Fitness Street Phuket: A Guide to Fitness Paradise

In this article, I’ll share with you why I am so inspired by Fitness Street and how this little slice of paradise can help you achieve your fitness ambitions while meeting amazing like-minded people from around the world, and just make you an all-around better human being! There is no other place like this on earth…

In recent times, I’ve spent 6 months training here on Fitness Street in 2022 and presently, 4 months training here in 2023. I am convinced this place will change your life, no matter where you sit along the fitness spectrum—whether you’re an absolute beginner at 300 lbs overweight or an elite UFC athlete like Arman Tsarukyan and Petr Yan preparing for their next bout. This place is for you!

Many years ago, I originally coined the term “Fitness Street” as a way to try and bring this magical paradise to the world. Consequently, my Fitness Street videos over a period of 8 years have attracted tens of thousands of people from all around the world, and I’ve personally met hundreds of people who have visited Fitness Street after watching my video series and shared incredible transformation stories.

In the video below, I will share with you a highlight reel of my 4 month journey in 2023 on the renowned Fitness Street in Phuket, Thailand. This video serves as a comprehensive overview of my training adventures that will give you ideas and inspiration to help you craft your own adventure of a lifetime to Fitness Street.

In the video below, after 8 years of training on and around Fitness Street, I’ve produced a comprehensive 57-minute walking tour video that will provide you with everything you need to plan for a fitness adventure of a lifetime. In this video, you will learn where all the fitness camps, supplement stores, accommodation facilities, and healthy eating restaurants are located.

You won’t find any other street on earth that combines the tropical Thai heat with world-class fitness training camps, ‘clean calorie’ restaurant menus, stunning beaches less than 30 minutes away, and the opportunity to meet people from 9+ different nationalities in your first fitness class at 8 am on a Monday morning.

So, the first question you might have in mind is…

Where is Fitness Street?

Fitness Street is home to more indoor and outdoor fitness training gyms, nutrition supplement stores, and healthy-eating bars and restaurants than anywhere else I’ve seen in the world—most of which are located along one single street!

It’s a 40-minute taxi ride from Phuket International Airport. To help you find it on Google Maps, click here. The name of the street in Thai is Soi Taied.

It will cost you around 600 to 900 Baht for a driver to take you from the airport to Soi Taied or Fitness Street. It’s located in Chalong in Phuket.

Who is Fitness Street for?

The short answer is… everyone!

After 8 years of creating content on Fitness Street, I’ve personally met hundreds of people and received thousands of emails/DMs from elite UFC and MMA fighters, top CrossFit athletes, entrepreneurs, celebrities, and individuals of all ages just beginning their fitness journey. If you’re reading this article and have a 40% body fat while indulging in donuts, then this place is for you too! (Drop the donuts, book a flight, and I’ll see you out here!). If you are an aspiring professional athlete wanting to one day break into the UFC, come out here and let the journey begin!

I’ve met people who come here to quit smoking or stop drinking. Some come due to a midlife crisis or being made redundant back home. However, many come to get into shape and share that transformative experience with like-minded people from all around the world. From Ireland to Russia, to New Zealand and Norway, even from Uganda, this street attracts an international community that all shares the same aspiration—to become the best version of themselves.

If you ever decide to come here—and come here solo—I guarantee that you will meet people and make friends for life. I’ve met plenty of solo female and male travellers who come here and, by the end of Day 1, are no longer “solo” travellers.

You might be wondering, “Well, Brad, I’m a solo female traveller… is it safe to travel there alone?” Or, as a guy reading this, you might be wondering whether you’ll meet people out here. The short answer is… yes, you will! But don’t just take it from my experience; ease your fears and watch the video below where I interview a Danish solo female traveller (jump to timestamp 04:02).

In the next video, you will meet Lisa, another solo female traveller from Stockholm, Sweden. She’s here for one month, solo travelling on the famous Fitness Street.

Lastly, in the next video, you’ll meet Nice from Uganda, who is also solo travelling to Fitness Street.

So the point in case is that, as a solo female (or male) traveller, there is nothing to worry about! There is a giant community of people all here to become better humans… just like you 🙂

You might be in your 60s or 70s reading this and saying, “but I’m too old for Fitness Street… look, it’s full of young lads, and it’s way beyond me.” Okay, then 62-year-old Scott from Tennessee has a few things to say about being “too old” to train on Fitness Street. I shared my private session with him while he dispels some good advice to all the “old folks” out there. Check this out:

 Season 3: Fitness Street YouTube Series

Fitness Street has always been difficult to explain to people who have never experienced it before. It’s just so… different from anything else you’ll ever experience on vacation.

