Thailand's polo scene

Thailand is Southeast Asia's quiet polo success story. Over the past few decades, serious investment turned the countryside inland of Pattaya — the same valley system as Khao Chee Chan — into the region's premier polo country, with grounds and stabling that visiting professionals rate among Asia's best.

How it happened

• Polo reached Siam in the early 20th century through the royal-era sporting world, but the modern scene is a late-1990s-onward creation, built by Thai and international enthusiasts with the resources to do it properly;
• The Eastern Seaboard became the heartland for the same reasons the region suits horses generally: space, water, and a workable dry-season climate two hours from Bangkok;
• Today the scene revolves around a small number of serious clubs and grounds inland of Pattaya, hosting domestic play and internationally attended tournaments through the cool season, with Bangkok-area facilities completing the map.

What makes it distinctive

• Setting: chukkas against green hills and (in this valley) the gold lines of the Buddha Mountain — the sport's most photogenic backdrop this side of St. Moritz;
• Charity tradition: Thai polo's flagship events have long doubled as charity fundraisers, giving the season a distinctive purpose and public face;
• Accessibility: compared with polo's old-world citadels, the Thai scene is unusually easy for visitors to watch — see watching polo here;
• Regional role: Thai grounds host Southeast Asian tournament polo and development programmes, making the country a hub for the sport's growth in the region.

Planning around it

The season and how to catch a match day: the season page. New to the sport entirely? Two minutes on how polo works, or the full education at our companion site Global Polo Hub.