Camp Spotlight: Phuket Dragon Muay Thai
May 10, 2009 by danielson
Filed under Camp Spotlight
This weeks feature is Phuket Dragon Muay Thai in Phuket, Thailand. I hope you find this information helpful and informative.
Here are the categories I will be providing information on.
Phuket Dragon Muay Thai – www.muaythaidragon.com
Location
Phuket Dragon Muay Thai is located in Phuket, Thailand. The camp is located in the province of Wat Chalong, which is in the Southern part of Phuket Island, very close to Rawai and Nai Harn beach. The camp is located in the Southern part of Phuket, near Rawai Beach. On the road where the camp exists, there are several resturants and accomodations within walking distance. The main commercial area of Phuket is about a 8 minute drive away. There are also several tourist locations within a short drive. The address of the camp is:
10/3 Moo 5, Soi Ta-iad T.
Chalong, A. Muang
Phuket 83130 Thailand
The camp has a map on it’s website to show you exactly where on the island it is located. You can also use the map to show your taxi driver at the airport. Here is the map: 
Best Travel Route
The best way to get to Phuket Dragon Muay Thai is to fly into the Phuket airport and then take a taxi which is approximately a 30 minute drive from the airport. In traveling to the Phuket airport the most likely way to get there is to first fly into Bangkok and then take a flight from Bangkok to Phuket. Flights go back an forth between the two locations almost hourly during the day until around 10pm at night. You can also fly into Phuket from another destination, however there may be a longer wait time before your flights leaves upon arrival at that location. On my recent trip to Phuket, I flew into Hong Kong and then stayed there overnight and caught a morning flight to Phuket. The entire overlay was about 14 hours. A taxi ride from the Phuket airport to the camp will cost about 600 baht, which is about $20 USD.
Pricing
The pricing at Phuket Dragon Muay Thai is slightly cheaper than some of the bigger camps in Phuket such as Tiger Muay Thai or Sinbi. This is mostly because it is a farily new gym and in order to compete they must scale back their pricing. It is also a smaller camp facilities wise. However, you do receive 1 on 1 training during every session, which more than makes the rates at Phuket Dragon a good value. The daily rate is 300 baht for 1 session, or 500 baht for both morning and afternoon sessions. The weekly rate is 2400 baht while the monthly rate is 8000 baht. They also have a 3 month rate of 22,000 baht.
You can also arrange accomodations through Phuket Dragon Muay Thai, which range anywhere from 6000 baht for a budget room with only a fan, to as high as 12000 baht for a private room with AC. The current exchange rate is $1 USD = 35 baht, which means a month of training would costs about $230 USD and accomodation would cost between $170 – $340 USD. To check the current exchange rate, you can visit this site: Exchange Rates
Accomodations
There are a handful of accomodation resorts withing walking distance from Phuket Dragon Muay Thai, including The Nature House, Family Bungalows and Moma’s Country Bungalows. There are at least 4 or 5 more resorts on the same street as Phuket Dragon, but the ones I listed are the most affordable. Accomodations can range between 6000 – 12,000 baht per month. Most of them are recently built, single rooms with a private bath. There are also several resturants withing walking distance, most of which are located right at the bungalows, including Moma’s, Boxer Bar and Jungle Hut.
Facilities
The training facilities at Phuket Dragon are currently on the smaller side but they are in the middle of an expansion. The gym itself has 1 ring and about 13 bags, along with a decent size training floor space. This space although it is small as I said above, is perfect for the amount of clients typically at the camp on any given week. As the amount of students is growing, so is the camp as they have just started the addition of a second ring. The gym itself has a covered roof, and is open on 3 sides to allow good air flow. They also have a equipment store on site, which is conveinent for purchasing any necessary equipment or accessories, such as gloves, shorts or hand wraps.
Trainers
The camp has 8 trainers on hand at all times, which allows for a student to trainer ratio that is usually no larger than 3 to 1. The head trainer of Phuket Dragon Muay Thai is Yod, followed by his brother Bang.
