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Published on March 24, 2008

The local fitness business tends to cater more to middle and high-end customers living in the city centre, as it is considered part of the lifestyle of affluent urban dwellers.

At the heavily congested Asoke intersection, two large fitness clubs are competing for patrons.

On one side is California Wow Xperience, featuring fancy lighting and interiors. Its glass windows offer a glimpse inside, where members work out to the beat of loud, pounding music.

On the other side is True Fitness in a big building that accommodates another large crowd exercising and attending yoga classes.

Since the first fitness club opened in 1979, the number of health outlets has been steadily rising, though many have shut down as well.

When California Wow - formerly known as California Fitness - opened 10 years ago, it took a more aggressive approach to signing up members.

It considers its chief rivals to be Fitness First from the United Kingdom and True Fitness from Singapore.

Today, there are 17 fitness clubs in the country, mostly in Bangkok.

They have a total of 100,000 members.

"No company has ever surveyed its market value, but I can say the fitness market has grown at a fast pace," said Mark Buchanan, managing director of Fitness First (Thailand).

After seeing so many fitness clubs opening in Bangkok, one would think the business has peaked. But health-club operators insist there is more room to expand, reasoning that less than 1 per cent of the population has signed up.

"The market is still at the beginning stages and it has a bright future for at least 10 more years. In that time, the percentage of people signing up is expected to rise to 15 per cent," Buchanan said.

True Fitness founder and CEO Patrick Wee said the penetration rate could rise to at least 10 per cent.

With this expected trend, the three operators are employing

different strategies to get customers. California Wow targets prime locations in Bangkok and plans to open in Pattaya and Chiang Mai.

It is introducing new classes from India and is segregating some outlets to cater mainly to women.

Fitness First pays more attention to maintaining a high standard of service with well-trained staff.

In addition to fitness programmes, it sells clothes and even rents movies.

True Fitness also focuses on being another lifestyle operator as well as beauty centre. It has fitness facilities, yoga classes and other exercise classes.

It also has a spa like California Wow and an "aesthetic centre" where members can seek consultation or advice.

When comparing the penetration rate in Thailand to some developed countries, the rate appears to be low. In Australia where incomes are much higher, 22 per cent of the population are members of fitness clubs. In the US, the number is about 15 per cent.

In Singapore, 7 per cent of the island-state's population are members.

In Thailand, where fitness is seen as part of the lifestyle of privileged groups, the existing number is considered relatively modest.

Monthly fees can be as high as Bt3,000 depending on which programmes the members take up.

"In London, which is about the same size as Bangkok but with fewer people, there are 600 health clubs. Fitness First runs 70 clubs there," Buchanan said. "Fitness is already part of the lifestyle for [many] people there. You can find clubs at almost every corner."

Nitida Asawanipont

The Nation