Lookchaomaesaithong Sit Namkabuan Gym is a family run, traditional muay thai gym located in the city of Buriram, Isaan. Isaan is Thailand’s Northeastern region and the birthplace of many muay thai champions, past and present. Buriram province has contributed greatly to those numbers.
Foreigners are welcome to train at Lookchaomaesaithong Sit Namkabuan Gym.
Details:
TRAINING
Morning – 5:40 am start
16 km run, bag work and fitness/weight training. Pads are available on request (at no additional cost).
Evening – 4:00 pm start
4 km run, 20 – 30 minutes skipping rope, bag work, five, five minute rounds on pads, clinching possibly followed by more bag work/knees and fitness/weight training. Western boxing sparring semi regularly on Mondays.
Training is available six days a week, Monday – Saturday.
TRAINERS
Kru Namkabuan Ratchapeutcafe (5 Panang) LEAD
Kru Namseuk Ratchapeutcafe (5 Panang)
FIGHT AVAILABILITY/PROMOTION
The Chotison family has been involved in muay thai for decades (Coban Lookchaomaesaithong began his professional career under the care of the late Mr. Chotison). Son-in-law and lead trainer Namkabuan regularly works as a referee and judge in Buriram provincial fights. The family also owns a number of rings which are rented out locally. There is plenty of opportunity for fighters of all levels to fight under their promotion. They are also well connected to fight promotions in Bangkok. This includes Lumpinee Stadium.
ACCOMMODATION
Accommodation is available in the Chotison family home and at the gym (males only). The Chotison residence is a few buildings away from Lookchaomaesaithong Sit Namkabuan Gym. Buriram has a number of hotels and modestly priced apartments available within close range of the gym.
Apartments range anywhere from 1,500 baht – 5,000 baht plus utilities per month in Buriram. Apartments on the soi next to the camp range from 3,500 baht – 5,000 baht.
PRICING AND RESERVATIONS
Prices as of April 2014:
Training price per day is 500 baht.
Training price per month is 12,000 baht.
For more information and to make reservations, please contact the gym via their website.
How to travel from Bangkok to Buriram here.
UPDATES
Pertinent updates will be listed by date as they occur below:
December 8, 2011 – Renovations are complete. Photos here.
January 21, 2012 – American nak muay Chris “The Polish Punisher” Kwiatkowski pad training video here.
May 24, 2014 – The gym has relocated to the I-Mobile Stadium in Buriram. It is now an indoor, modern gym.
For more information on Buriram, please visit my other website Buriram Info. It’s a complete travel guide which offers hotel bookings, information on how to travel to Buriram, as well as multiple options of things to do.
yes are you open gym if so were isthe gym?
If your serious about learning real Muay Thai then Lookchaomaesaitong is one of the best gyms you can go to. Namkabuan Ratchapeutcafe the owner is a fantastic trainer and is very good at correcting poor technique .
The price for training at this gym is ridiculous. I went there and the manager wanted 13,000 bhat. The gym is run down and lacks equipment that wouldn’t bother me but the price is outrageous. I wouldn’t pay more than 2000 bhat to train there. People are spoiling the thais by paying them so much. Their greed knows no limits.
Im going to buriram in two weeks, is this Place still open for farangs?
hi morten-
yes, the gym is still open. have a great time in buriram!
For info on the area: http://www.buriraminfo.com/
How many Thais actively train and fight from the gym?
Are the foreigners separated from the Thais or training side by side with them and clinching and sparring with them?
Thanks in anticipation.
Hey Tom – While I was at the gym Thais and Foreigners trained together, including clinching and the number of active Thais varied (over the year). There were always, if I remember correctly, 5-7 of them. Sparring at the gym was similar to most traditional gyms I had been at – it didn’t happen often and if it did, it was more in the form of fun technical sparring with fighters outside the ring/not directed by trainers or boxing/hands only.
All of that being said, there have been huge changes with the gym and a couple of days ago they had their grand opening at the new location. I have no idea what the atmosphere will be like now, but from a lot of photos I’ve been seeing, it seems as though local Thais are coming to train recreationally. The family is very active in the muay thai scene in Buriram, so I suspect that although this may change some things, you will still receive good technical training. I can’t confirm as I don’t know anyone who has trained at the new gym (if anyone is out there who has, please let us know about it).
Here’s a promo clip from a few days ago to give you a better idea:
http://youtu.be/EF3DuYWpZmk
Loved the write up, but had a question. Is Buriram Be the new Lookchaomaesaitong? Or are these 2 different gyms?
The Lookchaomaesaitong website makes no mention of new location or facility so I’m a little confused. Thanks
Thanks Aaron. Buriram Be Boxing and Lookchaomaesaitong are two different gyms (and two locations) in the city of Buriram. Here’s Buriram Be Boxing’s Facebook Page.
https://www.facebook.com/BuriramBeBoxing?fref=ts
Hi, don’t know if your still active on here? I’m in buiram ATM and am staying at the Ray hotel and looking for somewhere to train ? In here until the 19th and have trained in Thailand in the past . Many thanks Michael