Become a Personal Trainer in Bangkok

So you’re thinking of becoming a personal trainer in Bangkok (we actually prefer the term ‘coach’ than ‘trainer’ as we do offer so much more than just training), but you’re not sure what to do next?

We get a lot of enquiries about becoming a fitness coach at BASE so we wanted to create a thorough resource for anyone looking to start off on this exciting and fulfilling career path.

We feel that being a personal trainer is absolutely one of the best jobs in the world – ultimately, you help people improve their lives each day and that’s a great feeling.

Get your personal training qualification in Bangkok

There is no legal requirement to have a qualification to become a personal trainer in Bangkok, but we require all of our coaches to be fully certified by the industry leading personal training certification bodies such as ACE, REPs (UK), NASM or equivalent.

Getting your personal training certification doesn’t make you a great coach, but it provides an important foundation of knowledge on training, anatomy and nutrition that gives you the building blocks for a successful career.

Our original goal at BASE was to create a studio that is truly world-class, so being certified is a must. It also shows us at BASE that you are serious about this as a career and professionalism and standards are important to you.

Your three strong options for getting your personal trainer certifications for a fitness coaching job in Bangkok are:

FIT Thailand
The longest standing personal training and fitness education company in Bangkok provide personal training certs in both Thai and English. FIT Thailand’s courses are backed by the American Council of Exercise (ACE) and they also provide many other certifications and they started the successful Asia Fitness Convention.

The Evolution Way
Run at New Moves near Chidlom BTS, this personal training certification is backed by the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), an internationally recognized and respected body.

Do a course in your home country or online
If you’re from the US, UK or Australia, you can go home and do your personal training certification there. There are other online courses but we recommend sticking to the major, internationally recognized bodies such as ACE, NASM and REPs.

Get personal training experience

Your certification doesn’t make you a great coach, but years of experience will do. Start getting experience straight away by training friends, family and anyone else for free or cheap. This will give you some initial confidence.

Then it’s about building your hours until you start to get more comfortable and familiar with understanding people’s minds and bodies. Years upon years of that makes a great coach.

We do occasionally and periodically accept some internships for becoming a BASE Fitness Coach – please email us a full resume and cover letter to [email protected] and we’ll let you know if there’s an opening.

Do research to become a strong personal trainer

Your personal training qualification provides you with a basic foundation and gets your foot in the door, but not much more than that. To transition from a novice coach to a great coach requires not just experience, but a lot of further research and reading.

YouTube has some awesome resources and even following the right pages on Instagram can provide some solid knowledge.

Don’t forget to fact check your resources, keep an open mind and keep your approach closely backed by the latest available science.

Applying for a job as a fitness coach in Bangkok

Once you’re qualified, or you’re at least in the process of getting your qualifications, you can start applying for work.

If you’re a Thai national looking for personal training work then the options are far and wide. As a foreigner it’s a little tougher (see below).

As a Thai national, we recommend contacting all the big chain facilities such as Fitness First, Virgin Active or WE Fitness.

In the boutique, premium space you can view a list of most premium studios at ClassPass Bangkok.

We get a lot of poor applications that are often copy and paste jobs that don’t show any effort or initiative. Needless to say, they don’t get far.

When you apply to a gym or studio in Bangkok, make sure you write a good cover letter/email and include an up to date resume detailing any relevant work experience and qualifications. Keep the resume to two pages max, preferably one.

Tell them why you want to work as a personal trainer at their gym specifically and you will much more likely get a response.

Interested to work with Asia’s Gym of the Year? We’re always looking for coaching talent that either is world class, or has the potential to be.

Send a strong cover letter and resume to BASE Careers at [email protected]

Hiring foreign personal trainers in Bangkok

We get many applications from foreigners interested in working as a personal trainer at BASE.

All of our foreign coaches hold work permits and are employed in Thailand legally. This makes it difficult to accept many foreigners. If you are an experienced coach leading the industry, you can send us your resume and we will let you know if any positions become available.

If you require information on the legal requirements of staying and working in Thailand then we recommend checking with the embassy or relevant authorities for the latest up to date information.

Thai Visa website also provides information on what is required to legally stay and work in Thailand as a fitness coach or any other profession.

We strongly advise against working as a personal trainer in Thailand without a work permit or the relevant legal documentation.

Once you get a personal training job in Bangkok

Whether in Bangkok or anywhere else, once you get a personal training job of any kind, give it everything you have. Take every opportunity, client and class that comes your way and see it as a chance to get in more personal training ‘flight hours’ and experience.

Once you’ve helped 100 people squat more effectively and efficiently, it becomes much easier to help the 101st person.

If you put yourself out there from day 1 and take every opportunity to learn that comes your way, you will stand out from the growing crowd of fitness coaches in Bangkok.

Summary

The personal training scene has become more busy in Bangkok over the last decade but it’s still a market that’s full of opportunity.

Being a coach can really be one of the best jobs in the world and we highly recommend it as a career choice if you love helping people and have a strong passion for all things health and fitness related.

Asia’s fitness industry is growing and is an excited place to be. We wish you every success in your journey into the fitness scene here!

More information on a career at BASE as a fitness coach or customer service and operations team.