Why Would Anyone Want To Join The British Club?

[mrtoad]

Polo Club, a great place to play Cricket.

[geriatrickid]

Considering the fact that many of the well established clubs in the west are dying slow deaths, the situation in Thailand should not be a surprise. Many companies no longer pay for the memberships (budget constraints) and the 30-40 year olds that could be counted on to join just aren't available anymore (different needs, financial resources different attitudes). If any of he expat clubs ever manage to crack the nut on this problem, they can sell the strategy overseas as clubs everywhere are in crisis.

[astral]

I arrived in Thailand to meet Thai people, not to live my life with the other Brits,

so I looked, but did not join the club.

[david96]

Back in the days of the British Empire if you were British you were already a member of the most elite club in the world.

Everyone else was a foreigner or native.

[Arkady]

If I understand the rules, the RBSC doesn't have any female members, only female members with guest priveleges, which expire if they marry a non-member.

The first time I looked, the British Club were accepting Commonwealth nationals, but it seems they are so desperate, they are looking to let anyone in

As for the RSBC, I didn't realise the books were closed, but it makes sense. Any idea how often they open their books?

I expressed interest once to my cousin, who is a member, and she gave me a call about 6 months ago telling me there was a spot at the Polo club, if I wanted it (not ideal, but better than nothing). But alas with two little-uns now, I can't afford it. Need to get rich somehow. Envious you got in when it was cheap!

Ladies privileges at RBSC have the same rights as full members, except that they can't introduce guests (who have to be overseas residents anyway) to use the sporting facilities and they can't vote. Their privileges don't expire if they marry a non-member. In fact, I believe their husbands can become non-voting associate members without being on a waiting list. But that does mean their children cannot become hereditary members.

The British Club has been accepting Australians, New Zealanders and Canadians as ordinary members since the 70s. Other Commonwealth nationals get no special treatment but can apply for non-voting associate memberships under quotas, the same as any other nationalities including Thais. I think the club has rather lost its way in recent years. It relied heavily on new membershp fees for many years to subsidize the not very profitable operations of the club and has not been doing very well financially since new membership applications dropped off after the last 90s financial crisis when expat numbers dwindled. Most of the members of the club's sports teams are now non-members who refuse to pay for membership but have to be allowed into the club free to allow the club to continue competing in the various sports at all. Only the Balut section can still field an all member team and that is just a dice throwing drinking game for older members, whose brains have been addled by years of alcohol abuse.

The reality that general committee members don't like to admit to is that they are still trying to drive the same business old model based on new expats who pay a high fee and stay for a few years and then move on to free up space at the club without getting any of their fees back. Their model is actually taking the club little by little in the same direction as RBSC because the only people who really feel the joining fees are justified are locals who see it as a lifetime membership and dirt cheap in comparison to RBSC which they can't join for love nor money anyway. The quota for Thai membership has been steadily creeping up in the last 10 years and, since this year the British Club allows 42% Thai non-voting membership. Once this surpasses 50% I predict there will eventually be some official pressure to give Thai members voting rights in their own country and for better or worse it will no longer be a British club. Perhaps the land will eventually be sold off to a developer but at least members would get some proceeds since they own the assets and the land ownership pre-dates the Land Code by half a century.

All efforts to make the club more able to rely on operational revenues seem to have come to naught. In fact these efforts have been counter productive, since the General Committee has frittered away much of the club's reserves on ill considered, overpriced renovations that have driven a lot of old members away without attracting significant numbers of new members to the club. Money has also been wasted on new management systems. A CEO was appointed in addition to the GM, who is now only in charge of F&B, and his new management systems got the staff up in arms and caused some resignations without improving efficiency. Members were never informed why a CEO had to be appointed, what he was supposed to be doing or why he suddenly disappeared after only about a year. Food is edible but it is of the type you could expect in any pub today in the UK and is nothing special. Most things I try there I don't want to order again because of some unacceptable detail, e.g. salads are quite nice but the awful vinigrette dressing unchanged for more than a decade ruins them and I am not interested in American style bottled dressings like 1,000 islands. There are rarely any interesting events on at the club, except like old screenings of Dr Who which I suppose must appeal to some one and a lot of TV sport which can of course also be seen in any Bangkok pub these days. They have given up the annual Britstock music festival which was one of the best events there in my opinion, appealing to to those with children and without and to farangs and Thais alike, and had the advantage of opening up and showcasing the club to the general public. This kind of decision is now just left to the F&B level, depending on how busy they are with other functions that month.