Head Trainer Yod
From the several people I spoke to who had the opportunity to work with Yod, he comes highly recommended. His form and technique is top notch, as well as his hold when doing pad work. Yod is 31 and has been a trainer for 9 years now. He spent some time as a trainer in Europe as well, which would indicate that he would communicate well with Westerners. According to the Phuket Dragon website Yod has over 350 fights in his career.
Training Routine
The training hours at the gym are 7am to 10:30am in the morning and 4pm to 7pm in the afternoon. The training structure is pretty loose. A good friend of mine trained there and provided me some insight that I found helpful for explaining the training structure and routine at the gym. The training starts with a half hour warm up on your own, whether it be skipping rope, shadow boxing, or running. Once you are all warmed up, you do pad work with a personal pad man. All the training at Phuket Dragon is 1 on 1 with a trainer. Rounds typically last about 3 minutes each, and there would be anywhere from 4 to 6 rounds.
Padwork with the Trainers
After the pad work, you would move on to bag work. The exercises would typically be 100 front kicks on both feet, 100 knees on both sides and 100 elbows. Instructors will monitor you and correct your form where necessary. The sessions would end with optional ab work out of a specific number of crunches. One of the biggest advantages about training at Phuket Dragon is the 1 on 1 training that you receive from the moment you walk into camp. Most people that have trained here rave about the trainers.
Fighting
If you are considering getting a fight while you are in Thailand, Phuket Dragon Muay Thai can arrange one for you. There are two stadiums in Phuket that most of the gyms fight out of which are Bangla Stadium and Patong Stadium. The gym can also arrange fights for some of the surrounding areas as well.
Group Camp Shot
The gym will determine if you are ready for a fight based on a combination of physical evaluation as well as time spent at the gym. The trainers will work with you in sparring to assess your physical skill and conditioning level. They will also require that you train at the gym for at least 2 weeks prior to arranging a fight for you. That is probably a fair amount of time, even if you are already an experienced fighther, because it will allow you the necessary time to get into fighting shape. Some gyms will require you train for as much as 6 weeks before they will arrange a fight for you, so the shorter amount of time is nice.
Administration/Office
As I stated earlier, the camp is owned and operated by Master Yod and his brother Bang. Yod has spent time in Europe and is familar with training and dealing with Westerners. There is a small office area/pro shop at the camp, but the main area of the camp is dedicated to training space. I have contacted the camp a couple times via email, and usually receive a response within 2 to 3 days. The email responses are easy to read and the english is good, however they are just very brief. I wouldn’t mind for a little more detail in the responses.
Website
Phuket Dragon has a very nice Flash designed website. The website has 6 basic categories and for the most part is easy to navigate. In order to find some information from the website you have to surf through and really mine the site. If there was a few more categories, it would solve this problem. For instance, information about the training hours is including on the rates page. There is also no outline of the typical training routine. If there was a training page, it would solve the problem. Nonetheless, the website has all the necessary information including contact information, rates, photos and a map to show where the camp is located.
Extracurricular
Phuket is generally considered a tourist area, so there are plenty of things to do while not training at the camp. PD Muay Thai lists several things to do on their website including: Kayaking, Bungee Jumping, Snorkling, Scuba Diving and a couple tours. In addition, there are a couple temples worth visiting including Wat Chalong Temple, Nai Harn Temple and The Big Buddah. There are also plenty of popular beaches in the area, as well as the Phuket Zoo and Phuket Aquariam. And of course there is always the exciting night life in Patong.
Uniqueness
I asked the camp via email what they thought made the camp unique and their response was “(The) trainng (is)1 by 1 and every trainer have friendliness with everyone who come to train here.” This is additionally what I heard from everyone I met that did train at the camp.
1 on 1 Training
In fact, my good friend Erik said this “To sum it all up, the training at dragon was very individual and very good for me. I had a lot of fun, and in between all the tasks I got from the trainers I would do a lot of goofing around, like shadow boxing just for fun. It was great and I learned some really cool moves by doing that.”
All of the great feedback I heard about this place definitely made it a place I am looking forward to training at.
Contact Info
If you are interested in visiting Phuket Dragon Muay Thai (and hopefully you will be after this article), here is how you can contact them:
Manager : Mr. Ekkarin (Tak) Lookchan.
