Buyer beware. Their so called personal trainers haven't been properly trained. My wife got a free trainer for one session 4 days ago. To start the workout, they made her sprint on the treadmill without doing ANY stretching to "see how she handles cardio." Then they had her maxing out on weight lifting to "see how much power" she had. To top it off at the end, the supervisor of the trainers got verbally angry at her when she refused to buy more sessions and told her "she would be stuipd not to make an investment for the future of your health." She told him it would be stupid to invest if it means she'll be broke. ha! I might be taking her to the doctor today; she can barely move.

Go at once, it could be fatal.

Ok let me make you feel bad. The current price in pattaya is 10.000 baht for lifetime and 100 baht yearly renewal fee.Includes the yoga and use of the other clubs in Thailand.Forget about the use of the clubs worldwide as since end of last year Cawow are separated from the worldwide california group.Probably they forgot to tell you that.

so does anyone have a 'final offer' on fitness first?

I went to cal wow and they offered me 9k/year or 13k life time.
they are not part of California Fitness any longer (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Fitness ) so this membership is worthless overseas (besides Hanoi, Vietnam)...
their sales tactics are quite aggressive but I simply told them that I have friends their who paid these rates (which is actually true). they sold the life time membership for 40k / year two years ago so maybe they are planning on selling or restructuring the company or they are simply so desperate for members that they offer the 13k for life time?!
I never had any problems with personal trainers trying to sell me anything (I am on a 3 months contract for 4k now, wanted to try first).
anyway, I want to become a member with fitness first coz it's MUCH closer to where I live but need an idea of what is possible so I can prepare for the 1st round of bargaining

thank you!!

ONE MORE THING THOUGH...

CAL WOW called me (in the future I wont give my phone number... we all have to learn and offered me free personal trainer lessons, OBVIOUSLY I said "NO, thank you" and that was the end of it. there's certainly no free lunch in Thailand.

It helps BIG TIME to ask to talk to the manger (normally his/her 'office' is right behind the selling area anyway), the one I talked to apologized for the blatant lies and aggressive behaviour of his sales people (he acted surprised :-) and gave me the three months contract without further ado:)

other than that I am quite happy with Cal Wow, they run many classes with well-trained, very friendly and helpful fun instructors. the showers, sauna and steam room are nice as well.

Is it still 10.000 THB Lifetime membership here in Pattaya ? ? ., and will the card work in BKK also ? . . . . . .

All of you people who think it's a good idea to throw money at California WOW for "lifetime" memberships should read this:

http://bangkoklibrary.com/news/174-price-w...-xperience-pcl-

According to the audit report the company's liabilities exceed the company's assets by about 350 million baht.

To quote the report: "These conditions indicate the existence of a material uncertainty which may cast significant doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern."

This post has been edited by sibeymai: 2009-07-11 14:52:21

All I wish is that the Chiang Mai Calif. Fitness guy would stop calling me to push the promotion. Living 600 km. from the fitness center is a slight put-off to making the deal look attractive. Why don't they get it?

This post has been edited by toptuan: 2009-07-11 14:54:02

Any one signed up lately at Wow ??

Sorry to disappoint a few people, but some of you have been seriously, seriously ripped off.

Whoever wrote the original post that "California have a great new offer of 1,600 baht a month"..... hate to inform you mate but I pay 400 a month. And to be honest I thought I was paying over the odds for that but just got fed up with all the haggling. (The sales people really are annoying)

Again, whoever just paid 22K for a life time membership.... I got offered 10K just a few days ago.

The recent lifetime offer may well be related to the rumoured demise of the club, but I signed up for the monthly fee ages ago.

If there's anyone else considering signing up, trust me, just go in and haggle for a bit. Start off with a stupidly low figure. After a while just walk out and say you're going somewhere else. You will be surprised with the offer they throw back at you.

after working out with fitness first for a year i joined california wow life time Black Card membership for 12,899 baht. 100baht for renewal every year..
including yoga, 2 personal training sessions..

fitness first is definitely higher grade than california, but CW attracts me bcoz of price but i hated
* dirty shower rooms
* non working steam rooms
* get your own padlock for lockers
* paid towel service
* rust on exercise machines

i just need to get used to it. goona take time

but i paid thru credit card, hope they will not charge me again (((((((( some replies in this formus are scaring me...

anybody ever tried to renew this lifetime deal for 100 per year?

just wanna see if there's some wierd catch about that..

no catch.

