May 18 – June 6
During summer 2023, several members of the University of Northern Colorado Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu club traveled to Thailand for a few weeks of Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu training along with seeing the sights, meeting various martial artists, and and immersing themselves in the culture. The trip had been planned for months, and everyone was excited to finally embark on this adventure. Thailand is 13 hours ahead of Denver, and when combined with 27 total hours of travel time, the journey from Colorado to Thailand takes nearly two full days. Departing Denver at 8:00 a.m. put us in Bangkok just before midnight the following calendar day (40 hours later, accounting for the time change). The first leg of our trip took us from Denver, Colorado (DIA) to San Francisco, California (SFO) via United Airlines. At two hours and 45 minutes long, the flight to San Francisco was brief and pleasant. The SFO airport is bustling in the morning and we passed by numerous shops and restaurants on our walk across the airport to our next departure gate. The wait at SFO was two hours long, but boarding began an hour before takeoff anyway, so more like a one hour layover. It gave us enough time to fill our water bottles at one of many bottle filling stations, grab some snacks, and stretch our legs. The next flight was the longest of the journey: 11 hours and 10 minutes from SFO to Narita International Airport in Tokyo, Japan (NRT).
The flight to Japan was relatively comfortable on one of United Airline’s Boeing 777-300ER planes (seat map). Since we’re budget travelers, we went with regular economy seats that still cost about $1,600 a piece (in April 2023). After two full onboard meals, a mid-flight snack service, and nearly an entire season of HBO’s Succession, we touched down in Tokyo, Japan.
With a four-hour and 15 minute layover in Japan, we had some time to kill. Luckily, one of the jiu-jitsu club’s benefactors donated some passes so we could head into the United Club lounge to hang out during our layover. Narita’s United Club Lounge is one of the better ones we’ve been to with lots of floor space. The sprawling layout allowed the lounge to be divided into multiple dining, seating, and work spaces so we were never too close to other travelers and we enjoyed some degree of privacy and personal space.
Floor to ceiling windows provided a panoramic view of the airport while the soundproofing kept the lounge relatively quiet from airport noise. After dropping off our bags in a seating area and making individual reservations for the private shower facilities, we headed to both dining areas and loaded up several plates of tasty Japanese cuisine including Japanese curry rice, sushi, noodles, dim sum, baked goods, meats, and cheeses. We also helped ourselves to the bar where there was an assortment of soft drinks, hot coffee and tea beverages, a wide range of liquor, several wines, and a handful of beer dispensing robots.
After eating, my reservation buzzer went off to notify me that a private shower room was ready. An attendant showed me to one of about a dozen private shower / bathrooms available for guests of the United Club. Each bathroom was cleaned and sanitized before allowing access and provided a shower, toilet, and sink, reminiscent of the type of bathroom you’d find in a nice hotel room. Single-serving soaps, shampoos, conditioner, and lotion were provided along with a toiletry kit of toothbrush, toothpaste, and hair comb. After 16 hours of travel, the private shower was a fantastic amenity to have access to.
Feeling refreshed and rejuvenated, I returned to the lounge to enjoy some additional tasty beverages. We decided to explore the rest of the lounge, which included a quiet area for relaxation, a business center with private cubicles and power outlets, and a variety of seating options. The lounge also offered free Wi-Fi, allowing us to catch up on work and communicate with loved ones back home.
Next, it was time for the last leg of our trip from Tokyo to Bangkok: a 6 hour and 45 minute flight on All Nippon Airways (ANA). We made our way to the departure gate and boarded the plane, excited for our next adventure. As we settled into our seats, we were immediately impressed with the comfort and amenities offered on the ANA flight. Each seat had a personal entertainment system with a variety of movies, TV shows, and music to choose from. I plugged in my pair of noise-cancelling headphones and fell asleep shortly after.
The flight went by quickly and I woke up just in time for landing at Suvarnabhumi International Airport (BKK) in Bangkok, Thailand. Our flight arrived just before midnight, but it hardly felt like late evening with all of the passengers moving about the airport. After getting off the plane, there was about 10 minutes of walking from one of the outer gates to the central part of the terminal. After a few minutes in the immigration lanes, we found ourselves in the baggage claim area. With no checked luggage to collect, we headed straight out of the baggage claim area, through customs, and into the main arrivals hall.
