Welcome to Yak Yai Muay Thai

Training with Kru Jacky is a great experience. He knows how to push you but also be aware of good technique and is very encouraging

Awesome gym, KC and Henry are running it very well and the trainers are helpful, friendly and cater to every experience level. The gym itself is very clean and hygienic. I enjoyed my stay and will definitely be coming back

Spent 3 weeks at Yak Yai Muay Thai. Super friendly vibe, top-notch workouts, and felt really welcomed. Improved heaps and highly recommend if staying in Phuket.

I bought a month membership at Yak Yai in June, best decision. Very friendly owners - Henry and KC - and Kru’s that always pay a lot of attention to every single person. I also did a private session with Kru Kwanchai which really helped me to improve my technique and other areas I was lacking in. Always a very clean environment with very good equipment. Couldn’t recommend more.

My first muay thai session. The coaches were friendly and helpful. I had really good time here, sweat a bucket and so tired after, it’s worth the money. Would definitely recommend people to come here 😀

I spent roughly three weeks training at Yak Yai, after testing out a number of other gyms in the area. It was the best decision I made on my trip to Thailand, and I would encourage anyone — from complete beginner to truly seasoned practitioner interested in competition — to check them out for the following reasons. Facilities & Hygiene Beautiful, new, and — in contrast to pretty much every other gym in the area — truly clean. This was the only place where washing up before sparring or clinching was actually asked of all participants, and when all it takes is one unlucky cut or scrape to derail your entire trip, the emphasis on hygiene really does allow you to focus on your training. Community This was the most friendly and ego-free gym I visited, as it seemed to largely attract folks who are serious about training but don’t have something to “prove” when they step into the ring with other participants. Much credit here goes to Henry and KC, the co-owners of the gym, who constantly remind people that everyone is here to learn and — again, in contrast to essentially every other gym — really do keep an eye on things when it comes to partner drills or sparring. The result isn’t some defanged or “kid gloves” training environment, but rather one in which the focus stays on learning and getting better rather than protecting yourself. Trainers Yak Yai has assembled a truly stellar crew of trainers, with so much experience and such a variety of styles and approaches. (For what it’s worth, during my time there, multiple trainers competed at Bangla and Patong, and all won their fights.) Yak Yai’s class structure, which has participants rotate through different padholders, allows you to both learn from those differences while also finding who fits you best. For me, that was Kwanchai, but you really can’t go wrong — and as someone who can’t speak Thai, it was huge to have Henry around to explain certain concepts or ideas that I couldn’t fully grasp from the trainers themselves. Henry & KC I can’t say enough positive things about Henry and KC. All the above is due to the fact that they really, truly love Muay Thai, and take genuine pleasure in helping people achieve whatever it is they’re trying to accomplish within the sport. For some, it might be about just getting in shape, and I saw both be incredibly encouraging to those who were pushing themselves harder than they might’ve ever done before. For others, it might be about competing, and I saw Henry and KC match the intensity of their fighters in their attention, support, and technical expertise. But for everyone, they’re simply “there” for you. This was the only gym where, from day one, the owners really make a point to ask your name, check in on how you’re doing, and even see if there’s anything they can do to help you navigate being in Thailand. None of that felt “sales-y” to me — on my first day, Henry even encouraged me to look elsewhere before committing to a particular gym, acknowledging that everyone’s ideal spot probably looks different. Still, very quickly, it became clear that this was the ideal spot for me. Fam & Videography One final person I wanted to shout out is Fam, who’s both the receptionist and a very talented videographer. While at Yak Yai, I needed help with a video project, and Fam did an incredible job while also offering extremely affordable rates. I would highly, highly recommend bringing him on for whatever you need.