Therefore, to try and capture the essence of Fitness Street, I decided to film a ‘day in the life’ video series showcasing the highlights of my Fitness Street adventures. I’ve been producing the Fitness Street series for 8 years, and as of 2024, I’m up to E141 of Season 3.

My intention was to capture and tell the story with as much granular detail as possible — including injuries and other anticlimactic moments — to set realistic expectations and prepare you for your own adventure to Fitness Street.

It was undoubtedly challenging to film hundreds of hours of footage of my training experience while continuing to drive the story in each day-in-the-life video. Not to mention the many months (years) spent editing and post-producing the series.

One Week on Fitness Street (Highlights)

In the video below, I’ll share with you what a typical week of training looks like for me here on Fitness Street. At the time of filming, I was paying 11,000 Baht per month in rent at 2home to stay here during the low season. If you are coming to Fitness Street, consider trying some private sessions at Dragon, Rattachai, and T&Y, which cost around 600-700 Baht per session. Additionally, don’t miss the chance to experience a drop-in session at Unit 27 here on Fitness Street.

How to Plan Fitness Street

I’m assuming that most people reading this are planning their very first fitness adventure of a lifetime to the famous Fitness Street. Some people planning to visit Fitness Street are leaving their home country for the first time and are very nervous at the thought of jumping on a plane, let alone the idea of visiting a fitness village to change their life.

There are four big tips that I give all first-timers. They are:

Accommodation: Book your accommodation either on Fitness Street or on a “side street” within a very short walking distance to the camps you’d like to spend most of your time training at. If you are not sure which camps you’d like to train at, I suggest booking accommodation located somewhere halfway along Fitness Street so you are equidistant to everything on the street. Of course, if you are renting a scooter, you can stay anywhere and then ride your scooter to and from Fitness Street every day. Secondly, if you are looking at staying out here for one month or more, I highly suggest booking 2-3 nights’ accommodation before arriving at Fitness Street, then, upon arriving, negotiate face-to-face with reception for a cheaper rate for a long-term stay. If you’d like to learn more about accommodation, then jump to the “Fitness Street Accommodation” section of this article.

Try everything: Fitness Street has a lot to offer, and there is something for everyone. There’s CrossFit, beach training, Big Buddha runs, Western Boxing, Muay Thai, K1, BJJ, MMA, Yoga, etc. If you are planning to visit for a month, I suggest spending the first week trying different classes and gyms to find a camp that resonates with you the most. One of the biggest mistakes people make is they spend thousands of dollars on “fitness retreat packages” which include food, training, accommodation, etc., only to find that upon arrival, they don’t like the camp! There’s no need to do a package. Just book some accommodation and when you arrive, walk around to the different camps and do drop-ins! You’ll be able to make a more informed decision before parting with thousands of dollars to a camp!

Do your measurements: Many people come to Fitness Street to lose weight. It’s extremely important that you take some initial measurements of your physique before getting stuck into the training out here. Whether that’s tape measurements, physique photos, or a bio-impedance scan (which can be done at Unit 27 upon arrival), you’ll always have baseline measurements that you can later compare at the end of your fitness vacation.

Hydration and electrolytes: Thailand is a hot and humid country. Many people come here from the Nordics, U.K, New Zealand, and other freezing climates and jump straight into training without thinking too much about their electrolyte intake. Although this might sound mundane, “okay Brad, I need to drink more water whatever,” this needs to be taken seriously. I’ve seen people admitted to the hospital out here for dehydration due to failing to take their rehydration seriously. It’s imperative that you take this seriously; otherwise, your training performance and recovery will suffer.

If you’d like to watch a video that further explains these preparation tips, click below!

Summary of Fitness Camps

There are several fitness camps on and around Fitness Street that are worth checking out. There is something for everyone; it’s not exclusively for Muay Thai enthusiasts or professional athletes and fighters.

Whether you’re looking for strength and conditioning classes, beach training, outdoor obstacle courses, or pure martial art-type fitness classes, you’ll find it all on Fitness Street.

If you plan to stay on Fitness Street for a month or more, I recommend spending your first week trying different fitness camps. All camps allow you to buy drop-in classes or day passes, providing you with a good sense of what to expect.

By trying different camps initially, you can avoid the risk of investing a significant amount of money into a monthly training package with a fitness camp that may not resonate with you. Most camps do not offer refunds for change-of-mind purchases.

A common regret people have is buying a one-month package with a fitness camp on Fitness Street, only to realise upon arrival that they should have tried all the camps first before committing to long-term training packages.

