My Take: Is This Really Buakaw's Gym?
Short answer: yes, and it's worth being straight about what that does and doesn't mean before you drive 40 minutes out to Mae Taeng expecting a specific outcome.
Buakaw established the Banchamek Gym brand in 2012 after leaving his long-time camp, Por Pramuk, wanting a project that carried his own name and standards. The tagline still on the gym's homepage as of this writing sums up the motivation directly: "I wanted to protect the reputation of Muay Thai." The Mae Taeng location — signed and marketed as Buakaw Village (บัวขาว วิลเลจ) — is the more immersive, countryside version of that project: rice fields, mountains, and on-site accommodation built around training rather than a standalone city gym. The exact year this specific site opened isn't published anywhere I could verify, so if you want a precise date, that's one to ask the gym directly.
The question everyone actually wants answered is whether you'll train with Buakaw himself, and the honest version is: possibly, not guaranteed. He's on record training at the Mae Taeng camp personally — there's public footage of him training there, including sessions with other high-profile fighters holding pads for him — and he's been documented teaching techniques like clinch work to students on occasion. But he's also an active, high-profile fighter with commitments across Thailand, so he isn't a full-time instructor showing up for every class. Day-to-day group and private sessions are run by the gym's own trainers.
The honest summary: Booking a normal session or package gets you coaching under a system Buakaw personally built, at a camp he still trains at himself sometimes — but it does not come with a promise of training alongside him. If meeting him is the actual goal of your trip, contact the gym directly and ask about his current schedule before you book anything.
One claim we couldn't verify: some third-party research surfaced references to a past limited-enrollment camp advertised as training directly with "Master Buakaw and Yodwicha Banchamek" (reportedly capped around 20 participants, over roughly three days). This wasn't confirmed anywhere on the gym's current official pages, so treat it as historical or unconfirmed rather than something currently bookable.
My own check of the Google Business Profile lines up with what's publicly reported: 4.7 stars from 242 reviews, with recurring themes around the rural setting, professionalism, and overall atmosphere — more on that in the reviews section below.
The Coaching Team
This is a section where we'd rather be transparent about the gap than fill it with unverifiable detail. The gym's official "Trainers/Fighters" page displays photos of its coaching staff and fighters, but as of this writing, without accompanying names or bios published anywhere on the site. Some third-party research referenced a specific trainer by name, but we weren't able to confirm that individual on the gym's own materials, so we're not repeating it here as fact.
What we can say with confidence: the coaching staff operates under Buakaw's own system and philosophy — described consistently, both by the gym and in outside reporting, as disciplined and rooted in authentic Muay Thai technique rather than a fitness-class approximation of it. If a specific trainer's name comes up in a review or on social media, treat it as one coach among a roster rather than a guarantee of who you'll be assigned.
Practically, this means you should go in expecting solid, structured coaching consistent with a camp built by a world-champion fighter — but without the ability to research a specific coach's fight record or credentials in advance the way you could at, say, Santai or Manasak. If a named head trainer matters to your decision, ask the gym directly before booking.
Facilities & Setting
The Rice-Field Setting
Banchamek Gym sits in genuinely rural Mae Taeng — rice fields, mountains, a much slower pace than anything inside the city moat. This is the camp's biggest differentiator versus almost every other gym on this site: it's not a converted shophouse or a rooftop training space, it's a purpose-built countryside camp designed around longer stays. Photos published by the gym show a shaded, open-air training area consistent with a traditional Thai camp rather than an air-conditioned fitness studio.
Equipment
- Boxing ring — used for pad work, clinch, and sparring
- Heavy bags for group and private sessions
- Sparring equipment — gloves and head guards available for use
- Showers and restrooms on-site
- Parking for cars and motorbikes
- Wi-Fi and a café/restaurant area
- On-site accommodation — air-conditioned rooms, single or shared (see the accommodation section below)
Because the camp also runs as a live-in training package, the facilities lean toward supporting longer stays — meals, rooms, and a genuine daily rhythm — rather than being purely a drop-in training space.
Training Structure & Schedule
Classes cover the full range of Muay Thai fundamentals: punches, kicks, elbows, and knees; clinch work; defense and footwork; pad work; bag work; combinations; and controlled sparring for students who are ready for it. The gym markets itself as open to everyone from complete beginners to competing fighters, rather than positioning itself as a fighters-only camp.
Group Training
Afternoon: 4:00–7:00 PM
90-minute sessions
Private Training
A foreigner doing a single drop-in class pays 600 THB — meaning you can genuinely drive up from Chiang Mai city, train one session at Buakaw's own camp, and head back the same day without committing to a longer stay.
Pricing Breakdown (2026)
Pricing below is pulled directly from the official Banchamek Gym training page, verified live in August 2026. THB is the number that matters — USD figures are rough conversions at roughly 33 THB/USD and will drift with the exchange rate, so treat them as ballpark only. As with any gym in Thailand, confirm current rates directly before you book.
| Training Type | Thai Rate | Foreigner Rate | Session Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drop-in group class | 400 THB (~$12) | 600 THB (~$18) | 90 min |
| Private / 1-on-1 | 600 THB (~$18) | 1,200 THB (~$36) | 2 hr |
| 15 sessions/month — group | 5,000 THB (~$151) | 8,000 THB (~$242) | — |
| 15 sessions — private | 10,500 THB (~$318) | 15,000 THB (~$454) | — |
How this compares: Most established Chiang Mai gyms charge 400–650 THB for a drop-in group session, so Banchamek's 600 THB foreigner rate sits squarely mid-pack for the city — remarkable given the setting and the name attached to it. The 1,200 THB private rate is also reasonable by comparison, though the 2-hour session length makes it a genuinely different offer than a typical 1-hour private elsewhere.