Having saved some Thai baht from my last trip, there was no need to exchange money at the airport where the exchange rates are not the greatest. We walked over to the DTAC mobile phone counter and purchased ourselves temporary sim cards to use during our time in Thailand. As long as you have an unlocked smartphone, the major mobile phone providers can install a Thai sim card for you, giving you access to voice, text, and/or data in packages of 3, 7, 15, or 30 days. Our group opted for the 15-day, 5g unlimited voice, data, text plan from DTAC which cost 699 baht per sim card (about $21 USD). The cards were installed in our phones quickly and we were on our way.
When heading to Pattaya from BKK, many people choose to take the shuttle bus from the ground floor of the airport since it’s generally the cheapest option at 141 baht (~$4.27 USD) per person and allows one piece of luggage and one carry-on item. Since we wanted to get to our hotel quickly, we decided to open up the Bolt app on our phones and book ourselves a private SUV instead.
The Bolt vehicle itself cost about 1,600 baht (~$48.50 USD) for the drive from BKK to our hotel in Pattaya, plus an additional 200 baht (~$6.00 USD) charge for the toll highway between Bangkok and Pattaya. 1,800 baht (~$54.50 USD) for the entire trip. Although slightly more expensive than the bus, the private SUV saved us about 1.5 hours in wait time at the airport, probably 30 minutes to an hour on the drive, and another 30 minutes to an hour taking a taxi or shuttle from the bus station to our hotel in Pattaya. All in all, I think the private SUV was money well spent. The SUV was clean, air-conditioned, and spacious, with plenty of room for us and our luggage. The ride was smooth and comfortable, and we were able to relax and take in the scenery as we drove to Pattaya.
We arrived in Pattaya at about 2:30 p.m. on a Saturday so things were still relatively calm by Pattaya standards. Our driver dropped us off at the front entrance of our hotel, right in the middle of Soi Buakhao. We had booked three hotel rooms for our stay through and were able to get each room at a good price. While not a luxury resort by any means, our hotel was a perfect home base for us during our trip as it was clean, secure, and right in the middle of town.
When checking into our hotel, the front desk staff asked for a room key deposit. We could either provide 500 baht in cash or hand over a credit card. Not wanting to hand over a credit card, we each provided the cash and were given receipts. The cash would be returned during check out, after staff could determine that our rooms were not destroyed.
After checking in and dropping off our luggage, we decided to take a walk down the street to exchange some money. Having only a handful of Thai baht from the last trip, we needed to reload before heading out on the town. I remembered to tell everyone to only bring mint-condition, large denomination bills from back home. The larger bills get a better exchange rate and money changers won’t accept any bills that have marks, tears, or blemishes of any sort. Prior to leaving the USA, we also all opened online checking accounts with Charles Schwab so that we would be able to use Schwab’s ATM cards throughout Thailand. These cards allow you to withdraw money from any ATM in Thailand and the 220 baht (~$6.67 USD) transaction fee gets refunded to you.
We found the TT Currency Exchange just 100 meters away from our hotel on Soi Buakhao (map). The exchange rate here was about 34 baht to the dollar. Better than the 33 baht to the dollar we could get by using our Schwab ATM cards, but it did involve the slightly riskier option of transporting US cash.
Once our group had some Thai money in our pockets, we were on a mission to spend that money. I booked us a Bolt car from Soi Buakhao over to Third Road where I knew just the spot for jetlagged travelers arriving in Pattaya. The 15 minute Bolt ride cost the three of us 61 baht (~$1.85) in total. Bolt is a rideshare app like Uber or Lyft, but is commonly used in Thailand and is widely available in Pattaya.
Our driver let us out at the entrance of Hwangjae Barber Shop (map), a storefront with blacked out windows covered in Korean and English writing. Hwangjae is what you can call a “Vietnamese-style” barber shop or “pampering salon” where they don’t actually cut hair.
