An in-depth and detailed guide to the price and cost of a fitness coach in Bangkok in 2024.
This is your foremost resource for finding an affordable fitness industry professional who will serve your needs while staying within your budget.
How Much Does A Personal Trainer Cost in Bangkok?
In the ever growing fitness industry in Bangkok, you have a plethora of option when it comes to finding a coach. There are commercial gyms, training centers, training studios, boutique training studios, micro-gyms and, as well, the private trainer sector who are freelance trainers who can help you workout in condo gyms and homes.
As you would expect, all of these options come at various prices. Typically, the newbies will work in the larger commercial gyms, while the most highly educated and experienced seasoned veterans with a awesome resumes, training success stories and five star reviews as thick as the bible will gravitate more towards working for themselves in a freelance fashion plying their trade in a more private, exclusive setting at condo gyms and homes. Why? Because they can cater to a more affluent clientele who prefer a concierge style of training having their coach come to them. Also, because they can charge what they're actually worth instead of having their price set by the gym or fitness center they work for. A freelance coach keeps 100% of the price that they charge. A staff trainer at a commercial gym only gets to keep a small percentage of what the gym charges per session. And now you can see why the very best coaches work for themselves.
Something to consider is where you want to train. You have a few choices such as commercial gyms, training studios & fitness centers and privately at your condo gym or home.
All of these will have varying trainer prices which are congruent with the credentials of the prototypical trainer who works typically there.
So, how much does a fitness trainer cost in Bangkok? Well, let's dive in. I think you'll find this article quite interesting and informative for the next time you're sopping for someone to help you get in shape and want to know what the average cost, standard cost and how the pricing structured is set and justified.
The price for premium trainer in Bangkok is 1,600 - 3,500 Thai Baht per session for a qualified coach who is degreed, certified, experienced and has expertise in specialized areas and a history of helping clients achieve their goals.
The average price for a trainer in Bangkok across the spectrum of commercial gym trainers, training studio & fitness center coaches and private condo gym & home trainers is 1,700 Thai Baht each with a package of 10 training sessions and 1,566 Baht each with a package of 20 sessions.
Here's how I placed the training pricing structure into categories and tiers of various trainer's credentials ie; education, experience, certifications, University degrees as well as the physical location where they perform their craft.
Factors Affecting And Influencing Trainer Prices
There are several factors which affect and influence that price that you will pay for coaching sessions.
1. Trainer Qualifications:
Education: The highest education level a trainer can obtain is a formal University Bachelor's or Master's degree in Exercise Science, Exercise Physiology, Applied Kinesiology or similar.
Trainers holding a Bachelor's or Master's will be at the Elite or Master status and thus, charge more per session. The knowledge one possesses after earning an Exercise Science education translates into much more insightful, impactful and beneficial sessions and therefore will come with a higher price tag. In Bangkok, trainer's with an Exercise or Sports Science degree will definitely charge more.
Experience: The concept here is quite straight forward. The trainer with more practical experience typically has more years of learning and mastering the training trade under his or her belt and can or does charge a higher price per session. It is said that education is key, but experience is priceless. As an Owner of the most credible private training company in Bangkok employing several team trainers, I can tell you that experience doesn't trump all, but it comes close. I pay my trainer's more if they have more experience and it's most likely that you will pay more as well!
Certification: Coaches holding a personal trainer certification from an accredited NCAA certifying organization are able to work in a commercial gym and charge gym trainer's price which is on average 950 Thai Baht per session. Note that while a certification if key for gaining employment, it doesn't mean the trainer brings value or is worth the price you paid. You should not have to pay more than the average cost for a trainer with a certification.
2. Training Format:
In-person coaches have a standardized rate set forth by themselves or the gym they work for. It is what it is.
Online coaches perform their coaching either in a live online format or with pre-programmed templates sent to their clients. Live online training prices are usually slightly lower than in-person training costs, however some coaches time is valuable so they charge equal to their in-person rate. For instance, our Head Trainer Dennis Romatz charges the same price for both his in-person and live online as he feels he is providing the same value per time spent. Pre-programmed online training where the coach emails you a a series exercises then checks in on you once a week is inexpensive....very cheap. Let's be honest, this is the lazy coaches way of earning money (ya, I said it). It started out at about US $99 a month, but is now down to about US $20 per month due to most coaches not wanting to work hard by going to their client and rather, simply pushing a button to send them a pre-programmed routine designed by an online training company. That's lame. Trust me, never buy this type of coaching.