Training + Accommodation Packages
This is where Banchamek Gym gets more interesting than a typical day-training gym: a live-in camp bundling two group sessions a day, two meals a day, an air-conditioned room, and Wi-Fi. Figures below are straight from the official pricing page, verified live in August 2026.
| Duration | Single Room | Shared Room (2 people) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 day | 3,000 THB (~$91) | 1,500 THB (~$45) per person |
| 1 week | 20,000 THB (~$606) | 10,000 THB (~$303) per person |
| 1 month | 74,000 THB (~$2,242) | 42,000 THB (~$1,273) per person |
| 2 months | 148,000 THB (~$4,485) | 84,000 THB (~$2,545) per person |
Notably, the official site currently displays these as discounted rates from slightly higher previous prices — the 1-month single rate, for example, was previously 80,000 THB. That's a price decrease, not the increase some older third-party write-ups had flagged, which is another reason to confirm current numbers directly rather than trusting any single source, including this one, at face value.
Honest Pros & Cons
✅ What Works Well
- Genuinely founded and used by Buakaw Banchamek, not just licensing his name
- Peaceful, scenic rice-field-and-mountain setting no city gym can replicate
- Open to beginners through fighters, not a fighters-only camp
- Transparent, published pricing straight from the official site
- Strong Google rating (4.7★, 242 reviews)
- Genuine live-in camp option with meals and accommodation included
- Single drop-in sessions are affordable and realistic as a day trip
⚠️ Things to Know
- No guarantee you'll train with Buakaw himself on a given day
- Remote — roughly 35–45 minutes' drive, no realistic public transit option
- Individual trainer names and credentials aren't published publicly
- Site design looks dated in places; some content may lag behind current reality
- Not yet personally visited by this site (see the note at the top of this review)
What the Reviews Say
We haven't visited yet, so rather than inventing quotes we can't stand behind, here's what recurs across the publicly visible Google review themes and third-party research on the gym:
"The setting is the first thing people mention — rice fields, mountains, a genuine countryside feel that's completely different from a city gym. Training itself is described as professional and structured, with staff consistently called helpful. Several reviewers note the remote location and recommend arranging transport in advance rather than assuming it'll be easy to find."
— Composite of recurring themes across Google reviews, 2025–2026 (not a direct quote from any single reviewer)
That's consistent with the 4.7-star, 242-review aggregate rating, and with the general reputation the camp has built since opening. Once we've visited in person, we'll replace this section with our own firsthand account and real conversations with staff and other trainees.
Who Should (and Shouldn't) Train Here
Good Fit For:
- Beginners wanting a low-pressure countryside introduction — the gym markets itself as open to all levels, and the rural setting is a gentler first experience than a busy fighter-camp floor
- Fitness travelers who want a scenic short stay — the single drop-in option makes a half-day trip out of the city genuinely realistic
- More serious students or fighters wanting a proper live-in camp without the crowds of a bigger commercial gym
- Buakaw fans who want to train under his system, understanding that meeting him personally is a possibility, not a promise
Look Elsewhere If:
- You need central-city convenience — Dang Muay Thai, Hongthong Muay Thai, and Chiang Mai JR Muay Thai are all far more practical if you're staying in the Old City or Nimman and don't want a 40-minute commute
- You want named, credentialed trainers you can research in advance — Santai and Manasak publish specific trainer records and fight histories
- Meeting Buakaw is a hard requirement, not a nice-to-have — contact the gym directly first and get a straight answer about his current schedule before you build a trip around it
- You want a resort-style retreat with a pool and spa amenities — The Camp or Gym Bangarang are built more explicitly around that experience
Logistics & Getting There
Location
Address: 5/1 Moo 3, Tambon Ban Phao (BanPhaow), Amphoe Mae Taeng, Chiang Mai 50150
Distance from Chiang Mai city: roughly 36–38 km, about a 35–45 minute drive depending on traffic and your exact starting point
Getting There
- Grab / taxi: Straightforward for a single visit; budget round-trip transport on top of the 600 THB class fee, and expect roughly 1.5–2 hours of driving total for a day trip
- Rental car or motorbike: The most practical option if you're staying more than once; roads are rural rather than highway for the final stretch, so allow extra time and daylight if you're not used to riding in the countryside
- Public transit: Not a realistic option — there's no direct songthaew or bus route to the gym itself
Contact & Booking
Website: banchamekgym.com
Phone: 096 627 5499
Email: buakawmail@gmail.com (training enquiries)
LINE: @banchamek
Facebook: facebook.com/BanchamekGym
Instagram: @buakaw1
What to confirm before you visit:
- Current pricing, since even official sites can lag behind reality
- Whether Buakaw is expected to be on-site during your planned dates, if that matters to you
- Whether gear rental is available if you're not bringing your own
What to Bring
- Your own gloves and hand wraps — the gym provides equipment, but your own gloves will always fit better and last longer. Fairtex BGV1 gloves are the standard across Thai gyms; solid wrist support and durable construction for daily training
- Shin guards if you plan to do clinch or sparring
- Mouthguard for any contact work
- Water bottle and sun protection — the training area is open-air, and the countryside setting means more direct sun exposure than a shaded city gym
- A transport plan — this is the one gym on this site where "just Grab it" isn't a given; sort out your return trip before you go