CHIANG MAI GYMKHANA
EST. 1898
Chiang Mai Gymkhana Club
A century of hospitality beneath the ancient rain tree
Since 1898, the Gymkhana table has been where Chiang Mai gathers. Thai flavours and international classics, served where teak wallahs, diplomats, and Somerset Maugham once raised their glasses. The veranda is unchanged. The welcome is warmer than ever.
The Chiang Mai Gymkhana Club restaurant has been the social heartbeat of northern Thailand's expatriate and local community for over a century. Meals here have followed rounds of golf, post-match cricket teas, and long evenings of tennis. The rhythm has not changed.
Open to members and guests, the restaurant serves fresh, carefully sourced dishes that balance authentic Thai cooking with the international favourites the club has always offered. The kitchen team takes pride in both: the pad kra pao is as considered as the club sandwich.
Outdoor seating beneath the grounds' tropical canopy makes every meal an occasion, not just a meal. Meals here have followed rounds of golf, post-match cricket teas, and long evenings of tennis for over a century.
The veranda and dining terrace were designed by the club's original founders using Colonial-Lanna architectural principles: raised on teak stilts, wide overhanging eaves, and oriented to catch the prevailing breeze. The giant rain tree overhead was likely planted at the club's inception in 1898, making it as old as the institution itself.
Explore the architecture
Thai cuisine at the Gymkhana has always reflected the flavours of Chiang Mai itself. The kitchen draws on northern Thai tradition and the abundance of fresh produce the region is known for.
The stir-fried squid with holy basil is one of those dishes that appears deceptively simple and reveals itself slowly. Wok heat, fish sauce, fresh chilli, and the particular quality of local basil do the work. It has been on the menu longer than anyone working here can remember.
"The best meals here are the ones where no one is in a hurry. Good food, old friends, the sound of the grounds through the open veranda. That is the Gymkhana at its finest."A long-standing club member
As Chiang Mai's most historic wedding venue, the Gymkhana Club has hosted the city's most memorable celebrations for over a century. The combination of historic grounds, flexible spaces, and an experienced events team makes it a natural home for occasions that matter.
The ancient rain tree that sheltered the club's founders in 1898 now shelters some of the most beautiful weddings in northern Thailand. Its canopy spans the lawn where ceremonies and receptions unfold beneath a living piece of history. The tree is believed to be as old as the institution itself read about the founding of the club in 1898 to understand what this ground has witnessed.
The Gymkhana offers a rare combination: genuine natural beauty, flexible spaces that accommodate intimate ceremonies and large receptions alike, and a team with decades of event experience.
To discuss your wedding and explore what the grounds can offer, reach us directly through Messenger. We will arrange a site visit and walk you through the possibilities.
Whether it is a private dinner for twelve or a wedding reception for three hundred, the Gymkhana team is ready to help you plan an occasion the grounds were made for. Membership information is available for those who want regular access to the restaurant, bar, and all sporting facilities.
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