That said and done, I believe it is a great place for families with small kids and it is not at all snobbish these days, probably quite the reverse. I remember a visit by an elderly British memsahib who was appalled by the British regional accents she heard around the club and thought it must have gone completely down the drain!

Here is another thread about both RBSC and the British Club for those interested. http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Royal-Bangko...40#entry3020140

Edited September 18, 2009 by Arkady

[mahtin]

Back in the days of the British Empire if you were British you were already a member of the most elite club in the world.

Everyone else was a foreigner or native.

And the w*gs began at Calais.

Insular.

[hhgz]

"Back in the days of the British Empire if you were British you were already a member of the most elite club in the world."

Sure, but back then there was no indoor plumbing. Yeah, I know, "Britannia rules the waves"...

[jcon]

I think the ability to cut from Henri Dunant to Rachadamri without having to go Rama4 is worth the cost of membership at RBSC

Ladies Privileges and guests: it depends on the Lady, really. They are not 'supposed to' be allowed to introduce guests, but some can and do.

I don't think Ladies Privileges are lost when marrying a non-member. Especially if the Lady in particular has a 'preferential pedigree.'

Where is the British Club, forgive my ignorance?

[bangkokjohn]

I think the ability to cut from Henri Dunant to Rachadamri without having to go Rama4 is worth the cost of membership at RBSC

Ladies Privileges and guests: it depends on the Lady, really. They are not 'supposed to' be allowed to introduce guests, but some can and do.

I don't think Ladies Privileges are lost when marrying a non-member. Especially if the Lady in particular has a 'preferential pedigree.'

Where is the British Club, forgive my ignorance?

The British club is between Surawong and Silom Next to the AIA building and the NArai Hotel. If you go to the end of Soi 18 Silom you will come to it.

It has had problems over the years but its 100 years old and still going. An oasis in Bangkok.

[smokie36]

I think the ability to cut from Henri Dunant to Rachadamri without having to go Rama4 is worth the cost of membership at RBSC

Ladies Privileges and guests: it depends on the Lady, really. They are not 'supposed to' be allowed to introduce guests, but some can and do.

I don't think Ladies Privileges are lost when marrying a non-member. Especially if the Lady in particular has a 'preferential pedigree.'

Where is the British Club, forgive my ignorance?

The British club is between Surawong and Silom Next to the AIA building and the NArai Hotel. If you go to the end of Soi 18 Silom you will come to it.

It has had problems over the years but its 100 years old and still going. An oasis in Bangkok.

Can I wander into this oasis and simply have a drink and a look around?

[bangkokjohn]

I think the ability to cut from Henri Dunant to Rachadamri without having to go Rama4 is worth the cost of membership at RBSC

Ladies Privileges and guests: it depends on the Lady, really. They are not 'supposed to' be allowed to introduce guests, but some can and do.

I don't think Ladies Privileges are lost when marrying a non-member. Especially if the Lady in particular has a 'preferential pedigree.'

Where is the British Club, forgive my ignorance?

The British club is between Surawong and Silom Next to the AIA building and the NArai Hotel. If you go to the end of Soi 18 Silom you will come to it.

It has had problems over the years but its 100 years old and still going. An oasis in Bangkok.

Can I wander into this oasis and simply have a drink and a look around?

If you call them, they will arrage for you to visit www.britishclubbangkok.org.

[esprit]

If I understand the rules, the RBSC doesn't have any female members, only female members with guest priveleges, which expire if they marry a non-member.

The first time I looked, the British Club were accepting Commonwealth nationals, but it seems they are so desperate, they are looking to let anyone in

As for the RSBC, I didn't realise the books were closed, but it makes sense. Any idea how often they open their books?

I expressed interest once to my cousin, who is a member, and she gave me a call about 6 months ago telling me there was a spot at the Polo club, if I wanted it (not ideal, but better than nothing). But alas with two little-uns now, I can't afford it. Need to get rich somehow. Envious you got in when it was cheap!

Ladies privileges at RBSC have the same rights as full members, except that they can't introduce guests (who have to be overseas residents anyway) to use the sporting facilities and they can't vote. Their privileges don't expire if they marry a non-member. In fact, I believe their husbands can become non-voting associate members without being on a waiting list. But that does mean their children cannot become hereditary members.