Lastly, if you are concerned about not being ‘fit enough’ or ‘too old’ (I receive these emails!), don’t worry—this place is for everyone of all ages and sizes! Also, I can assure you, you don’t need to be shredded to come here—just bring an open mind and a willingness to challenge yourself. Everyone here has their own reasons for being here, and you won’t be judged!

Here is a summary of the most famous fitness camps on or near Fitness Street.

In this article, I’m only going to discuss Tiger Muay Thai, Unit 27, and Titan Fitness. The remaining fitness camps have been extensively covered in the official Fitness Street YouTube Playlist.

Firstly, let’s take a closer look at the training centre where you are guaranteed to meet someone from your home country—Tiger Muay Thai. And no, they are not just a Muay Thai training camp! They offer many different fitness classes for all shapes and sizes. Click here to view their latest timetable.

Tiger Muay Thai Camp

A visit to Fitness Street is not complete unless you pay for a drop-in class at the world famous Tiger Muay Thai. And no, they are more than just a Muay Thai training camp. Tiger Muay Thai is the largest destination gym in the world and they have classes ranging from Yoga through to different styles of martial arts and fitness classes (i.e., Muay Thai, BJJ, CrossFit, etc) — there is something for everyone and all fitness levels!

This fitness camp also attracts elite UFC and ONE athletes such as Arman Tsarukyan, Petr Yan, Valentina Shevchenko, Anatoly Malykhin, Fabrício Andrade, Rafael Fiziev, and more, preparing for their next bout.

If you’d like to see what a typical day in the life and what to expect at Tiger Muay Thai, check out the following video.

Over the years, my Fitness Street series has inspired people from all around the world to train at Tiger Muay Thai and other camps. I’ve personally met people from China, Ecuador, New York, New Zealand, Czech Republic, Egypt, India, Munich, Copenhagen, Argentina, Russia, Ireland, West Africa, South Africa, and on and on. So wherever you are reading this article from, I can assure you there will be someone training at Tiger Muay Thai that is from your home country!

Check out my walking tour video of Tiger Muay Thai below. I’ll show you what this camp looks like, the on-campus accommodation, and more.

When I first arrived at Tiger Muay Thai, I signed up for the all inclusive fitness package where you’ll have access to all of the classes — both strength & conditioning and Muay Thai training classes.

And trust me — a wave of excitement will wash over you the moment you part with a stack of cash for the all-inclusive package. You’ll immerse yourself in the training timetable and try and do every-single-class-six-days-per-week! Ultimately, trying to get your “moneys worth.”

The truth is that you’ll quickly burn out! I learned this the hard way. Coming to Thailand and being in the tropical heat is already a shock for many that have disembarked the aircraft from the Nordics, the UK, New Zealand, or other freezing climates.

If you are looking at doing private Muay Thai sessions at Tiger Muay Thai, check out the following video where I paid 600 Baht to train with Kru Top.

If you’d like to watch an inspiring partner transformation story here at Tiger Muay Thai, check out the video below where Rosie and Alex have been training here for 12 months and share their transformation along with how they navigated the trials and tribulations of this journey.

You don’t need any previous Muay Thai experience and trust me — you’ll feel totally uncoordinated and awkward. But the good news is that you’ll be in a room with dozens of new trainees that feel exactly the same way. Come and check this camp out 🙂

Unit 27 CrossFit: Total Strength & Conditioning

If you ever come to Fitness Street— and hopefully you do — you will most definitely walk past Unit 27! Often with loud music, moaning and grunting trainees, and a trainer belting out military-style commands.

There will be times where you’ll see people running out onto the street and up the nearby hill — often pushing or pulling tyres, doing arm-in-arm group squats, or carrying something ridiculously heavy!

I’ve done several drop-in sessions at this camp which cost around 430 Baht for a single drop-in. I’ve filmed several videos here but if you’d like a quick glimpse at what the Tour De Unit classes at Unit 27 look like, check out the video below.

Often times, I’ll meet people that are training at Unit 27 and staying at Cocoville accommodation, which is a 10 minute walk from the CrossFit camp. Cocoville is one of my favourite places to stay while training on or around Fitness Street.

Titan Fitness Camp

If you are just starting your fitness journey, seeking a supportive community of trainers, and keen on meeting friends for life—this camp is for you!

I absolutely had the time of my life at this camp and met the most incredible people from all around the world—each with their own life story and ‘fitness struggle’ story.