Instead, they focus on pampering and grooming services like straight-razor shaves, ear cleaning, manicures/pedicures, and massages. The interior of the shop was brightly lit, with soft music and the smell of lemongrass creating a relaxing atmosphere. We were warmly greeted by the staff who spoke basic English and gestured for us to take a seat on the plush, leather couches. Three women came out from the back room and offered us cold water to drink as they took off our shoes and put them into lockers.
Our barbers then led us upstairs to the main treatment room; a large, brightly lit room with cold A/C and about a dozen large leather recliner chairs throughout. First however, our barbers took us to a bench with sinks where we were sat down and our feet were scrubbed clean and dried. Once our feet were cleaned, we were each led to separate leather chairs where we were draped with towels so that we wouldn’t get tooo cold in the A/C. Then, the pampering began. The barbers started by giving us a facial massage using lotion and hot towels. This was followed by a straight-razor shave and more facial massage and moisturizing. It felt amazing after 20+ hours of traveling. Then strips of cucumber were applied to the face as our barbers gave us each a manicure, pedicure, and an ear cleaning. This was followed by a foot, leg, head, shoulders, arm, and hand massage right in the lounge chair.
After the chair massage, we were led into another room of massage tables and hair washing sinks. Lying face down on the massage table (fully clothed), each barber got up on the table and stood on our backs, holding onto pull-up bars on the ceiling to help them keep their balance. Since each barber probably weighed about 100 pounds, their feet provided just the right amount of pressure for a deep tissue back massage, popping and cracking various joints in the process.
Once the massage was over, we scooted up the table to the hair washing sinks where our faces were washed with special soap and our hair was washed and conditioned. The barbers then blow-dried and styled our hair before leading us back down into the main lobby. In the lobby, we were given hot tea and plates of mini tamarind cookies. Total price for the 90-minute treatment was just 700 baht (~$21.00 USD) + 100 baht tip (~$3.00 USD) per person.
If you’re curious about the type of services offered at Hwangje, just check out the following video from YouTuber Jason Rupp:
By the time we left Hwangje, it was already dark. We walked south along Third Road to Central Pattaya Road and then towards Second Road (route map). Once on Second Road I knew we could catch a northbound songthaew or “baht bus” to get us to our next destination.
The songthaew is a common form of public transportation in Thailand. It’s just a pick-up truck with benches in the back and a roof over the bed. (~$0.30 USD) per trip. Once on Second Road, we flagged down a songthaew, hopped in the back and enjoyed the cool breeze as we made our way north. The songthaew slowly filled with people with some passengers standing on the rear bumper, holding onto rails as the driver weaved in and out of traffic. The wind blew through our hair, carrying with it the smells of street food and diesel exhaust fumes. As we neared our destination, I reached up to push a signal button which rang a car alarm siren in the truck bed. The driver pulled over immediately, we hopped out, each paid our 10 baht and found ourselves next to Terminal 21 (map).
There are a number of large shopping malls of Pattaya, and Terminal 21 was our first stop. As we walked into Terminal 21, the first thing we noticed was the incredible attention to detail in the airport-inspired decor. The entrance was designed to look like an airport terminal and the floors were divided into different levels representing different cities around the world, from Tokyo to Paris to San Francisco. The shops and restaurants on each level were decorated to match the theme, with everything from giant sushi sculptures to miniature Golden Gates.
Unlike many of the tourists in Pattaya, shopping wasn’t really our thing, but all-you-can-eat hotpot definitely was. We headed to the top floor of Terminal 21 to one of our favorite restaurants, Shabushi for dinner. Shabushi is a “kaiten” style hot pot restaurant. Kaiten refers to a conveyor belt that winds its way through the restaurant, bringing dishes of raw veggies and meats right to your table. At our seating area, each of us had a hot pot full of boiling soup broth in front of us as well as an assortment of dipping sauces. We pulled the raw items from the conveyor belt and threw them into the broth to be cooked. The buffet also featured, an assortment of sushi, shrimp and vegetable tempura, potstickers, Japanese curry rice, fresh fruits, ice cream, and soft drinks. The following video wasn’t of us, but you’ll get a good idea of what Shabushi has to offer by watching. A great deal at around 400 baht ($12.00 per person).
