What About An Expats Club In Chiangmai?

[Oneman]

.

What about an Expats Club in Chiangmai?

A traditional, private, members-only club.

Is there sufficient interest, or not?

Yes, there are two groups here already that attempt to be expats clubs.

But looking at their programs and newsletters, they are only lightly

focused on expat living here.

Instead, their main objective is business promotion.

That's fine with me, but it's not the foundation of a good club.

Among most other expats I've met here, none bother to

attend meetings of those two groups.

After attending five times, neither do I.

The Gymkhana Club certainly used to be, but that

was in years gone by; no more.

Now they can't even get organized enough to repair

the cracks in their tennis courts.

So what about a real expats club?

Speaking to a few other expats, there seems

to be some interest.

If ... somebody else would do the work to get it started.

If ... it were a private club with membership by approval.

If ... the fees were sufficient to discourage riff-raff.

No need for hundreds or thousands.

25-50 compatible members would be plenty.

No need for a building, because there are lots of

restaurants with suitable private rooms.

Meetings could easily rotate to various restaurants.

A men's club.

Females and children are fine in their place, but when

they start moving into a men's club, the men start

moving out.

(One example: the decline of the British Club in Bangkok

after their advent of "family" memberships.)

I'm not volunteering.

Just wondering if there is an interest.

A few other expats are wondering, too.

One or two may be willing to put in some effort

in this direction.

Thoughts?

-- Oneman

Chiangmai

.

[alfieconn]

Something similar, a Gentlemans Drinking Club, perhaps !

Nice sofa's

Big TV's showing all the sports channels.

Pool Table

Dining Facilities

Pleasant Hostesses

All daily newspapers

Membership with a small yearly subscription

Basiclly somewhere to lounge around all day and get away from the missus and kids.

Any comments would be greatly appreciated

Edited December 26, 2009 by alfieconn

[alant]

Something similar, a Gentlemans Drinking Club, perhaps !

Nice sofa's

Big TV's showing all the sports channels.

Pool Table

Dining Facilities

Pleasant Hostesses

All daily newspapers

Membership with a small yearly subscription

Basiclly somewhere to lounge around all day and get away from the missus and kids.

Any comments would be greatly appreciated

"Pool table" "Pool table"

what ever next! what is the empire coming to, the next thing you know will be chappies refering to "football" as soccer.

[Greenside]

Hey, we could lay in a few cases of crusty vintage port, some well aged Stilton and sit around all day complaining about how hard it is to find reliable servants these days and work towards a good dose or two of gout or at the least some red veined noses.

"Y'know, when I was stationed in the Punjab...."

[Ulysses G.]

Can Americans play too? We never got to have a real Empire.

[alfieconn]

Something similar, a Gentlemans Drinking Club, perhaps !

Nice sofa's

Big TV's showing all the sports channels.

Pool Table

Dining Facilities

Pleasant Hostesses

All daily newspapers

Membership with a small yearly subscription

Basiclly somewhere to lounge around all day and get away from the missus and kids.

Any comments would be greatly appreciated

"Pool table" "Pool table"

what ever next! what is the empire coming to, the next thing you know will be chappies refering to "football" as soccer.

I appreciate that a Gentlemans Club would generally be for gentleman from the British Isles and Colonies, but to increase the membership we would be willing to overlook this tradition and perhaps allow our dear friends from across the water to apply, obviously the rule regarding keeping noise to a minimum would be pointed out to them .

[iainiain101]

I was just sitting here thinking at this time in the UK I would be down at the Gentlemans / Snooker club having a few beers, playing snooker and watching some horse racing in an all male enviroment, with the only argument being if Desert Orchids 4 vitories would be matched in the King George!

Gentlemans club gets my vote, but at a location with ample parking. (also bar staff able to order a taxi when necessary!)

Iain

[gotlost]

First meeting to be held at the RL.

[Oneman]

I appreciate that a Gentlemans Club would generally be for gentleman from the British Isles and Colonies

Not at all.

The common denominator is ability to speak English, because it would be a social club.

Americans, Canadians, Aussies, Kiwis, Dutch, Danes, etc.

Thais who are comfortable in English.

Singaporeans, Malaysians, too.