Not only is this fitness camp well-equipped with a 3-storey gym and a kitchen where all of your healthy meals are prepared, but you are also guaranteed to fall into an incredibly supportive community from all around the world.

Titan Fitness is located on a side street to Fitness Street and offers its own purpose-built accommodation. I paid for my accommodation at Cocoville and walked to the camp.

I did my best to attend as many of their classes as possible! At this point, I was truly acclimatized to the Thai heat, so I felt I could get away with more training volume without overtraining.

Titan Fitness offers everything you’d expect a training camp to have, except there are no Muay Thai or other martial arts classes.

This is definitely not a big deal, as there are around a dozen Muay Thai camps within a 20–30 minute walk of Titan. However, they do include “Boxercise” on their training menu, which is mostly boxing for fitness than boxing with technique.

If you’d like to see what Titan Fitness is all about, I filmed several videos showing you my “day in the life” at this amazing camp!

Check out the following;

After watching those videos, you’ll quickly get a sense of what to expect if you decide to stay and train at Titan Fitness.

As mentioned, you don’t need to stay at Titan’s purpose-built accommodation. You can choose to stay at accommodation anywhere along Fitness Street—ideally as close as possible to the camp—then just walk!

When it comes to training, you don’t need to have any previous experience in weight lifting! I met so many people at this camp who were new to the fitness scene, and many had come from working normal desk jobs back home.

The trainers at this camp are extremely knowledgeable, patient, and will spend time breaking down the mechanics of the movement. So, if you have no idea how to pick up a dumbbell or barbell and need to follow a structured body re-composition program, the trainers here will take care of you.

As you’ve probably seen in the videos by now, a typical day starts with a morning class followed by a buffet breakfast at Health’s Kitchen. Yes… a buffet breakfast!

One of my favourite aspects of Titan Fitness was the dinner menu. They have their own kitchen—Health’s Kitchen—which prepares some of the healthiest meals you can ever imagine!

During my one-week experience at Titan Fitness, I was on a “two meals per day” meal package, which involved a delicious breakfast and an outstanding healthy dinner.

Typically, you’ll be eating your meals in a canteen-style area adjacent to the main training floor.

For dinner, you will be spoiled with several impeccable options that are the perfect post-training nourishment your body will need after a hard day of training.

Every night I tried something different. And no matter what I tried, it tasted absolutely amazing!

In summary, I highly recommend Titan Fitness if you are new to the fitness scene, want to get in shape, and are looking for a complete package!

The camp consists of its own purpose-built accommodation, an in-house kitchen, a 3-storey gym, and a fun training schedule. Oh… and friends for life!

As mentioned, you can stay in your accommodation somewhere along Fitness Street and eat at many other healthy eating restaurants within the same area—the choice is completely yours!

Travel Insurance for Fitness Street

If you’re in the process of planning your journey to Fitness Street and are interested in the travel insurance I personally rely on, click here to learn more. This coverage comes at a daily rate of $1.60 but has the potential to safeguard you from substantial medical expenses in the event of an injury during your fitness adventure.

For 99% of people who come here, you’ll have the time of your life and will leave without any medical issues. However, in 8 years of training out here, I have seen the occasional scooter accident, food poisoning event, or injury, which has cost many thousands of dollars in medical expenses.

A guy that I knew suffered a severe staph infection, almost lost his life, and required a medivac to Australia for emergency surgery. He had to pay $13,000 AUD in accrued medical expenses before being allowed to leave Thailand on a private medical charter back to Australia for emergency surgery. His friends had posted on his Instagram account trying to raise $150,000 to fund the cost of this medical charter. This guy did not have medical insurance! He ended up surviving and is currently undergoing rehabilitation.

As mentioned, I pay $45 USD per month, which equates to $1.60 per day. It’s a very small price to pay for peace of mind. Don’t risk it…

Below is a video discussing travel insurance for Fitness Street.

Make sure to carefully review the policy details to understand what is covered and any exclusions that may apply. 

Visa Extensions for Fitness Street

One of the most common questions I receive is: “Brad, how can I extend my visa to stay longer?” Most people arrive into Phuket, Thailand and receive a 30-day visa-on-arrival. To be very clear and upfront, I’m not a visa expert! However, with my visa videos, I’ve guided hundreds of people through the process of extending their visa by an additional 30- or 60-days.

Upon arriving into Phuket, for most passports, you’ll receive a 30-day visa-on-arrival. After a week or so, visit the local Immigration Office and pay 1,900 Baht (cash only), complete the T.M.7 form, bring your passport, and receive another 30 days. This additional 30 days will be added to the last day of your initial 30-day visa-on-arrival.

