For anyone who loves their sport, do you know there is a thriving cricket scene in Bangkok?

Currently there is something like 30 teams which, between October and May, compete in three separate leagues. The type of cricket played ranges from 50 overs-a-side Premier League level to the less demanding 25 overs-a-side A and B divisions. Added to these there are T20 competitions and various 6-a-side tournaments. So basically for cricketers from all backgrounds there is plenty of opportunity to play and enjoy the game which took up your summers back home.

Siam Cricket Club - or the Siam Parrots as we are commonly known - is one of Bangkok’s oldest existing clubs with a history going back the beginning of the millennium. We are a club founded by ex-pats and pride ourselves on our family atmosphere and our spirit of community.

Many of the original Parrots were from Australia, New Zealand, UK and South Africa but over the years the club has attracted players from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, the Caribbean United States and even Canada.

The club has also been instrumental in promoting youth cricket in Thailand itself and, for this reason, is well respected within the broader Thai cricket scene. Currently our club contains members from all around the world and in this sense we are a truly inclusive international community united by our love for the grand old game.

Perhaps most importantly, the Parrots are a club that places great emphasis on enjoying the cricket we play. We are a social unit that displays great camaraderie toward each other whether we win or lose. Our culture is rooted in the rituals and traditions of club cricket and we are open to players of all ages and all levels. Our ethos is cricket’s ethos – that of fairness and honesty.

The Parrots are on the look-out for players to boost membership and to help both our Premier League and Second XI teams prepare for the upcoming Bangkok cricket season. As from the beginning of September, we will hold regular weekend nets at the Bang Na Cricket Academy and we would invite anyone to attend practice sessions with a view to playing and enjoying regular cricket later in the year.

Life in Bangkok can be often frustrating and disorienting. In this respect, cricket is a wonderful distraction and provides a perfect outlet for meeting new people and making new friends. We the Siam Parrots are a club that takes our cricket seriously, but never forgets that enjoyment of the game is paramount to fostering team spirit and club solidarity.

So if you want play cricket, make friends and generally improve the quality of your social life, in your home away from home, we would love to hear from you. Just send email to siamcc2019@gmail.com and we’ll be in touch.

Nicholas Newell