Five friends on holiday in Spain took inspiration from Mallorca’s courtside social scene and translated it into a future Bangkok institution.
As the padel craze sweeps the globe, tennis remains a smash hit in Thailand. In wealthy Bangkok neighbourhoods, courts rival swimming pools. One of the Thai capital’s seemliest new openings is The Lobb Club, which started out with a conversation between five friends on holiday in Mallorca. Enamoured with the Spanish island’s approach to socialising around racquet sports, this group of young entrepreneurs decided to create something similar at home, roping in two more friends.
The founders spent six months trying to find a plot of land near Sukhumvit Road, Bangkok’s main artery, before settling on Yan Nawa, a residential district in the south of the city. The up-and-coming area is near the central business district and home to an increasing number of high-rise property developments and international schools. This colourful take on a classic sports and social club, which opened in March, has transformed a former metals warehouse into two courts, five tennis simulators, a pickleball court and an ice bath. The Lobbar restaurant overlooks the on-court action and invites players to enjoy a post-match feast of Thai rice dishes, including pad kaphrao (stir-fried beef with a fried egg) and khao khai khon (creamy omelette). “We want to create a place in Bangkok to hang out and play sports,” says co-founder Ruchchapa “Pung” Jaochakarasiri, who intends to turn an empty building adjacent to the clubhouse into a wellness facility.
The 29-year-old architecture graduate heads to the club after her day job at a property developer. Most of the owners work full-time – the club draws on each of their skill sets, from branding to marketing. And it has paid off. A few months in and The Lobb Club has become a popular destination for workers aspiring to be the next Paradorn Srichaphan, Thailand’s most famous tennis pro. Booking a court is already competitive and there is talk of a second outpost as landowners with vacant plots vie for a slice of the action.
The distinguished multi-sport club in the Spanish capital boasts 35,000 members and an extensive waiting list. We head to the greens with its manager to find out what makes it worth it.
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