What are the best cities in Thailand for bodybuilders and what visa options are available for a 40-year-old expat?

Mate, I'm 51, on a Retirement Visa, living in Phuket. I train at Stayfit in Chalong, which is expensive compared to my Aussie gym Goodlife when I lived back home. I can tell you one thing: Phuket is very expensive compared to other places in Thailand. There are some cheap gyms, but they lack facilities like air-conditioning. Western-style food can be expensive; I found beef was on par with Australian prices. At 40 years of age, if you don't have a regular steady flow of income coming in, you will struggle. A good thing about Phuket is there are loads of condos for rent and they're definitely cheaper than back home in Australia. Stay away from the Bars. 😆

At 40 your visa options are extremely limited unless you have a lot of money. Second gyms are not cheap here especially in the larger cities. You will not be able to work here unless you can qualify for remote work DTV. How will you support yourself? Unfortunately what you want to do is not easy to do here at 40 years old, and Thailand is no longer cheap in the major cities.

The food in Thailand is extremely unhealthy. Cooked with seed oils and sugars. Do you want to come to Thailand because you want to buy steroids legally? There is no bodybuilding community except in Bangkok. And they all do drugs so state your purpose clearly. 

Good resorts have fully equipped gyms to, either way, you have to pay 🤷‍♂️

555 dream on

Western style food in Thailand is expensive, so is gym membership - cheaper than in Australia but expensive for Thai conditions. I'm sure you can cook yourself well balances and healthy meals and exercise without the specialised equipment, or buy your own, anywhere you are in the world? Also long term stay visa options for under 50 YO are eiher non existent or very expensive

Gyms are more expensive here around $50 a month. I paid $10 a month in the US.

But if not Samui then Phuket has everything you could possibly want

Samui is probably the best place for you bro in my opinion

Phuket is Very expensive,

Proper aircon gyms with enough weights and facilities to train hard is not cheap here,1600-2500 bht and even more sometimes.

Meal prep places , the food you need quickly will cost you 6000bht a week… then clean food groceries is also high prices, extra lean mince for instance 800bht/kg.

Weigh proteins, pre workout not cheap.Then comes your testosterone and peptides, orals and what all…It is not a cheap lifestyle at all but good luck. Depends what your budget is offcourse

Yes, many condominiums in Thailand have a gym and pool. You can rent an apartment. However If you are after a good quality gym, try renting a luxury condominium.

Pattaya cheapest and best. Party central, but easy to avoid.

@Jomtien **********************

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Good Australian beef is cheaper in Thailand than Australia.

So go and live cheap but buy quality imported beef. Overall living is cheaper.

Go to Ubon and hang out at the local gyms.

There is a six month multi entry visa that might get you there, and you can probably live cheap here if you are not too particular about bodybuilding food. Protein supplements aren’t too badly priced, for instance. But if you’re a purist who wants specific meat items, you will pay western prices.

My family in Aus pay way less for the gym than what I pay here, and I go to the cheapest gym around.

Might check out the condo rental scene. Some of these condos have good gyms and pools. Might have a fee for their use, though. Just seems nice to get a quick workout, just an elevator ride away. Try Jomtien.

If your goal is to live cheaper then divide your time between 2 or 3 countries. You can just rotate around as a tourist and never worry about long term visas. I hope you like pork and chicken.

Phitsanulok check out jp boxing gym.

@https://www.facebook.*********************

3.50 USD on grab in Vietnam Asianinsider will guide you

Samui you would love mate. Fellow Aussie here happy to help

40 y/o .... only visa that will get you 6-8 month stay is DTV. you need to do some research on visa options 👍

Eggs/chicken is cheap.

Beef is expensive.

Bangkok has the best gyms and loads of parks for walking. Loads of outdoor gyms to make a change from normal gym. Great one under taksin bridge

Soi Ta Ied (fitness street in Chalong, Phuket. Has everything you’re after, although gyms are not cheap, more expensive than Australia in my opinion.

If you want cheap, go to Chiang Mai or Hua Hin if you want beach also.

Check out Fitness Street, Chalong, Phuket:

Soi Tiger in Phuket has many gyms, Phuket is more expensive than other places, also Maximun fitness in Patong has body building clients. Pattaya cheaper but more distractions. Chiang Mai good gyms and quieter lifestyle.

Stay in Bangkok in the Silom area. This puts you close to Lumpini park. As you enter from the front, by the Rama 5 statue, you go to the left you will find the free weight lifting, and bodybuilding area, that is free, with quite a few Thai bodybuilders using it, as it is outdoors, giving you the advantage of fast water weight reduction. This is where those that are serious, and in the know go to train, and are not just being gym posers, if you are serious.

There's very very few Visa options for a stay that long if you are under 50yo

Unless you pay big

If over then some options

Pattaya actually has a big fitness community . Plenty of modern gyms to chose from. Looking at about $50-60 month membership. That doesn’t include boxing. Pratumnak also has couple of sauna with ice baths for recovery. Depending on which area you live many restaurants cater for dietary needs including menus you choose proteins and weights.

Phuket or Samui is the best for what you want. Travel and try them both find whats best for you.

Phuket bro, there are a load of gyms, a load of gym orientated health food places. Pharmacies that look after you. Fitness road. I use a online trainer who works everything out for from meal plans to training to various cycles. Try him and phuket specifically Rawai Nai Harn chalong

@Juan ****

You want to eat steak and any western like meals you will not be eating cheap.

Which city, you probably want one with a strong ex-pat community. Need your gym trainers to be able to speak English.

The big tourist locations have strong ex-pat community but also big party scenes. So if you choose Pattaya or Phuket or even Hua Hin. Which part of each place you stay should be chosen carefully. There is also Bangkok but it is huge so you would need to research which part would suit your planned lifestyle.

Hua Hin is the quietest out of all mentioned but probably has an older median age closer to 60.

Pattaya has wild parts but also quieter parts north and south of the main zone. Close to BKK airport also.