Now that I know I’m going back (thank you FightPassport), I can’t stop thinking about it. I’ve literally sat here all day and watched Muay Thai/Thailand videos on Youtube. Spend 5 hours straight on Youtube and you’ll start to feel a little unproductive. So, I figured that since my mind is stuck on Thailand at the moment, I’d share some of my experiences from my last trip. This way, I will have at least accomplished SOMETHING today.
The first thing you notice when you get there is how friendly the people are. Thailand is known to many as LOS – which is an acronym for Land Of Smiles. It’s a very humbling experience to see people who are so happy with so little. Makes you really question why people in the western world place such an emphasis on material possessions.
I also noticed a major difference in terms of respect. Not that people in the west aren’t respectful, but working at a nightclub, I tend to deal with people at their worst – when they’re drunk. Almost every weekend, there’s a stupid fight over the slightest misunderstanding. In most cases, the fight starts over an accidental bump on the dance floor.
Everybody seems to think they’re tough based on how much they can lift at the gym. Apparently the preacher curl exercise makes you a good fighter. Based on their logic, there’s really no point to go train in Thailand. I should just take some steroids, do a strict muscle-isolation exercise routine, bathe in cologne and raid my little brothers closet for the tightest shirt I can find (sarcasm).
The Thai’s on the other hand, they can actually fight. Oh my.. THEY CAN FIGHT! Muay Thai is to Thailand what Hockey is to Canada and what Football is to the United States. Some start fighting at only 8 years old and throughout their career, it’s not uncommon for them to rack up 200+ fights. However, from my experience, bump into them at the club and they’ll simply place their palms together, bow and say “khor thot” which translated, means “I’m sorry”.
Of course, as shown in a video I captured on Bangla Rd. – there’s always exceptions.
In all fairness, this fight was not started by the Thai’s. The Thai’s that are involved stand in the street, night after night, and promote “ping pong shows”. If you don’t know what ping pong shows are, type it into google, along with the world “Thailand” and you’ll get your answer.
When they approach you with their “sales pitch”, you simply state that you’re not interested (if you’re not) and keep walking. That’s that. They’re not there to cause problems. For the record, everyone was ok after the fight happened. No serious injuries which is always good.
In a happier note, check out these beaches. I may or may not go back to Phi Phi island on this next trip so I might as well post up some photos now so ya’ll can see how beautiful it is. This is where they filmed “The Beach” starring Leonardo DiCaprio.
Alright, I’m pretty sure I can just continue to type for hours as there was so many great experiences throughout the 3 months. Instead of doing that, I think I’ll cut this entry short and do some more research on what’s required in order to get my 1 year visa. I believe they give out 1 year “education” visas for those who wish to study Muay Thai (goes to show how seriously they take their fighting art). If I end up getting one, it’s safe to say that this is going to be the best year of my life and I’m happy that I will be able to share my adventures with all of you.
THINKING OF GOING TO THAILAND TO TRAIN?
I’ve developed a 70 page guide that profiles everything you need to know about training in Bangkok, Phuket and Pattaya. In the manual, I discuss the visa issues, the Muay Thai camps, the different areas, the transportation, the food, the culture and customs, the girls, the scams, the safety issues and most importantly, how to save a ton of cash along the way!
