Though Thailand was never colonized by the British, social and sports clubs such as the highly exclusive Royal Bangkok Sports Club has been playing the Gentleman's Game-Cricket along with various other popular British sports such as golf, tennis, polo and squash for nearly a century now. The history of the club goes back further than a century to the reign of King Rama V; in 1901 the club was first established following a Royal decree by King Chulalongkorn.
The first sport to be introduced at the club was horse racing in the year 1903, during this period the club was often frequented by members of the Thai royal family, foreign diplomats, wealthy businessman and visiting celebrities. In 1904 the grounds were earmarked for a major development program that saw the introduction of a number of sports such as cricket, rugby and golf. Most of the participants at these games were either foreigners who were in Thailand for mercantile activities or children of wealthy Thais who had been afforded education in Britain.
The rapid development of this sports club was mainly attributed to its patronage by the Royal family. Another important historical mile stone for the club was in 1911 when the first ever plane to be seen in Thailand took off from the club's grounds for a demonstration flight. During the next century or so the club showed a healthy growth in membership as well as its infrastructure. Today a numerous sports are played here, among the most popular being Cricket, Soccer, Golf, Squash, Tennis, Horse Racing, Swimming, Polo, Rugby and Hockey.
Due the club's exclusivity it has also been a popular venue for high end social functions and also as a place for top corporate executives to chill out after a hard day's work. The annual Horse Racing derby held here also draws in the wealthy socialites and who's who of the Thai upper echelons. Located close to the Royal Bangkok Sports Club is a Bangkok serviced apartment known as the Ascott Bangkok Sathorn which provides luxury accommodation for long stay business travelers.
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