One already interested is a Japanese businessman here, and his English is easily sufficient.

-- Oneman

Chiangmai

[caf]

First meeting to be held at the RL.

I can't think of anywhere less fitting for a gentlemen's club. But I note you post a smiley.

It's OK for a pub - both food and drink - but does not have the atmosphere needed. All pubs have their regulars. Let's keep it like that. The owner never seems to accept that people have choice and that that is not a personal criticism of him or the establishment. It is a statement of choice that he should accept.

The topic though is about an expats club and I am sure location will not be a problem for organisers. And anyway if a social event were ever organised there are plenty of other stand up comedians.

[Oneman]

Gentlemans club gets my vote, but at a location with ample parking. (also bar staff able to order a taxi when necessary!)

Meetings in private dining rooms of various restaurants around town.

Some will have ample parking, some may not.

Any discussion of building location or club facilities is too far in the future to even mention at this stage.

If interested, the approach is not to "vote" here.

This is not sponsored by, nor approved by, the management of Thai Visa in any way.

-- Oneman

Chiangmai

.

Edited December 26, 2009 by Oneman

[Greenside]

I appreciate that a Gentlemans Club would generally be for gentleman from the British Isles and Colonies

Not at all.

The common denominator is ability to speak English, because it would be a social club.

Americans, Canadians, Aussies, Kiwis, Dutch, Danes, etc.

Thais who are comfortable in English.

Singaporeans, Malaysians, too.

One already interested is a Japanese businessman here, and his English is easily sufficient.

-- Oneman

Chiangmai

Gosh, it's jolly good idea to throw open the doors to all those other chaps - I expect there'll be some kind of test or something to keep the old standards up, what!

I say, you don't suppose that British Isles and Colonies post was maybe a mite jocular? Well, possibly not. It's good to get the rules sorted out right from the start so the playing field's level and the cart doesn't go before the horse as my Nanny used to tell me.

Ha! A Japanese fellow, you say....

Edited December 26, 2009 by Greenside

[Oneman]

The topic though is about an expats club and I am sure location will not be a problem for organisers.

Caf is right on the mark.

This topic is an inquiry about interest in such a club, not a discussion about locations.

And, as a private club, meeting locations would never be announced in newspapers, public forums, etc.

-- Oneman

Chiangmai

.

[alfieconn]

The topic though is about an expats club and I am sure location will not be a problem for organisers.

Caf is right on the mark.

This topic is an inquiry about interest in such a club, not a discussion about locations.

And, as a private club, meeting locations would never be announced in newspapers, public forums, etc.

-- Oneman

Chiangmai

.

I was thinking along the lines of a permanent location which would enable the club to be furnished etc as required.

[Niloc]

Count me in as a representative from Pai??

Colin

[amexpat]

AHA! More riff-raff discouraged.

That includes me - that is, it excludes me from associations of the elite.

[BigWheelMan]

The topic though is about an expats club and I am sure location will not be a problem for organisers.

Caf is right on the mark.

This topic is an inquiry about interest in such a club, not a discussion about locations.

And, as a private club, meeting locations would never be announced in newspapers, public forums, etc.

-- Oneman

Chiangmai

.

I was thinking along the lines of a permanent location which would enable the club to be furnished etc as required.

That’s a good idea.

If the club was to use restaurants as it`s regular venues, than the owners would expect club members to be purchasing food and drinks during the meetings/gatherings. Good for the restaurant owners, an expensive day out for the members. A private residential room would be much more suitable for these occasions, perhaps members could bring their own drinks and snacks.

I would also suggest that any members who try to sell his/her wares at meetings should be banned; otherwise it will go the same way as the ex-pats club, full circle.

Another point, is that there should be no speakers taking over the meetings, but instead let everyone do their own thing and able to converse amongst themselves.

Maybe if someone has a room or even an open area for use as a members meeting venue, the owner could charge a reasonable entrance fee for members. The owner makes some beer money, the members get a cheap meeting place, everyone’s happy all round.

[Thailand]

Managed to avoid them in the few overseas countries I have lived in and will continue to do so.

Consider me blackballed - or perhaps it's just the way I walk.

[caf]

***Flame deleted by moderator***

I think this sort of vindictive writing rather supports the op's point of a private "club" where members have respect for one another whether they are bosom friends or not.

