How much do Muay Thai classes cost?

If you’re thinking about starting Muay Thai classes, then you may want to be wary of the costs involved. Like all martial arts, Muay Thai isn’t free and costs a monthly fee to train. Even a one-off class or trial may cost money. With this being said, the cost of training may be a big deal if you’re on a budget. Similarly, if you’re just curious then it’s also worth knowing.

Thankfully, a good thing about Muay Thai is that it began from humble origins back in Thailand. Because of this and the culture that followed, Muay Thai is not that expensive in the big scheme of things. Nonetheless, in some parts of the world, Muay Thai can still be fairly expensive depending on where you train. Here’s a comprehensive breakdown of how much it costs to train Muay Thai.

How does it cost to train at a typical Muay Thai gym?

Before continuing, we’re not on about a gym in Beverley HIlls or the poorest place in the US either, specifically we’re talking about averages. Usually, at most gyms, you should expect to pay around $100 per month for unlimited classes. This could be around 5 classes a week, or possibly more depending on the gym.

Interestingly, there’s a lot of Muay Thai gyms these days that also offer other martial arts. That is, you can still find specialist Muay Thai gyms but you may also find ones that also teach a bit of grappling and MMA too. Typically, even if these gyms do offer more diversity, they should still cost a similar price of around $100 per month.

How much is a one off Muay Thai class?

Any gym that isn’t after your money will let you train for a free taster session which is fine. This means they’re confident about their services and what they have to offer. Having said this, let’s imagine you live on the west coast and travel to the east to train for one or two lessons as a one-off. Here, you may be charged around $20 to join in a regular class. Although this may work out as more expensive than paying for a monthly fee if you planned on training more than twice per week, you also have to think about it.

Generally, if you’re training regularly, you’ll pay more but get a better deal. This is simple economics and isn’t just based on martial arts. A basketball season pass may cost $200 to watch the games, whereas a one-off game may cost $30. Normally, it costs more if you’re not in a committed deal so that’s nothing new or unique to Muay Thai.

Why pay more?

Imagine you have two local gyms that you’ve heard of. One costs $60 per month, whilst the other costs $120. It may be appealing to go for the cheaper option, right? However, this may be an inferior gym that offers $60 to entice members without offering real, quality instruction. With this in mind, a good way to decide where to train is by going to multiple gyms to get a flavor of what is on offer.

A good way to judge a gym is by seeing the number of people in the class. If there are many then it hints that people enjoy training and there’s a core base of regular members. However, if the classes are thin then this can be a damning verdict on the gym that shows that the locals know the quality is poor. Of course, it’s best to judge for yourself. In some cases, cheaper gyms are genuinely better too compared to more expensive ones, so have an open mind and see how it goes.

Should I join a pure Muay Thai gym or an MMA gym?

Again, there’s no real answer to this question and it’s dependent on your local situation. In some cases, if you want to become a purist in Muay Thai then go and join a Muay Thai gym. Similarly, if you want to mix things up then a gym that offers both MMA and Muay Thai may be preferable.

There is one obvious issue with doing this though. Sometimes MMA gyms don’t offer the quality that a pure Muay Thai gym would. On the one hand, you may get a very capable striking coach, however they may not be as precise in having the knowledge that a Muay Thai expert would.

For instance, they could know grappling and be great at boxing, but miss certain intricacies such as knees and elbows when it comes to Muay Thai. Ultimately, it depends on your priorities and this is something that you’ll have to address. At the same time, it is still possible to find a good Muay Thai coach in an MMA gym and not all are ‘jack of all trades’ gyms either.

How much does it cost to train Muay Thai in Thailand?

If you’re serious about training Muay Thai, then you can go out to Thailand and train either on holiday or as a genuine training camp. These are very popular ways to train if you have ambitions of going pro, or whether you just love the lifestyle. As Thailand is a relatively cheap country, learning out there is pretty cheap too. For instance, a typical drop-in lesson costs around 400 baht which is roughly the equivalent of $10. To go and learn in the heart of Thailand where Muay Thai originated from at this price is a steal!

Alternatively, you can train for a month or more if you’re very committed. Here, you can even rent rooms near or inside the gym. These cost the equivalent of around $120 per week. Whilst you may not be housed in luxury accommodation, these rooms will give you an authentic taste of the Muay Thai lifestyle and being around a real Thai gym can be very exciting.

Are there any other costs when training Muay Thai?

Like most other martial arts, there are other costs involved which mostly involves the gear and equipment to start training with. These aren’t majorly expensive items either, but will still add up. These are usually:

• Muay Thai shorts (these typically cost around $10-20)
• Muay Thai shin pads (these can cost anywhere from $30-70)
• Hand wraps (these usually cost around $15)
• Muay Thai body armor (This usually costs around $50)
• Muay Thai head gear (This usually costs around $25)
• Gum shield (Costs roughly $10-20)

Typically, not everything on the above list is needed. For complete beginners, you should definitely get some shorts, hand wraps and a gum shield though. Over time, dependent on your commitment to Muay Thai – you can add more equipment. However, this depends on what your goals are and if you’re wanting to do extra. With this in mind, the additional costs are usually about $40 which is quite cheap with all things considered.

Conclusion

Overall, an average Muay Thai membership should cost around $100 per month. As mentioned though, this differs from place to place and price doesn’t always guarantee quality either. The good news is if you do like training Muay Thai though, is that it’s certainly not the most expensive martial art in the world. At the same time, many people would also argue that it’s one of the most dominating and effective martial arts out there that anyone can learn. Muay Thai certainly isn’t for the faint hearted, but if you can afford it, it’s a beautiful martial art to start learning.