3. Training Package Sessions Size:
Gyms and coaches sell training packages in prepaid blocks of 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 and even 100, 150 and 200 sessions. Single sessions or are always at a premium price. 10 session packages are the most popular and typically priced at a standard rate. The price then gets cheaper per session with larger packages purchased. It pays to buy larger packages due to the lower price, but please do make sure you have selected the appropriate coach who you plan to stick with for a long time. I've seen people buy 50 session packages only to find that their coach is not who they need or in some cases their is a trainer / client personality clash. I've even seen foreign coaches take money from clients for 30, 40 and 50 session packages only to do a "runner" and leave Thailand for good and never to be seen or heard from again. Yes, unfortunately it happens.
How Training Location Affects Price
Commercial Gym Personal Trainer Prices
The price of a commercial gym trainer in Bangkok is 1,000 Thai Baht per session based on a package of 10 sessions purchased and 900 Thai Baht based on 20 session packages. The average price of a fitness trainer in Bangkok for 10 and 20 sessions packages is 950 Baht per session.
These prices are based on myself and my team polling 30 Thai nationals in 2024.
Training Studio & Fitness Center Coaches Prices
The price of a training studio & fitness center coach in Bangkok is 1,900 Thai Baht per session based on a package of 10 sessions purchased and 1,700 Thai Baht based on 20 session packages. The average price for a training studio & fitness center fitness trainer is 1,800 Baht per session.
These prices are based on myself and my team polling 30 coaches in total. 21 were Thai nationals and 9 were foreigners.
Gym coaches who work inside a training studio, fitness center or commercial gym are bound by the pricing set forth by the gym. This rate is typically a standard training price (although some gyms in Bangkok are inflating coach prices). Do your research and never, ever pay more for a coach at a gym as opposed to privately.
Condo Gym & Home Coaching Prices
The price of a condo gym & home trainer in Bangkok is 2,200 Thai Baht per session based on a package of 10 sessions purchased and 2,100 Thai Baht based on 20 session packages. The average price for a condo gym & home specialist is 2,150 Baht per session.
These prices are based on myself and my team polling 30 independent, freelance coaches which consisted of 4 Thai nationals and 26 foreigners in 2024.
These concierge style coaches provide a luxury service by traveling to your private location so there will always be a justified reason to pay an additional rate for their service. Just like Grab who charges a delivery fee, so does a a private freelance, mobile trainer delivered to you.
Price Ranges And Standard Costs For Coaches in Bangkok At 4 Tiers
300 - 600 Low End Thai Baht Priced Sessions
In this price range, you'll find individuals who some would not even call "trainers". Most are new to the industry working in some compromised capacity "working the floor" just to gain some experience. You may also find that some are not even certified or qualified. Some will work freelance and charge a very low training session price just to get clients. In Bangkok, many in this range will be Thai Nationals who will have limited English skills. I've even seen some non-Thais advertising 350 Baht on Craigslist. Sadly, this is the tier that puts a blemish on the trainer sector in general. Definitely not a good spend.
700 - 1,500 Thai Baht Priced Sessions
This is the category where you'll find the newbies and newly certified trainers starting out on their fitness career journey. Well, I can really say "career" because the average career of a trainer is only 1.5 years. The trainer price tier includes a whole bunch of people from Thai Nationals to foreigners trying to make a go of it in Bangkok.
Most of this grouping are Thai Nationals working in gym chains like Fitness First, Jett's, Anytime Fitness and Virgin. You can expect the average Thai trainer in this category to have a minimal qualifications, a basic personal trainer certification and about 1-5 years of practical experience. The average cost of a personal trainer in commercial gyms will be 700 - 1,200 Thai Baht per session. Typically, these gyms will apply high pressure sales tactics to get you to purchase larger packages of training sessions. I've seen gyms selling as many as 250 session packages. All training packages are billed and must be prepaid up front in advance so you want to be sure of the coach you choose before purchasing training packages.
The foreigners in this category do not work in aforementioned commercial gyms, as they simply cannot. Rather, they opt to work as freelance coaches going to condo gyms and homes. Some do provide services at a few local private gyms but do not work directly for those gyms, thus they set their own pricing structure. The average cost of training with a foreigner is approximately 1,400 Thai Baht per session. As for credentials, well, many foreigners are not certified. Fair warning, make sure that you vet any foreign coach you come across. I once had a foreign coach blatantly lie to me that he was certified by The National Academy of Sports Medicine. Checking validity is very easy. He was not certified at all.