He is entitled to his view as you are to yours. Flaming TV members you do not know is another thing.

You say "another bunch" what other group were you referring to. The only other references so far were to the two expat "clubs" in chiangmai. I would not say they are stuck up, though they are not really clubs but business oriented. As the op says no problem there. But they are not clubs.

I thought the references to the Empire, Stilton, and the Raj were fun. No reason that a club on the lines suggested should not have humour like that. Am sure those with humour would be more than welcome. If the humour is more of a flame, or too personally aimed ( as sometimes happens here on tv) then that is a different matter. Such people probably would not fit in.

But as you say "count me out". Stop the flaming though David.

Edited December 26, 2009 by cdnvic
removed flame

[Mapguy]

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm ?! How many gentlemen does one suppose there are in Chiang Mai ?!

[cdnvic]

I removed one nasty flame and several posts quoting it. I usually put a moratorium on lowering the boom on people at this time of year, and it just expired, so please, try to keep it civil.

[IanForbes]

the next thing you know will be chappies refering to "football" as soccer.

IT IS!!!

Football is a game where people tackle the guy with the ball. I know that happens in soccer as well, but then the primadonnas fall down and cry like babies.

[KevinHunt]

the next thing you know will be chappies refering to "football" as soccer.

IT IS!!!

Football is a game where people tackle the guy with the ball. I know that happens in soccer as well, but then the primadonnas fall down and cry like babies.

I find it amusing that Brits get bothered about Americans referring to Football as 'Soccer'. Most don't realise that 'soccer' was a term first used in England to differentiate between Association Football (which was abbreviated to 'soccer') and Rugby Football. Just as it is used in the US to distinguish between American Football and Association Football. 

As a young lad, I looked forward to this time of year because somewhere amongst my Christmas gifts I hoped to find a Soccer Annual. To quote Wikipedia ..

The name association football was coined to distinguish the game from the other forms of football played at the time, specifically rugby football. The term soccer originated in England, first appearing in the 1880s as a slang abbreviation of the word "association" often credited to former England captain Charles Wreford-Brown. 

       

Back on topic - I think it's an interesting idea, but who or how would you decide who could join? Black balls and white balls? As someone once said 'I wouldn't want to be a member of a club that allowed people like me to be members.' (or something like that).

Edited December 26, 2009 by KevinHunt

[DavidOxon]

I removed one nasty flame and several posts quoting it. I usually put a moratorium on lowering the boom on people at this time of year, and it just expired, so please, try to keep it civil.

Sorry, wasn't meant to be a flame, just my honest opinion,

seems a shame that that's not permitted.

David

[anonymouse]

Back on topic - I think it's an interesting idea, but who or how would you decide who could join? Black balls and white balls? As someone once said 'I wouldn't want to be a member of a club that allowed people like me to be members.' (or something like that).

It was Groucho Marx and I did mention it on a previous posting along with the obvious black ball jokes but because I quoted David Oxon It got deleted

Personally I won't join any gentlemans club until there is a bit of ritual involved - roled up trouser legs and bared breasts and all that caper

[DavidOxon]

I still can't understand why anyone would want to spend an evening/afternoon/anytime with just Men?

[alfieconn]

Personally I won't join any gentlemans club until there is a bit of ritual involved - roled up trouser legs and bared breasts and all that caper

I'm sure the bared breasts could be arranged but the rolled up trouser legs i'm not too sure about

[Ulysses G.]

I still can't understand why anyone would want to spend an evening/afternoon/anytime with just Men?

I greatly concur with that statement.

Edited December 26, 2009 by Ulysses G.

[cdnvic]

Sorry, wasn't meant to be a flame, just my honest opinion,

seems a shame that that's not permitted.

David

Please, spare us the "poor me", it is after all possible to articulate disagreement without name calling. That sort of thing belongs on a playground, or talk radio.

[KevinHunt]

I still can't understand why anyone would want to spend an evening/afternoon/anytime with just Men?

Then don't join.

Here's a few reasons ..

1. To have a break from the missus.

2. To talk about sport (do you know any women that understand the 'off-side' rule?).

3. To avoid going shopping.