Cricket came to Thailand’s two biggest cities, Bangkok and Chiang Mai, in 1890 via upper class Thai families who had studied in England. The first club – the Bangkok City Cricket Club – was formed that year and played a home and away fixture with ‘Straits Settlements’, a team based in present-day Singapore.

For most of the 20th century, men’s cricket was the preserve of expatriate communities in Bangkok. At the heart of endeavor were private clubs such as The British Club and Royal Bangkok Sports Club (RBSC). These clubs have been organizing and participating in inter-club tournaments for over a hundred years, including against touring English county sides. The tradition of social, inter-club competition has continued with regular ‘sixes’ tournaments held around the country.

The Thailand men’s national team played its first modern international against Hong Kong in 1990 in a series sponsored by the car company, Volvo. ICC Affiliate membership followed in 1995, bringing restrictions on eligibility and a consistent string of losses to neighbors, Malaysia, Singapore, and Hong Kong through the nineties and early noughties. Although consistent participants in ACC and ICC qualifying events since, positive results have been few and far between. The closest the side has come to the participation in global competition was a winner-takes-all match against Bhutan in January 2009, which they lost.

Women’s cricket only began in 2007, but due to unique and innovative development and high-performance programs, the Thailand national women’s team has become one of the most successful Associates in history. The team holds the world record for the highest number of consecutive T20I wins, and boasts victories against full members Sri Lanka, Ireland, and Zimbabwe. Rain spoilt a potential upset of Pakistan at this year’s T20 Women’s World Cup after Thailand scored 3-150 against their more illustrious opponents.

Thailand has made significant progress off the field since the 1990s. The country boasts seven turf wickets, fourteen active cricket-playing provinces, three national academies, and recognition by the national sports authority. As playing numbers grow, and domestic competition develops, Thailand will grow from strength to strength in both the women’s and men’s game.