Mobile Phone : + 66(0)80-142-7500
Office Phone : + 66(0)76-280-536, +66(0)76-521-343
Website : www.muaythaidragon.com
Email : pkdragonmuaythai@hotmail.com (they have 4 email addresses on their site but this is the one they responded to me from)
I hope you found this article informative and helpful. If you have anything to add about Phuket Dragon Muay Thai, please leave a comment below.
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The only thing that I’m missing here (which I didn’t tell you about) is the two lovely ladies in the reception. Only them are worth paying a visit for!
Also, private sessions cost 500 bath with any trainer except Yod (compared to tigers 700), and 700 with Yod (whom is a complete muay thai mastermind and a perfectionist).
hmm… if the daily training is already one to one, who would want to go for private lesson??
Erik, yeah you forgot to mention that. That’s an important point too. Pretty girls never hurts.
Maax,
That’s a good point. I suppose you would only do a private lesson if you wanted to work on something specific, or wanted to work with a specific trainer.
To whomever wrote this – well done! (On a personal level)it looks like you posted this around May 10, 2009, WHEN WERE YOU HERE??? I think we were here at the same time! I can’t imagine that we haven’t met, I’ve been at Dragon for two months (AND I LOVE IT!), I am leaving Phuket on May 27, 2009 headed for MANILA!! Not sure when you trained here but please send a message and pic to my email (if you can: kajreklaw@gmail.com), i’ll do the same, I just want to know who i’m talking to. Feel free to delete this top part, but I hope you will post the next part entirely.
Like I said about this blog, WELL DONE. I started at Dragon at the end of March 2009 after being at Tiger for a month. I really don’t have any good things to say about that first gym. I am a beginner in Muay Thai and remained a beginner until I started at Dragon. The best thing about the trainers at Dragon – they all agree to train the students in the same general fashion. They have their own style and way of accomplishing the same goals, but they will not try to confuse you and expect you to figure out the correct way of doing things! Every one of the trainers is extremely kind and considerate of the students needs! The difference between a group and private session is level of intensity that the trainer will work with you. During a group session they are working with as many as 2 students that day. They will always correct technique and teach various combinations and “tricks”. During a private it is you and the trainer, most of the time you are the only 2 in the gym. He is not only correcting technique but refining every aspect of your fighting “game”. I find there is a bit more detail in a private session. But if you’re on a budget, then a group session with any of the trainers at Dragon will be worth your money!!! I have trained with all but one trainer at Dragon and there are a few things I would like to elaborate on -
*Yod* does not OWN Dragon (to my knowledge), HE IS the HEAD TRAINER as you stated. One of the best comments from anyone regarding Yod as a trainer is this one,and it came from an MMA practioner with 4 pro fights under his belt – “I trained with Yod today and for the first time in my life, I WAS SCARED OF THE PADS!”. Yod is one of “those” trainers that can take you to a level you haven’t thought of yet!! His style is laid back and all smiles (when he is talking), when he puts the pads on and gives you “THE LOOK” you know something VERY intense will happen. He will break everything you do down to the SMALLEST part and tell you how to correct it (if it needs correcting). If you still have it wrong he will draw lines on the ground with his finger, hold your leg/arm/knee, and move you the correct way. He accepts nothing less than absolute,100% – EFFORT!! He is a perfectionist, he is also A GREAT TRAINER! He can tell when you have given everything you have and will accept your best offering. HOWEVER, the next time you train with him, he wants to see your progression, so be “on the ball”! I have NEVER seen him turn anyone down for advice, correcting technique, or just a handshake and a smile!! Side note- he was one of the top trainers at T*&%$ (the gym up the street), until December of 2008, that is when Dragon opened. He is recommended by other trainers (Nozy, Rose, “big” Robert) from other gyms in the area! I personally haven’t done private lessons with him, only worked pads with him during class sessions, and that was intense enough!
