Dave Small was only 14 years old when he moved from Canada to Chiang Mai. His mother and father were school teachers and took jobs teaching at Chiang Mai International School in the late 90’s. Since then, Chiang Mai has felt like home to Dave.
Dave left Thailand to graduate high school, then went on to coach ice hockey professionally, earning a degree in exercise physiology, and then becoming an officer in the Canadian army. In 2014 Dave decided to take a year off to come back to Thailand and volunteer with a Thai foundation. He thought he would just spend six months re-visiting Chiang Mai and serving in a Thai foundation, but once settled in Chiang Mai he realized he was back home.
Dave met Sub and Toom at the gym he was going to, and for nearly a decade they trained together at the gym and built a friendship outside of the gym. Sub was Dave’s personal trainer that helped him recover from injuries and stay in shape to do his work with the Thai foundation, helping remote Thai villages and refugees along the border.
At the end of 2023 Dave decided he wanted to open a gym in Thailand to help others achieve their health and fitness goals. He shared his idea with Sub and Toom, who had been working in the fitness industry in Thailand for over a decade and they both liked the idea. They spent the next six months building a business plan and trying to find the location for their gym. In August 2024, Apex Fitness opened near the train station on Chareon Mueang Road.
But Apex Fitness is not a typical gym. The gym’s small coffee bar (Grind and Press Coffee) partnered with a Thai foundation called Seeds of Hope coffee to only sell premium Thai grown coffee, roasted each week, specially for their coffee bar. “The Grind and Press blend is the best coffee in Chiang Mai,” Dave says with a laugh, “but I have no data to be able to back that up, it’s just my opinion.” From the coffee sales they help fund an orphanage and dormitory for kids who can’t afford to go to school.
“Everything we do at Apex needs to have a purpose. We want to serve our members, but we also want to serve and impact the greater Thai community. Being able to fund an orphanage with our coffee sales is a way to give back to the Thai community.” Dave explained.
But it’s not just coffee that gives back – built into the gym business plan is a model to support refugees and those less fortunate people who live in Thailand. “We haven’t been open a year yet, but, our plan is that 1/3 of our profits at the end of every year will go back to helping the less fortunate in Thailand.The more we make, the more we can help.” At Apex a gym membership isn’t just paying for the use of the facilities, it’s also helping support projects in Thailand that help people.
Apex was forced to close its doors shortly after opening because of the flooding. “We were only closed for about ten days, but the residual effect of the flooding on our neighbourhood and customers, costs us a lot. People lost a lot in the flooding, and if they must rebuild their homes or replace furniture, they need to cut extra costs and gym memberships are the first to go.” Dave explained. “We’re keeping our head above water financially, but just barely. We have monthly promotions and we’re hoping to increase our membership numbers so we can survive. It’s a crowded market.”
“There are plenty of great gyms in Chiang Mai. We just want everyone to be healthy and fit. If Apex can help someone achieve their fitness goals, or even take the first steps, we’d be happy to help.”
Dave feels like opening Apex is putting down his roots even deeper into the Chiang Mai soil. “I have lived in this city more than I’ve lived anywhere else. I love it here, and I’m honoured to be part of the Chiang Mai business community.”