1,600 - 2,500 Thai Baht Priced Sessions
The coaches who occupy this price space typically come with a NASM or ACE personal trainer certification as those are readily available in Bangkok and can be earned within 3-4 weeks of studying. There are a multitude of coaches who charge within this price range who work in both the private condo and private training studio arenas. The downside I've found is that many of these people who work in boutique training studios or fitness centers are over-priced due the business they work for simply needing to cover their operational gym costs such as rent, utilities etc; most of these studios don't charge a membership fees so they increase the trainer rates to cover costs. Those in this category who work privately in a freelance fashion going to residences may not have the education or experience, but are typically worth the money you'll pay to have a trainer come to you simply because of the hassles of lengthy travel in chaotic traffic with toxic smog. Most find themselves diminishing their own health traveling to you to get you healthy. So yes, this price is justified if you're hiring a private condo trainer.
2,600 - 3,500 Thai Baht Priced Sessions
Finding the right coach in this price range can be a challenge, but if found, you may have just solved all your health and fitness issues. It's like finding a diamond in the rough. The rough being the sea of influencers, posers and newly certified, inexperienced players.
This career focused, highest tiered super-star is truly and industry ambassador and leader possessing a formal University Bachelor's or Master's degree in Exercise Science, Exercise Physiology, Sports Science or Kinesiology and typically has a University Minor education in Clinical Nutrition Science. Some will hold PT certifications, but most opt to not get certified as they already possess an clinical based fitness education far above and beyond a simple fitness coaching certification.
Practical experience for this tier is usually a minimum of 20 solid years of successful coaching. The talents and perspective of a coach in this category go far beyond just coaching. They will have a brad spectrum, holistic perspective and integrate and implement fitness, nutrition, recovery, healthy lifestyles, wellness and prevention into each session of every person's program. They will most always have one or more specializations such as clinical based weight loss, post-physio corrective & rehabilitation training, pre & post partum and pre and post natal training and sports specific training knowledge and experience. You'll find most if not all of these highly educated, experienced and skilled trainers working privately for themselves. Accruing relevant degrees, gaining years of successful experience and the value of highly sought after specializations is always going to come with a higher value-based and results based price tag. Everyone in this elite category is always going to work for themselves, charge their worth and take 100% instead of working for a gym where they would only receive 50-ish percent of their earnings.
Their talents and abilities bring supreme value to every training session virtually guaranteeing results in a shorter period of time following safe training protocols and utilizing proven effective methodologies with an added bonus of providing a priceless and invaluable anatomical, physiological, nutritional and wellness education to all clients which can be used as a template for living a healthier and more vibrant life.
Our Owner Dennis Romatz, who was named "one of the 20 Best Personal Trainers in the World" by The Institute of Personal Trainers s certainly in this tier of elite trainers. Please fell free to contact Dennis of you would like to inquire about training prices or to schedule session. Visit our Bangkok fitness page to get detailed information on our coaching services.
You can see our complete list of our prices and also our training promotions where you can get a free trial session to see if we're a good fit for your needs.
Paying For Your Coaching Sessions in Bangkok
Couple things you will want to take note of before purchasing your coaching sessions.
Payment:
Charges, fees and Billing will always be prepaid in full, in advance of your first session. I've never come across a gym or coach who accepts payment the day of the session or after it's completed. Payment is aways prior to the start of the first meeting.
Terms:
Payment is always due in full. Sometimes, but in rare occasion, I've seen commercial gyms sell packages of 150, 200, 250 session and offer payment terms, but like I said, it's rare. Be prepared to pay in full.
Free Trial Session:
Some commercial gyms will offer free trial sessions, but rarely. Training studios & fitness centers do on occasion give free trials. Private condo trainers almost always offer free trial session where they actually go very in-depth with fitness assessments and evaluations. Myself and my team do provide free trials so please do ask to schedule your free trial when you reach out to us.
Promotions:
From time to time, especially near the end of the year and around Christmas when it's slower, we will offer promotions. Be sure to ask if your coach is offering any training price discounts, reductions, buy 10 get 1 free or similar.
Perhaps you're a coach and wondering how much to charge your clients.
This post will give you some insight if you're curious what the salary in Bangkok is or how much money a coach in Bangkok makes.
From my knowledge, the average salary of a Thai in Bangkok is 30,000 Thai Baht per month. The average fitness salary for a foreigner in Bangkok is 80,000 Thai Baht per month. You can take the prices averages in each cost category and do the math based on your qualifications, experience and specializations.
Pricing is an integral part of knowing ho to run your business if you're just starting out or wanting to learn how to become a personal trainer in Bangkok.
Getting the ballpark price for a coach is one of the most important prerequisites and aspects of hiring a coach but it's jut one step on the ladder. I have a blog post that can help you learn how to find a personal trainer in Bangkok. I recommend you check it out so you can makes the right coaching decisions.