*Bang* I trained with Bang on several occasions. He has a very laid back style. His main focus is POWER! He told me that he started training at age 10, became a champoin in Malaysia, and fought in Lumpinee. He has had 150 professional fights (the website says something different). His private lessons consist of 2 rounds of sparring and at least 2 long rounds of technique. When I did the private session with him, he explained that he wanted me to exert full power on him. This was for him to see what my actual strengths are and where he needed to correct me. He only went at a small fraction of his power during the session. His kicks and punches DID NOT hurt me, they only stung a tiny bit. That is important to note because, many other gyms have students that are injured because a trainer went “too hard” and broke the student! NONE OF DRAGONS TRAINERS WILL DO THIS TO YOU!
*Peng (Ong-Kot)* is the very first trainer I worked with at Dragon. His style is laid back and very similar to Yod. He likes to focus on hands for the first two rounds on the pads (BOXING!). He teaches several combinations and corrects form/technique as you go along. As you progress with skill he makes the workout more intense with speed and power. His Muay Thai (of course) is OUTSTANDING! He won’t allow you to continue to make mistakes! Once he recognizes a flaw in your technique, he will back track to the beginning and correct you from there.
*Boom* I work with Boom at least twice a week in group sessions. He likes to teach several “tricks” that are usefull when fighting. He will start with a few rounds to asess your skill then work to correct it as you go along. Then he will (using the pads) simulate fighting and show the “tricks” that we all want to learn but never really figure out on our own!
I should explain what “tricks” means, for instance – when you are in the clinch and your oponent is throwing knees that are sending shocks through your body, do not try to continue to throw knees with him. Simply change your grip to one hand behind his neck, the other between his elbow and shoulder, bend your knee into his same side knee (your left his left) and pull his neck down and around your left side. This throws him off balance. This one is simple so if you already know it then good for you, I am a total beginner and was amazed when he showed it to me!
*Piag* I have done several privates and group sessions with Piag. He is another “trick” guy. He won’t show you any tricks until he is satisfied with your basic technique. His English is the best out of all the trainers at Dragon.
*Deng* I have worked with Deng during group sessions. He likes to focus on the way you move while fighting. For instance he had me do defense while moving around the ring and still doing the “muay thai bounce”. He also corrected my guard (my hands position), I will continue to use the guard he taught me! (it works every time)!
*Thit* He is my favorite trainer. I have done at least 3 privates a week with him since He started at Dragon in late April. He is a former WBF boxing champion, began training Muay Thai when he was 8, and over 100 Muay Thai fights! I could go on for an hour about Thit! I will stick to this – His style is very similar to Yod and Peng, laid back/intense at the same time. He focuses on basic technique FIRST AND FOREMOST! He will not move on until you can do soemthing using proper technique combined with ample power and speed! This doesn’t mean you will get bored in any way. It just means he will continue to asess your skill every minute of every session until he is satisfied that you have it etched in your brain! He will continue to work the same technique with you, but he won’t work just that one. For example when working on kicks he will ask for 5 kicks to the body. He will watch and asess as you go through the five kicks. He will then tell you what you did wrong. Then he will work a combination of other strikes. Then come back to those kicks to make sure you are still doing it correct. I know that’s what a trainer is supposed to do but I didn’t get that from the other gym!!!
There is one more trainer. *Mr.Phadet*. He is the big boss (owner) of Dragon. He trains the young children that attend Dragon. Which is why I never worked with him! He and his son “Tony” run and maintain Dragon.
To anyone who is thinking about going to Phuket for training in Muay Thai – give every other gym a try. Then go sign up for a group session at Dragon. When you go to Dragon ask any of the trainers if they will work with you for that group session. I have never heard of any of them saying NO to anyone!
You will see a distinct and welcomed difference in the training at Dragon!
kajreklaw,
Thanks for visiting my site. I’m glad to hear that you had a great time at Dragaon. Sorry to hear you had a bad experience at Tiger. I was in Phuket in February, so we wouldn’t have met each other. There are photos in my photo section so you know what I look like.
Thanks for taking the time to post the information about all the trainers that you worked with at Dragon. That is great feedback and I am sure future readers will enjoy those tidbits you put in your comment.
I am planning on returning to Thailand at the end of the year. If you are there at that time, perhaps we will get the chance to meet and train. If not, best of luck in your efforts.