The British Club has been accepting Australians, New Zealanders and Canadians as ordinary members since the 70s. Other Commonwealth nationals get no special treatment but can apply for non-voting associate memberships under quotas, the same as any other nationalities including Thais. I think the club has rather lost its way in recent years. It relied heavily on new membershp fees for many years to subsidize the not very profitable operations of the club and has not been doing very well financially since new membership applications dropped off after the last 90s financial crisis when expat numbers dwindled. Most of the members of the club's sports teams are now non-members who refuse to pay for membership but have to be allowed into the club free to allow the club to continue competing in the various sports at all. Only the Balut section can still field an all member team and that is just a dice throwing drinking game for older members, whose brains have been addled by years of alcohol abuse.

The reality that general committee members don't like to admit to is that they are still trying to drive the same business old model based on new expats who pay a high fee and stay for a few years and then move on to free up space at the club without getting any of their fees back. Their model is actually taking the club little by little in the same direction as RBSC because the only people who really feel the joining fees are justified are locals who see it as a lifetime membership and dirt cheap in comparison to RBSC which they can't join for love nor money anyway. The quota for Thai membership has been steadily creeping up in the last 10 years and, since this year the British Club allows 42% Thai non-voting membership. Once this surpasses 50% I predict there will eventually be some official pressure to give Thai members voting rights in their own country and for better or worse it will no longer be a British club. Perhaps the land will eventually be sold off to a developer but at least members would get some proceeds since they own the assets and the land ownership pre-dates the Land Code by half a century.

All efforts to make the club more able to rely on operational revenues seem to have come to naught. In fact these efforts have been counter productive, since the General Committee has frittered away much of the club's reserves on ill considered, overpriced renovations that have driven a lot of old members away without attracting significant numbers of new members to the club. Money has also been wasted on new management systems. A CEO was appointed in addition to the GM, who is now only in charge of F&B, and his new management systems got the staff up in arms and caused some resignations without improving efficiency. Members were never informed why a CEO had to be appointed, what he was supposed to be doing or why he suddenly disappeared after only about a year. Food is edible but it is of the type you could expect in any pub today in the UK and is nothing special. Most things I try there I don't want to order again because of some unacceptable detail, e.g. salads are quite nice but the awful vinigrette dressing unchanged for more than a decade ruins them and I am not interested in American style bottled dressings like 1,000 islands. There are rarely any interesting events on at the club, except like old screenings of Dr Who which I suppose must appeal to some one and a lot of TV sport which can of course also be seen in any Bangkok pub these days. They have given up the annual Britstock music festival which was one of the best events there in my opinion, appealing to to those with children and without and to farangs and Thais alike, and had the advantage of opening up and showcasing the club to the general public. This kind of decision is now just left to the F&B level, depending on how busy they are with other functions that month.

That said and done, I believe it is a great place for families with small kids and it is not at all snobbish these days, probably quite the reverse. I remember a visit by an elderly British memsahib who was appalled by the British regional accents she heard around the club and thought it must have gone completely down the drain!

Here is another thread about both RBSC and the British Club for those interested. http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Royal-Bangko...40#entry3020140

Yet another ill advised person who does not allow the facts to get in the way of a good yarn - never mind, what was the problem didn't come up to standard or perhaps you had no friends prepared to propose and second you ? or perhaps an ex-member with prima dona status in their own imagination who couldn't be bothered to turn up to AGM's and rather complain than be proactive !

[dumbnewbie]

British weather, British food and British women: all the makings of a great seafaring nation!

[TAWP]

Without giving out names, a family member worked at the club as a manager before.

Yes, they accept non-common wealth members now. (Have a copy of the memberbook here.)

Yes, a lot of the older members are snotty.

Yes, the menu of the restaurant is fairly boring (and endlessly repeated) and the desserts are awful.

Yes, the club has economical difficulties.

Yes, there are economical...irregularities and improper signing of contracts of outside services going on.

Yes, the average staff is overworked and underpayed.

Yes, they have a very high turnover of staff.

Yes, there was recently a change of General Committee members and then in turn a firing of the CEO.

Yes, the club has a lot of issues...

But if you like to pay to meet other commonwealth (mainly) people, attend wine-tasting nights and pay 10% higher price on concert-tickets, then by all means, join.

Added: Oh, and good post by Arkady.

Edited September 25, 2009 by TAWP

[samuibeachcomber]

the topic is a good question and i am late arriving as usual,but yes indeed,why would anyone want to join...............i would imagine you'd get a load of "i say old chap",and are n't the natives just awful.but each to their own.