American Women’s Club (AWC)
171-173 Soi Phromsi Sukhumvit 49/11
Bangkok 10110 Thailand
Tel: 662-381-9225, 662-712-8054
Fax: 662-712-8055
email: awc_th@usa.net
website: http://members.tripod.com/awc_th/
Only American women can become regular members. The ladies meet for coffee hours, go on tours or play bridge, golf or tennis. They also have a workshop for their annual Christmas Bazaar, publish a magazine with the title Sawaddi (meaning "Welcome"), have a registry for "Thai servants" (see above) and engage in philanthropic activities.
Australian-New Zealand Women’s Group
c/o Embassy of Australia
Tel 2872680
c/o Embassy of New Zealand
Tel 251-8165
The club accepts as members Australian and New Zealand women as well as women of other nationalities who are married to Australians or New Zealanders; those who can otherwise prove that they are attached to Australia or New Zealand are accepted at the discretion of the membership committee. The ladies engage in tennis, bridge, mahjong and voluntary welfare work. They also publish a guide book on Bangkok which is tailored for expatriate house wives. For a short review of the book please see the introduction to this chapter.
British Women’s Group
c/o British Embassy, Tel 253-0191 to 9
c/o British Club, Tel 234-0247, 234-2592
Allowed to become members are female British citizens or the wives of British men, as well as those born in the UK or with a strong attachment to Britain. The ladies enjoy golf, squash, tennis, badminton, yoga, bridge and mahjong. They also have a monthly luncheon and dedicate some of their leisure time to meaningful philanthropic activities.
Christian Women’s Club
Every 2nd Tuesday of a month, Christian women of various denominations meet for a luncheon at the Siam Intercontinental Hotel.
Drehscheibe
c/o Embassy of United Germany
This group of German speaking women meets to play tennis or go on excursions. They conduct welfare work in orphanages and, according to the Bangkok Book of the Australian-New Zealand Women’s Group, even in prisons (that should add some thrill to their lives).
Indonesian Women’s Association
c/o Indonesian Embassy
600-2 Petchburi Road
Tel 252-3135 to 40, Ext 66
Japanese Women’s Group
c/o Japanese Association (see above)
c/o Embassy of Japan
For Japanese women only
Korean Women’s Association
c/o Mrs Chung, Tel 251-0486
For Korean women only
International Women’s Club (U.W.C.)
P.O. Box 11/1475, Bangkok
No national, only sexual boundaries this one; applicants for membership must be sponsored by two members. Among the activities is a once a month luncheon at a five star hotel.
United Nations Women’s Club
c/o UNDP, Box 618, Bangkok 10200
Exclusively for women associated with the UN bureaucracy. They engage in cultural and social activities.
National Council of Women in Thailand
Manangkisila Mansion, Lanluang Road
Tel 281-0957, 281-0206
This is a Thai organization, not associated with the Thai government but under Royal patronage. The council aims to improve the conditions for women in Thailand. It’s different from the women’s organizations named before as it rather aims to help women who work as servants, not the foreign ladies who need guidance on how to hire and fire them.
Soroptimists International of Bangkok
c/o Edith Stewart, Tel 233-2610 to 9
The group is organized similar to Rotary and Lions clubs but is exclusively for women. Only those invited can become members, and each profession or business line is represented by just one member.
Soroptimists International of Dusit
GPO Box No 1041, Bangkok
c/o Khun Naphalai Areesorn, Tel 392-9318
Bangkok Women’s Forum
A multi-national group of women who classify themselves as "career and professional women" (Bangkok Book of the Australian-New Zealand Women’s Group). Members don’t need to be currently employed and wives of expatriate executives who have a profession but have sacrificed their career can also apply (Tel 258-5663).