Following dinner and a brief walk around Terminal 21, we jumped onto another baht bus in front of Terminal 21 and headed south on Beach Road.In Pattaya, Thailand, the layout of Beach Road, Second Road, and Third Road forms a set of parallel thoroughfares, each with its distinct characteristics and purposes:
Beach Road: This road runs alongside Pattaya Beach, the city’s main beachfront. It’s a bustling street known for its scenic views of the Gulf of Thailand. Beach Road is lined with a variety of hotels, restaurants, bars, and shops, catering largely to tourists. The road is also famous for its vibrant nightlife and is often busy with pedestrians, making it a central hub of activity in Pattaya.
Second Road: Positioned roughly parallel to and a short distance inland from Beach Road, Second Road serves as a major arterial road through Pattaya. It’s known for its high concentration of hotels, shopping malls, entertainment venues, and eateries. Second Road also features various night markets and is a popular route for local transportation, including songthaews (shared taxis).
Third Road: Further inland, Third Road runs parallel to both Beach Road and Second Road. It’s generally less tourist-oriented and more frequented by locals. Third Road is characterized by a mix of residential areas, local businesses, and service industries. It’s often used as an alternative route to avoid the busier tourist-centric areas and offers a more authentic glimpse of daily life in Pattaya.
We took the baht bus as far south as we could, but since it was evening, we had to get out at the corner of Beach Road and South Pattaya Road, putting us right at the start of Walking Street.
Pattaya’s Walking Street is a renowned and vibrant part of Pattaya City in Thailand, known for its bustling nightlife. This pedestrian-only street comes alive after dark and stretches about one kilometer from the south end of Beach Road to the Bali Hai Pier. The street is a hub of entertainment and is famous for its neon-lit landscape, consisting of nightclubs, bars, restaurants, and go-go bars. It’s a popular destination for tourists seeking nightlife activities, with a wide array of live music venues, street performances, and international cuisine options. Walking Street reflects the lively and often extravagant nightlife scene that Pattaya is famous for. After heading down Walking Street for a look around, we decided it was a long day and headed back to the hotel to get some rest.
The majority of this trip was spent in Pattaya, Thailand where the headquarters of Fairtex is located. The Fairtex Hotel in Pattaya, Thailand is located near the corner of North Pattaya Road and Second Road, just across the Street from Terminal 21. The facility offers a unique combination of 4-star accommodations and combat sports facilities. It’s well-known for its fitness amenities, including a huge Muay Thai gym, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu room, weight room, strength & conditioning area, and a large outdoor swimming pool.
Although we weren’t staying at the Fairtex Hotel, we were still able to walk in and get signed up for Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu during our trip. Rates were reasonable at 500 – 600 baht ($15.00 – $18.00) per individual Muay Thai session and 350 – 400 baht ($10.00 – $12.00) per individual BJJ session. The more often you train, the cheaper it gets with a monthly unlimited Muay Thai membership costing as little as 13,000 baht ($382.00) and unlimited BJJ at 5,000 baht ($147.00). Unlimited Muay Thai membership allows you to train twice a day, six days a week, with 2 – 4 hour training sessions that include at least five 5-minute rounds of pad work with an experienced trainer. Unlimited BJJ runs two-hours per night, Monday through Friday with an open mat on Saturday. See the full list of current pricing here.
Because we had been going to Fairtex nearly every day, the gym manager told us that they were taking visitors and fighters to the One Championship fights at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok on a Friday night. We met up with Thai fighters and visiting fighters from around the world and jumped aboard a double-decker bus for the two-hour ride into Bangkok. Attending a One Championship fight at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok was an exhilarating and culturally rich experience, allowing us to watch a unique blend of traditional Thai Muay Thai, kickboxing, and mixed martial arts. Lumpinee Stadium itself is a historic venue in the world of Muay Thai and combat sports and is home to the One Championship in Thailand.
After getting home late from the One Championship fights, we still managed to get up early the following morning to head back to Bangkok for the Abu Dhabi Combat Club Southeast Asia Championships. The ADCC was held at Rangsit University and brought top-level grappling talent to Thailand (results here). Although no one in our party was competing, it was fun to be in a new place to watch jiu-jitsu and submission grappling competitors from around the world. Shout out to Daniel Peacock from Fairtex Pattaya who demolished his entire division.
