Why You Alway's Can’t Trust Google Reviews or Gym Recommendations for Muay Thai Gyms In Thailand

Gym reviews are very subjective. If you ask ten people about their ideal gym, you might get ten different answers. Send them to the same gym, and you could get ten very different reviews.

That being I once saw someone on a popular forum hyping up and recommending a Muay Thai gym. I had trained there before, and the Muay Thai classes were poor at best, despite its famous MMA fighters.

We went back and forth until they finally admitted they were hyping it up because they had booked a trip to go there with their gym but hadn't been there yet! They failed to mention this while telling everyone how great it was online - which I found very misleading! You do need to take people's opinions online with a grain of salt!

The Truth About Gym Experiences

I would argue that most gyms Muay Thai gyms in Thailand will give you a decent experience, you’ll get much fitter and learn some new techniques at most Muay Thai gyms. But some people will go overboard, jumping online to rave about 'their' gym without any real perspective, they've never trained at another gym (or never trained at another gym in Thailand). Then you’ve got others who criticize those same gyms, saying their gym is much better and their gym 'is a tourist gym'.

What most people don’t realize is that gyms change all the time. Coaches come and go, and the ones who do stick around may not be as good as their predecessors.

Some gyms can become a victim of their success and get much more popular, they hire more trainers who aren’t on the same level as the ones already at the gym, and overall the quality of the training becomes worse.

Or, you’ll hear glowing reviews about a gym that’s actually been sold to a new owner who has run it into the ground, yet the Google reviews still paint a rosy picture when you read the reviews from the past couple of years.

Male vs Female Experiences

Another thing to keep in mind if you’re a female fighter is that your experience might be entirely different from a male’s. Some gyms have strict policies against male trainers acting unprofessionally toward female students, while others don’t care as much. If you’re a woman heading to Thailand to train, it’s crucial to get opinions from other female fighters who’ve been there.

Also, in some parts of the country, they have a really small pool of fighters. While males can still easily get fights, women can't. You don't want to be training your hardest only to get matched with the same opponent fight after fight or opponents you can easily beat.

Tall vs Short and Big vs Small Experiences

When choosing a gym, it’s important to consider more than just reviews and recommendations. A trainer’s height, build, and fighting style can impact how well their coaching aligns with your style. For example, a taller athlete may benefit from a coach who understands longer fighters and fight styles.

Beyond physical attributes, fighting style can play a role. If you’re an aggressive pressure fighter, working with a counterpunching specialist might not be the best fit.

At the end of the day, reviews are often subjective. A gym might not have worked for someone simply because the coaching style didn’t match their needs or their style. If you have the time, it’s worth researching and visiting different gyms to find a coach who complements your style.

Thailand’s Defamation Laws

Here’s something you might not know: Thailand has strict defamation laws. Writing a negative review online can land you in serious legal trouble, even if what you’re saying is true. Gyms can sue you for defamation if you badmouth them online, which is why you’ll often see glowing reviews, even for places that are poorly run. While it isn't exactly a common practice to threaten to sue people for a negative review, especially in the Muay Thai community, it does happen.

Change of Management

In one case, a hidden gem in Phuket was bought by a foreigner, and it quickly became one of the worst-run gyms in the area. But you wouldn’t know that from the reviews; you’d think you’re about to train at one of the best gyms on the island.

So, when it comes to finding a gym, do you need to do your own research, talk to friends who may have been to Thailand already, and take online reviews and recommendations with a grain of salt.

The Tough Questions

There are questions you can ask a gym before deciding to train there: Do you have any fighters competing at a high level? How many of your fighters are tourists, how many are Thai? Etc. However, I wouldn't expect all gyms to give you honest answers. Some of them are all about profits.

At the end of the day, your best bet is to experience a few gyms firsthand and make up your own mind. Never book your training before visiting a gym and only book a few classes at a time before committing to a longer package.

You can read a some more about whether you should or should not book your training in advance before you come here.