Traditional Muay Thai Intensive Training Camp in the Oregon Wilderness

The camp is built around five training blocks spread across four days. Mornings start at 7am with a two-mile run followed by training until 9am, then a breakfast and rest window until 10:30am. The second block opens with a one-mile run and runs from 10:30am until 1:30pm, after which lunch and a break take you to 3pm. The third block is pure training, 3pm to 6pm, and dinner is at 6pm. Saturday runs on a modified schedule so testing and the certificate ceremony can happen, and breakfast is served a little earlier on Sunday (7am to 8:30am) before departure. Ajarn Chai asks that everyone stay until certificates have been handed out on the last day.

What separates this from a weekend seminar is the teaching focus. Alongside the technique work, Ajarn Chai and his senior instructors demonstrate how to actually teach Muay Thai basics and advanced strategy — this is partly an instructor-development camp, not just a training camp. That's why so many attendees are existing WTBA members working through the apprentice, associate, full and senior instructor levels. Testing happens on site on the Saturday, and fees are 00 for apprentice, associate and full instructor, or $50 for senior instructor, paid in cash only with a passport-style photo attached to the application.

Ajarn Chai Sirisute is the reason the camp exists. He founded the World Thai Boxing Association and has established affiliated associations in Germany, Barbados, Luxembourg, Canada, Mexico, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Spain, Belgium, Italy, Switzerland, Puerto Rico and Sweden. He headed the first US team to compete at the International Championships in Bangkok in 1982, and trained amateur and professional Thai boxers throughout his career. He's in his later years now and notes in the camp letter that this may be the last year at Camp Wilkerson — rising costs are forcing a rethink on venue — and that his health may limit how much he can keep travelling. There's a real sense of a community reunion around this one, which is why the letter to instructors reads the way it does.

Camp Wilkerson itself is a wooded park in Rainier, Oregon, about 45 miles north-west of Portland. Tent pitches surround the campsite and are included in the camp fee, but you bring your own tent and bedding. The weather swings hard — hot in the day, cold at night — so packing layers, an extra pair of shoes for rain, a flashlight, sunscreen and insect repellent is genuinely necessary rather than boilerplate advice. There is no shuttle service, and the UBER driver app stops working once you head up the mountain, so most people rent a car or arrange to share rides with other students.

Food is three meals a day, cooked fresh on site, with authentic Thai dishes on the menu. A vegetarian option is provided at every meal, but the kitchen can't handle other dietary constraints, so if you're vegan, gluten-free or anything else specific, plan accordingly. Alcohol isn't part of the programme. Off the mats, there isn't a huge amount organised — this is a training camp in a forest, and most people spend their downtime eating, resting or talking shop with other students.

What's included

- 4 days of Muay Thai instruction led by Ajarn Chai Sirisute - Two training blocks plus an afternoon session daily (approx. 8 hours of run and mat time per day) - Three meals per day, cooked fresh on site - Authentic Thai dishes with a vegetarian option at every meal - Breakfast on departure day - Tent space at Camp Wilkerson - Instruction in teaching method and practice for instructors

What's not included

- Flights to and from Portland International Airport - Airport transfers or shuttle service (none provided) - Car rental or ride-share costs - Tents, sleeping bags, bedding and personal camping supplies - Hotel, Airbnb or VRBO accommodation - Boxing gloves, Thai pads, focus mitts, shin guards and other training equipment - Instructor testing fees (00 apprentice/associate/full, $50 senior, cash only) - Medical or travel insurance - Personal expenses (flashlight, sunscreen, insect repellent, additional clothing) - Camp T-shirt (optional purchase) - Any meals outside the camp schedule