FC. A few names to look up if you want to see them in action would be Kongsuk, Tengnueng, Ongbak, Apisit, BM, Saemapetch and Ferrari Fairtex – a “fighter of the year” award winner with a very cool name.
Then of course there’s Stamp Fairtex, a popular female fighter who has successfully transitioned into MMA to become the ONE FC Atomweight champion.
Facility
The Fairtex training center in Pattaya is set up more like a resort than a traditional Muay Thai gym. Here’s what they have on site (in addition to the hotel and pro shops)..
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9 full-size Muay‑Thai rings
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MMA cage, air-conditioned BJJ room
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Two bag areas (including banana bags, heavy bags, speedballs)
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Strength & conditioning room with equipment like battle ropes, assault bikes, kettlebells
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Cardio and weight fitness center
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Sauna (though out of order last time I went), outdoor pool, locker rooms, showers
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Visa office for international students
Location
The Fairtex training center is in a great location. Situated in North Pattaya across from the Terminal 21 shopping mall, there’s an abundance of food available to suit every budget.
If you want to get a meal for 1-2 dollars, head on up to the Pier 21 food court. If you want to splurge and treat yourself, I’d suggest a restaurant called “Grillicious by Beirut” for some great Lebanese food (that’s my go-to when I’m in the area).
In addition to being located directly across from the mall, you’re also within a 10 minute walk to Pattaya beach, where you can hop on a baht bus (also known as a Songtaew) and get to central Pattaya for just 10 baht. I believe the fighters run along the beach to kick off their training sessions, so that gives you an idea of how close it is.
Pattaya is obviously known for being a party destination with a lot of distractions, and yes, all of the nightlife is easily accessible from Fairtex. However, it’s still a great place to live and train if you have self control.
The North part of the city where the Fairtex training center is located is certainly more upscale and family friendly than the central area.
Accommodation
As mentioned above, this place is pretty much a fitness resort and they offer on-site rooms. If you’re just in for a short vacation, staying on site would be great but if you’re staying long term, you may be able to save quite a bit of money by touring around the area and looking for an apartment that offers monthly rates. There are plenty of nearby accommodation options and even if you have to venture away from the gym a little bit, it’s not a big problem due to the ease of transportation within Pattaya.
(The Fairtex training facility is served along the baht bus route which brings you right to Terminal 21).
Training Info & Photos
The training at Fairtex Pattaya consists of 2 sessions per day. The morning session starts off with a non-mandatory run along the beach. If you choose to do this, you’ll be running alongside the top fighters. Once you get back at the gym, you’ll go through your pad work (5×4 minute rounds), your bag work as well as some sparring and/or clinching. The morning session follows a similar route only there’s no run along the beach to kick things off (unless you want to do it on your own time of course).
