The Conception

The Gymkhana club at Chiangmai in northern Thailand,wasconceived in

   1898 by a handful of expatriate gentlemen with the object of using theclub

as a means of encouraging sport in Northern Siam.For the club to achieve this

goal it should be managed so as to needs of the members and their

guests and be run as a profitable where all profits are criculated back

into the club for continual improvement.

The club would also act as a focal point where members could meet up during

their work breaks and together with thier wives enjoy a haven of tranquility,

engage in idle (and sometimes malicious) gossip,partipate in various sports

and relax with the tipple of their choice on the verandah whilst the heat of the

afternoon sun gave way to cooling breezes from the adjacent mountains.

The British playwrigh and novelist,Somerset Maungham wrote,when he

    visited the Gymkhana club while touring through the Chiangmai district in

the 1920s,"although horse racing is no more,there are excellent facilities for

golf,tennis,squash and cricket.The Gymkhana club is well worth a visit and

provides a chance to take a step back into a different kind of Thai history."

His observation still applies to this day,95 years or so later.

For more infomation on the history of the club,go here 

A Flying Visit