Dan
Dan, I looked at your pics. I arrived at Tiger on Feb 28, 2009. We may have just missed each other.
I need to correct one piece of information about Thit. He began training at age 4, had his first fight at age 5, and to this date has had over 300 Muay Thai fights (he doesn’t remember the exact number) and over 40 Boxing matches. He says for a long time he was fighting 3 times a week!
Sorry for the mix up!
Yeah, we must have just missed each other, because I left on the 28th in the AM, and I wasn’t staying at the camp, I was staying down the road.
Are you still in Thailand now, or are you back home?
I ride past this place every day on my way to Tiger.
If I hadn’t already paid for training at Tiger I’d definatly give it a try.
The training all seems to be one on one, or two on one at most.
This is what you want really.
In May, I went to Phuket for my Muay Thai training… I went to Rawai Muay Thai. It’s quite a good place and People are friend. Next time when I go again, I would like to try Dragon Muay Thai and also Sinbi Muay Thai.
Thanks for the Camp Spotlight!
Lamy
Martial Art Training
hi guy
i got to this web site by accident while i am reaching about Muay thai training..I own the Bungalow ‘ the Outback Garden’ next to Moma’s Country Bungalows. it is new just finished 2 months ago. the Outback Garden now has 6 rooms and i am planning to bulid more 10 rooms next year.
i am now working with Phuket Dragon Muay Thai, making Web site hepling Dragon Muay Thai and fill up my bungalow.I have deal with Dragon if Booking with my web site you get cheper, for 1 month only 7500 baht and get 1000 baht off from The Outback Garden..
I am local amd borned here. i don’t know it is right to promote my web site on this site. sorry Dan if i should not post this. BTW, i love your site it is COOL! and Claen!
MAX
The Outback Garden
PS: the two lovely ladies in the reception is still working!!!!!!!!!!
Mial: muaythaitrainingthailand@gmail.com
Site: muaythaitrainingthailand.com
Hey Max,
Thanks for taking the time to visit my sites and the kind words. No worries on promoting your site on here man. I am sure my readers appreciate the notice regarding your bungalow’s. Good luck on the expansion. When I am in Thailand next I’ll pay you a visit. Best wishes.
Dan
My web site: http://www.muaythaitrainingthailand.com
Max
The Outback Garden
To: Dan
Can i put your web site address on my site? and i appreciate if you can do the same. thank you.
Max,
Sure thing man. I’ll put your website link on my links page under Muay Thai Camps and also under my Martial Arts Related page. Hope it helps. I would really appreciate it if you can link back. Thanks.
Dan
I spent 2 months at this gym and it was great. I’ve got a similar review up on my blog =)
Recommended.
Having lived in Phuket for two years, I can say Tiger and Dragon get the most tourists, but there is a camp in Patong which is getting bigger and more recognized by the day.
However, as with anything in Phuket, Patong’s prices are silly compared to the rest of the island.
It’s so great to hear you guys had a good time and Danielsan for wanting to go back
They are the best trainers in the world and don’t give you a second to catch your breath. Personally, I prefer the smaller outfits, where you get even more focus on you…but a little more ribbing because you’re a “falang”. Mai bhen rai though, as they say.
Great post Mr Daniel. Really informative, I was hoping to catch you out on a few things as I consider myself as an ‘expert’ on the island, but you’ve managed to be incredibly thorough.
My girlfriend wrote a few articles about Phuket (the non-touristy places) which if you’re interested for your site can be bought at http://www.articlesale.com/author/daisymuu/
Hope you don’t mind, but I’ve just launched my new site and looking for links as Max ^^ has done http://www.bestknockout.com. I’ll be sure to do the same, when I’ve got more content on it.
Keep up the good work man!
I had a great trainer name Paeng at Dragon. Although I was not fighting, he really took me seriously, and he was just amazing. He was technical, precise, patient, and pleasant to work with. Once I trained with him, it became difficult to work with other trainers. Dragon is friendly and they welcome trainees. The only thing is that you have to rent a sooter to get around, and it can be very scary.