Kru Ten yells at me “Whitney!! Lau Lau, Gin Khao!!” which roughly translates to “quick quick, breakfast” РWhitney Tobin, Muay Thai Champion & Thai Food Obsessive
I’m in Northern Thailand Chiang Mai, in the suburb San Kamphaeng. Morning training is finishing up and things have quieted down because pad rounds are done, and people are leaving to go back to their rooms to shower and get breakfast in town. I’m working through my last sets of pull-ups and sit-ups when the smell of bacon fills the air. Like clockwork, I know I have about 20-25min to get ready before breakfast is served. ​
I hurry to start my daily clean up. As a sponsored fighter at Santai Muay Thai gym, part of our contract is helping to keep the gym clean. This includes sweeping around the ring and weights equipment, cleaning the cups the customers use for water during training sessions, and wiping down the bags with Dettol disinfectant solution. ‚Äã
Kru Ten yells at me “Whitney!! Lau Lau, Gin Khao!!” which roughly translates to “quick quick, breakfast” (Kru is the Thai word for trainer/teacher). I take the aluminium tin cups inside, dump them into the kitchen sink making a loud clamouring noise. Por and Kru Sak are giggling with each other while she’s prepping the food. I do a quick wash and rinse and bring the cups back out to the cooler. I grab my backpack and force my aching legs up the stairs to my room above the gym, and take a shower as fast as I can. If you’re too slow, sometimes the food will be gone by the time you get back down. ​
