The Sityodtong Muay Thai and Boxing Camp is preparing to launch a new facility in Singapore in January 2009.

The new branch in Singapore was initiated and is funded by Singporean entrepreneurs, says famed Muay Thai fighter Nueangpichit Sityodtong, who is currently a trainer at the Sityodtong main facility in Pattaya.

Camp owner Yodtong Senanan will preside over the opening ceremony of the Singaporean branch in January 2009.

Nueangpichit, who defeated Beijing Games boxing champion Somjit Jongjorhor in one of his last Muay Thai bouts, said he and another fellow trainer, Yoddecha Sityodtong, were asked on November 15 by the Singaporean branch investors to work there as trainers.

“I was asked to be the trainer there with a salary of 50,000 Baht plus allowances and housing as well as a 100,000 Baht bonus. Today, Muay Thai is widespread and well-accepted around the world as each year a large numbers of Westerners would come to Thailand for the training of the sport. But recently, the number of foreigners is dropping a lot, largely because of our own domestic turmoil,” said the trainer. 

Nueangpichit said the foreigner students at the Pattaya branch have dropped drastically from the usual 30-50 attendees per day to less than 10, compared to the 13 trainers of the camp. He attributed the slow down of the business to the ongoing political turmoil of Thailand.