In the video below, I explain this process.

If you’d like to stay another 30 days, then you’ll need to do a “border run” which involves either booking a cheap flight to and from Malaysia or, using a visa run bus service where you’ll spend an entire day driving to the nearest border station, receive a re-entry stamp for 30-days, then return to your accommodation.

In the video below, I share my “visa bus run” experience and how easy it is to undertake this process.

Fitness Street Food

Fitness Street is not only your one-stop-shop for all-things training! It is also heavily supported by an abundance of restaurants and food shops with calorie-conscious menus for the calorie tracking athletes (or aspiring athletes) out there. The image above is a quick snapshot of some of the places you can eat at along Fitness Street which serve incredibly healthy food.

Here is a summary of some of the best places to eat at which you must write down and try!

In the video below, I’ll give you 10 of my personal favourite places to dine at along Fitness Street which will help you achieve or maintain your fitness ambitions while training at many of the training camps in the same area.

It’s hard to imagine that such food heaven exists that directly ties into supporting your fitness transformation journey.

If you visit Trooper Eats on Fitness street, they have a menu filled with a variety of protein shakes, smoothies, and other calorie-goodness including a three-stack of protein pancakes. One of my absolute favourite eateries on Fitness street is Thai Thai. This is a small Thai family-run business that will take care of you as if you are part of their family. Personally, I always tip them as their service is always genuine and it feels like a mother is cooking dinner for you — if you know what I mean!

Another one of my personal favourite places to eat is Mr Jom’s. I ate here almost everyday for months while I was living and training on Fitness Street. If you’d like to watch a quick video of Mr Jom’s, click below.

Lastly, you must check out the Anat Fruit Bar on Fitness Street! This place is hard to miss as it’s lined with fruit outside and a menu where you can elect to have a ginger shot, smoothie, or any concoction of your choice. There is a lounge area inside and a cool hangout spot after a heavy training session at any of the fitness camps on Fitness Street.

Budgeting for Fitness Street

You might be wondering how much does all of this training, accommodation, food, etc, cost? In the video below, I breakdown the cost of accommodation, training, food, scooter rental, insurance, etc.

Fitness Street Accommodation

There are many places to stay at which are located on Fitness Street, or a side-street. You must ensure you book somewhere to stay along Fitness Street unless you plan on renting a scooter to ride everyday. One of the biggest mistakes I made when I first arrived on Fitness Street was I booked accommodation that was a 40 minute walk to Tiger Muay Thai, but worse, I had to cross the main highway (which is very dangerous).

Here is a summary of some places you can stay that is located on Fitness Street, or on a side-street.

Over the past 8 years, I’ve stayed in almost every accommodation you can imagine. In fact, in 2022 for a period of one month, I would spend 3-4 days in each place just to create a “review video” for you guys! I did get burnt out doing this!

My top 3 favourite Fitness Street “luxury” resorts are:

In the video below, I summarise “The Three Cocos” and what they look like on the inside and out.

If you are looking for affordable long-term accommodation then check out the video below. I will show you Sawasdee Villa and Khaonoi Bungalow. Another really good long-term option is Six Package Cottage (2home) where I personally lived for 4-5 months.

Summary of Fitness Street

Fitness Street is undoubtedly the mother of all fitness villages for a transformation of a lifetime. It’s a place you must visit at least once, irrespective of your life stage or age.

Fitness Street is exactly what you pay for, and the experience is authentic. It’s not like most overpriced, overhyped fitness retreats around the world, where you’ll pay tens of thousands of dollars to sip tea and sing to the birds atop a mountain. I’ve looked at dozens of ‘fitness retreats’ offered by many companies globally, and though I can’t speak to them individually, I’d say Fitness Street will give you the greatest return on your financial investment. Being located in Phuket, Thailand, already gives most Western currencies more exchange power when converting to the Thai Baht.

The food and accommodation are extremely affordable. The beaches are divine. And the community is second-to-none. The training is also world-class, with top coaches from all around the globe working at many of these fitness camps. For example, Rafael Fiziev, currently ranked #8 in the lightweight division in the UFC, is teaching the K1 kickboxing class at Tiger Muay Thai! That’s pretty cool!

If you are planning to visit Fitness Street, here is my final piece of advice: book your flight and try to stay here for at least 2 weeks. Book accommodation somewhere along Fitness Street. If your boss won’t give you time off, then quit! (Okay, maybe that’s a bit extreme.) Pack your bags, and I’ll see you out here 🙂 Let’s go!

Do you have any questions? Let me know in the comments below!