CHIANG MAI GYMKHANA
EST. 1898
Cricket at Gymkhana
On the same grounds since November 1898. Home of the Chiang Mai International Cricket Sixes and decades of community play.
Cricket was mentioned in the very first committee meeting of the Gymkhana Club, November 6, 1898. The Chiang Mai cricket club has kept the game alive on these grounds ever since. More than 125 years later, the game is still played on these grounds. That continuity is rare in sport. Gymkhana has kept it alive.
Cricket was introduced to Thailand by Thai families who sent their children to school in England. The game took root in Bangkok first, where the Bangkok City Cricket Club played its inaugural match at Sanam Luang in 1890.
But it was in Chiang Mai, at the Gymkhana Club, where the sport found its most enduring home. The Minutes of the Club Committee meeting on November 6, 1898 recorded that "a well be sunk some 15 ft in depth near the cricket ground." The game was already being planned before the ink on the founding charter was dry. The full sporting history of the club shows how golf, cricket, tennis, and squash all took shape on these grounds in those first years.
By Christmas 1899, cricket featured in the Club's formal sporting programme alongside many other activities. Although Bangkok laid claim to first-ever organised cricket in the Kingdom, the Gymkhana has outlasted every rival institution.
"The match was never safe until the last wicket had been claimed."Gymkhana vs British Club, Dick Wood Trophy, January 2016
Every year, the British Club makes the journey from Bangkok to Chiang Mai for one of Thailand's most cherished cricket rivalries. The Dick Wood Trophy match between Gymkhana and the British Club has been contested for over 33 years. It is one of the sporting events of the calendar.
The 2016 match stands out as one of the most high-scoring encounters between the two sides. Gymkhana won by 32 runs in a tense finish. Captain Dale returned to the crease and finished on 63 not out. The Dick Wood Cup was presented to home captain Pete Warner in a memorable ceremony. The memory of Dick Wood lives on every time these two clubs meet.
In March, Chiang Mai's cricketers won both the men's and women's events at the National Youth Games in Chanthaburi. The 31st edition of the tournament brought together the country's best U-19 athletes across 40 disciplines. Taking both titles confirmed the standard of cricket development at Gymkhana and in Chiang Mai as a whole.
David Walker has lived in Chiang Mai since 2002 and joined the Gymkhana shortly after. Although no longer playing, he remains central to everything cricket in Chiang Mai. His work focuses on coaching Thai children and maintaining the connections between Gymkhana and the broader regional cricket community.
This kind of long-term involvement, a player who becomes a coach who becomes an institution, is exactly what keeps cricket alive in a country where it has never been the dominant sport. Gymkhana has always relied on people like David to bridge generations of players.
In 1988, the Gymkhana Club launched something that grew beyond anyone's expectations. The Chiang Mai International Cricket Sixes became the most celebrated amateur cricket tournament in the world. A fast-paced six-a-side format that brings teams from Australia, the UK, Hong Kong, South Africa, New Zealand, and beyond to northern Thailand every year.
Teams come to compete. They stay for the community. Over three decades, the tournament has become a reunion, a pilgrimage, and a celebration of cricket as much as a contest. It has also raised millions of baht for the Hill Tribe Fund, giving the Sixes a purpose that goes well beyond the boundary rope.
The Sixes did more than grow the tournament calendar. It saved the club. By the mid-1980s, the Gymkhana's membership was dwindling as the old teak families died out. The birth of the Sixes in 1988 transformed a quiet colonial relic into a world-class destination for international amateur cricket, bringing in a new generation of players and supporters who keep the club alive. Read the full Sixes story.
In 2024, a generous donation funded a new electronic scoreboard for the Sixes. Then the floods came. The scoreboard disappeared in the floodwaters, only to be found three kilometres away in a stranger's garden. It was retrieved, restored in Bangkok, and returned in time for the Chiang Mai International Cricket Sixes 2025.
Read the full storyThe Gymkhana cricket grounds are maintained to a consistent standard for both club matches and competitive tournaments. Pitches are prepared to support fair, reliable playing conditions across the season. Pavilion facilities, seating, and spectator areas are available for both players and supporters.
The setting combines excellent playing conditions with the natural character of the Gymkhana's 90 rai of historic grounds. There are not many places in Southeast Asia where you can play cricket in this kind of environment. That is part of what makes Gymkhana special.
Members interested in joining the cricket section are welcome to contact the club. Whether the interest is regular competitive play, occasional friendly matches, or helping to develop youth players, there is a place for you here. View membership options and then enjoy post-match meals at the club restaurant and bar on the grounds.
Join Thailand's finest cricket community. Whether you are a seasoned club player or picking up a bat for the first time, Gymkhana welcomes you to the ground.
Message Us on MessengerThe Chiang Mai International Cricket Sixes is a 6-a-side cricket tournament held annually at the Chiang Mai Gymkhana Club. Founded in 1988, it is widely regarded as the world's largest amateur cricket tournament, drawing teams from Australia, England, Hong Kong, South Africa, New Zealand, and across Asia.
Cricket was mentioned in the very first committee meeting of the Chiang Mai Gymkhana Club on November 6, 1898. More than 125 years later, cricket is still played on these same grounds, making this one of the longest continuous cricket traditions in Southeast Asia.
Yes. The Sixes welcomes international and regional teams. Contact the club directly at +66-53-241-035 for registration details and the next tournament date. Teams from over a dozen countries have participated since 1988.
The ground hosts regular social cricket and the annual Dick Wood Trophy alongside the Sixes. Members and visiting players can inquire about fixtures through the club office. The ground is located at 349 Chiang Mai-Lamphun Road. And yes, a pitch inspection at the Sixes occasionally involves removing a wayward cobra from the outfield. The club's unusual facts are worth reading.