Other than going to Muay Thai and BJJ training at the Fairtex facility, we got into the weight room and wandered around town most days. We visited a bunch of the very large malls in Pattaya and got to check out many cool places to eat and drink. The Siam @ Siam Hotel below is one of the more interesting hotels in Pattaya. The top of the hotel has a two-story pool complex that is usually very busy during daylight hours, but sparsely populated at night.
One of the best parts of visiting Thailand is that the cost of housing and dining can be relatively cheap. Although there are luxurious hotels and fine dining experiences where the sky’s the limit in terms of price, we kept ourselves to a modest budget. One of our favorite stops was the Pier 21 food court on the top floor of the Terminal 21 shopping mall. Pier 21 has a market-style atmosphere, where numerous food stalls offer a variety of foods at reasonable prices. Upon entering the food court, you purchase yourself a prepaid dining card that is used to purchase food from the various vendors. Lunch and dinner for us often consisted of pad kra pow (ground pork and Thai basil stir fry) or roast pork and rice along with a fresh fruit smoothie, costing only about $2.00 per meal.
One of the main tourist attractions in Pattaya is the Sanctuary of Truth. While not an actual religious monument, the Sanctuary of Truth is a stunning architectural marvel that combines art, culture, and philosophy in a single structure. Standing at 105 meters tall, it’s entirely constructed of wood, showcasing intricate carvings that depict various religious and philosophical motifs from Hinduism, Buddhism, and other Asian beliefs. A brief tour of the structure was followed by an elephant ride, snacks, and walking around the Sanctuary grounds. A brief tranquil respite from all of the hard partying that occurs in Pattaya.
We managed to stop by The Sky Gallery one evening for dinner and found out why it’s one of Pattaya’s most popular restaurants. Perched on a cliff overlooking the Gulf of Thailand, The Sky Gallery is renowned for its breathtaking views and tranquil ambiance. Upon entering, we were greeted by a beautifully landscaped garden, adding a touch of greenery and floral beauty to the setting. The restaurant itself boasts a modern yet cozy design, with an open-air concept that allows diners to enjoy the fresh sea breeze. The seating is thoughtfully arranged to provide unobstructed views of the ocean, making it an ideal spot for romantic dinners or peaceful afternoon gatherings.
After nearly two weeks in Pattaya, it was time to move on. We packed our gear and boarded a chartered vehicle and headed back to Bangkok for the rest of our stay. The two-hour drive went by quickly and we were dropped off right in the heart of the tourist area of Bangkok, on Soi 11, at the Ambassador Hotel. While slightly more expensive than our previous hotel, the Ambassador was a 4-star facility with convention center, dining, and fitness facilities on site. Best of all we were just 200 yards away from the Nana BTS skytrain station, making public transit across Bangkok fairly accessible to us.
After checking in, we jumped onto the BTS Skytrain and headed to Chit Lom where we could get off just outside of Central World shopping mall. After traversing through one of the larger malls in Bangkok, we ended up at the Pratunam Pier were we were able to jump onto one of Bangkok’s water taxis, a large boat that ferries people up and down the one of the major canals in the city. At just 20 baht or so, the ride was cheap and the lack of traffic got us to our destination quickly. We jumped off the water taxi at Asok Pier and walked over to Srinakharinwirot University where a newly opened, on-campus night market was starting up for the evening.
Bangkok is dotted with many night markets across the city, each offering a variety of shopping and dining choices in an outdoor, lively environment. SWU’s night market was full of university students, still wearing their school uniforms as they gathered to purchase foods and sit on the university lawn to enjoy live bands playing music.
After the SWU night market, we somehow ended up on a tuk tuk and headed off to Rajadamnern Stadium, the world’s first Muay Thai stadium to watch more Muay Thai fights.
Our last few days in Thailand were spent wandering around Bangkok. We visited the Chatuchak Weekend Market for souvenirs, took a peak at Icon Siam, parties on Khao San Road, and met some new friends along the way. All in all, this was a fantastic trip and an amazing experience for the BJJ club. Hope you can join us next year!
