Bangkok’s well-heeled and wellness-inclined urban crowd are increasingly meeting up at padel courts and setting alarms for exclusive 4am-run clubs.
Instead of making post-work plans at the nearest rooftop bar, more millennials and Gen Z are heading to Padthai Padel, a ‘lifestyle destination’ in the heart of Bangkok where people go to play but also partake in some serious people-watching and showcase athleisure gear.
Sports are no longer just about playing sports. They have evolved into social scenes and communities that are interested in meeting people, buying merch and investing in the latest ‘fit’. You have to dress well to at least feel like you are playing well.
Sports like padel are the new happy hour and are quickly replacing espresso martinis on a Thursday evening. Courts get booked up quickly, much like we once fretted over dinner reservations.
For the uninitiated, padel is a racquet sport usually played as doubles on a small, closed court.
The sport caught on quickly. Having risen to meteoric popularity in cities such as Miami, New York City, Milan and Dubai, it was actually born in Mexico and popularized in Spain and Argentina. Within just a year, we started seeing friends and friends of friends pop up at padel courts across town, even those who claimed to be non-athletic and rarely participated in group sports.
‘Tennis is hard to master, but with padel you feel very athletic very quickly,’ said a 33-year-old padel enthusiast who regularly holds court at Padthai Padel. ‘Amateurs are suddenly feeling like pros and taking it very seriously.’
While golf remains wildly popular and social, and even more so with the younger generation of Thais following the rise of night golf, it takes up significant amounts of time, requires a certain degree of commitment and demands a certain degree of skill, especially when playing together as a group. A typical game of casual padel is fast, and you can be on your way to dinner in just an hour.
‘Padel has taken off with those who missed the post-covid golf train,’ remarked another Bangkokian who frequently appears on the court. ‘It also gives Instagrammers a cultish wellness activity to post about; cute outfits and fancy courts.’
It’s a whole vibe, so to speak. Padel courts are making their way into wellness establishments and leisure destinations, and courts need to offer perks such as craft beer, natural wine and trendy collabs.
The aesthetics are right for this generation, too, and to join is to feel like you are a part of the movement. It leaves those on the sidelines thinking, ‘Wait, are all our friends playing without us?’ But beyond the hype, the glossy Instagram images and the Alo-sponsored events in Bangkok, there is a real appetite here for social communities, and the sleek facilities don’t hurt either.
We are seeing the same kind of appetite for run clubs. Before you chuckle at the cultish nature of it all, there is no denying that Bangkok’s urban set is determined to get fit and to expand their network while doing so. With the rise of highly coveted run clubs like Sabai Run Club and Cruise Control, more people are embracing the idea of putting on running shoes before the sun comes up. These clubs are attracting people with their sociable, relaxed atmosphere, free from strict gatekeeping.
Sabai’s tagline on Instagram is ‘We run a little and socialise a lot,’ which is the exact amount of athleticism that many people desire, especially with the added allure of coffee stops and the occasional sunrise rooftop party at 4.30am.
“To get hundreds of people to wake up at 3.30 a.m. to join a 4 a.m. run is incredible influence. I can barely get friends to go to coffee with me before 11!” Says a 30 year Thai entrepreneur.
All in all, there is a social shift in how the new generation is choosing to sweat. Several years ago, it may have been the high-adrenaline spin class or boutique boxing gyms. Whatever the activity, these new social sports highlight how interaction and community matter more than ever these days.