GymNation to Open in Thailand, Plans 20+ Locations

The Middle East gym giant will open a Bangkok flagship in early 2027, making good on plans to expand into Asia following a $100 million funding deal

GymNation has revealed the first stop in its push beyond the Middle East: Thailand.

The UAE-founded gym operator plans to open more than 20 locations across Thailand over the next three to five years, beginning with a flagship gym in Bangkok’s Pathum Wan district in the first quarter of 2027.

The expansion marks GymNation’s first move into Southeast Asia and makes good on plans the company teased earlier this year after securing a $100 million private credit facility from HPS Investment Partners, the credit arm acquired by BlackRock.

At the time, GymNation said the funding would support its push toward more than 100 gyms across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region while helping finance its first expansion into Asia.

Now, Thailand has emerged as that first market.

“Thailand is one of the most exciting fitness markets in the world, with an energy and enthusiasm for health and wellbeing that fits perfectly with everything GymNation stands for,” GymNation Southeast Asia CEO William Rasmussen-Dean said.

GymNation’s first Bangkok location will span more than 40,000 square feet, with memberships starting at 999 Thai baht (around $30) per month.

Future Thailand locations will measure at least 30,000 square feet and operate around the clock. The clubs will feature extensive strength and cardio equipment alongside more than 400 classes per month and dedicated studios for Hyrox, reformer Pilates and Les Mills programming.

The company expects its planned 20-plus-gym network to create more than 1,500 full-time jobs in Thailand.

The move extends a rapid growth run for GymNation, launched in the UAE in 2018 and has since grown to 48 gyms and more than 200,000 members across the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. In May, GymNation told Athletech News it was targeting more than 100 GCC locations within three years, alongside investments in technology and new international markets.

Thailand now gives the company another major runway for growth outside its home region.

“The gyms we are about to open in Thailand are truly next-level, from the scale of the space to the combination of world-class facilities, equipment and design,” GymNation founder and CEO Loren Holland said. “As we have done across the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, we’re now going to raise the standard for what a gym can be in Thailand.”