I got a lifetime membership at the begining of this year for 25K, I am also still a member of fitness first which expires at the end of this year.
California wow gyms are so much better then fitness first, the personal trainers at fitness first don't know shit.
Personal trainers at cali wow are great, I have even become friends with many of them and they actually know what they are doing.
Apart from there dirty showers (which most gyms have) I find nothing wrong with it.

you guys with "lifetime" memberships . , can some one check your contract paper and see at the pre-paid option that it signed " pre-paid period " 12month . , correct ? .,
So all contracts that has at least 12month pre-paid AND renewal fee 100 THB ... Is what they call "Lifetime" membership right ? .,
So in other form the 1yrs contract with renewal fee of 100 THB is the Lifetime membership ! As you pay for 12month and after that you pay 100 THB for every year after that . ,..

No, I got a lifetime deal for 10k, but it's only for the Pattaya gym. You cannot talk about 10k as though it is a fixed price though, as it takes quite an effort to get the price down that low. I'm not sure, but I have a feeling it had something to do with the American manager Mark who left soon after these cheap deals were offered.

It makes you wonder how many lifetime memberships they will void because members have failed to pay the 100 baht per year renewal fee. It's definitely something which could easily slip one's mind.

800 baht a month, in Jan 2009. sales guy loitering outside the gym started at 2500 but he quickly came to realize error of his ways and we agreed to 800b

oh, small gym at Soi 5 Jomtien is also 800b per month, nicer, quieter.. but no air and closes at 8pm.

just joined lifetime in cawow with access to all gyms exept Pinklao for 11K... it's ok ... even if they will close next year... before that I was going to a posh but boring and overpriced fitess center... now I have all I need at a reasonable price. and I am looking for gym partner;) in Bangkok!

I’m sorry...... I just don’t get it! I’ve been keeping fit for most of my adult life and staying out of the gym. I really am not trying to be rude, insulting or confrontational to gym users, the fact is, nobody needs to justify why they do what they do, but I do think most gym users just throw good money after bad; I compare buying a gym membership to buying a home exercise bike, now with less than 50km on the clock and used as a cloths hoarse.... You know who you are! I know there are many reasons people give for using gyms, some good so please, I don’t need to know why you’re using the gym. If you feel you need to have a rant! Please, knock yourself out! (by all means)
I also find it strange how after spending a wedge of dosh on a gym membership most people feel they have achieved something, there half way to getting a 6 pack. It is a fact most people, (non fitness nuts) stop going after a few weeks.
As said this is not a dig at gym users, more another point of view for certain types thinking of joining.
Just stop and look at where you are! Thailand, if you can’t get fit outdoors here...... where? Getting fit an’t about grunting into a mirror and holding your gut in, because a bit of fluff walks past you!
I now ride a mountain bike, a good one, it’s low impact and fantastic, , OK it costs a little more than membership. I can’t run anymore, (doggy knee) I’ve meet lots of people, Thai and Falange, joined the local mountain bike club, all Thai. And now I have a fitness program, floor work, stretching and the bike. I now know so, so many locals where I live Mae Tang, near Chiangmai.
Something to think about a!
Always remember: “Life’s, it’s journey, not a destination” Enjoy the now!

Yes and No because there is a sign which cannot be missed when one present their membership to the receptionnist to enter the club.
It states clearly that one must renew their membership's fee within a month prior to the date stated (That is for the silom branch)

Abd which club might that be?

I have been to three different clubs in Bangkok and none of the description fits?
I have been to Pattaya: same thing. The only thing was that they were not providing any towels
I have been to Singapore: again no such a thing. I must add that I went this one three years ago so apparently the rules have changed and we are not allowed in anymore but at that time it was still possible

When I first became a member, 6 or 7 years ago, I paid Baht 24,000 for 4 years then, at the end of that period, I renewed for a lifetime (worlwide at the time) for Baht 14,000 (access to all classes)

Either way I find it expensive but at least I get hot showers

I just got a lifetime membership last month for 10,800 baht (Pattaya only), but I think I'm getting skinned on the PT sessions: 1,000 b per. Anyone have fresh intel on PT session pricing at C.Wow?