A History of the Rotary Club of Bangkok

Rotary International was founded by Chicago attorney Paul P. Harris on 23 February 1905 as a place where professionals with diverse backgrounds could exchange ideas and form meaningful, lifelong friendships. From those origins, Rotary grew into a global movement present on every continent. The Rotary Club of Bangkok, founded in 1930, stands among the most historically significant clubs in the Asia-Pacific region.

The Founding of the Rotary Club of Bangkok, 1930

On the evening of 17 September 1930, sixty-nine men gathered for dinner at the Phya Thai Palace Hotel in Bangkok. They represented fifteen nationalities — among them Thai royalty, British barristers, American diplomats, Swiss merchants, Dutch ambassadors, and leaders of the city's foremost commercial enterprises.

By the close of that evening, the Rotary Club of Bangkok had been formally constituted, becoming the first Rotary club in the Kingdom of Thailand and one of the most internationally diverse clubs in Rotary history.

Origins: Davidson and the Prince of Kamphaengphet

The founding of the Rotary Club of Bangkok was the product of a sustained effort by two individuals of complementary purpose.

James W. Davidson, a Canadian Rotarian from Calgary, departed Montreal in August 1928 on what became a two-year global mission to extend the Rotary movement. During that journey he personally chartered twenty-three Rotary clubs across twelve countries, from Turkey to Southeast Asia. Paul Harris himself dubbed him "the Marco Polo of Rotary."

Davidson arrived in Bangkok in August 1930 and, in H.R.H. Prince Purachatra Jayakara, Prince of Kamphaengphet, found the senior Thai partner whose standing and conviction would make a Bangkok club possible.

Prince Purachatra, then Thailand's Minister of Commerce and Transport, had been educated at Harrow School and Trinity College, Cambridge. Already familiar with Rotary through club luncheons across Asia, he had formed a clear understanding of its purpose.

"There are many people who are skeptical about all the talk of the brotherhood of man and that sort of sentiment, but as a convinced Rotarian I do believe that this movement, if fostered in the proper spirit, will go far towards creating an international spirit of the right kind, which will remove causes of friction and useless and selfish struggle among business and professional men, by inculcating a sense of useful co-operation and mutual service."

The Organization Dinner: 17 September 1930

The charter gathering of 17 September 1930 was described at the time as extraordinary in its composition. The sixty-nine attendees constituted, at that moment, a world record for national diversity in any Rotary club — a distinction consistent with Bangkok's position as an international commercial and diplomatic centre.

Prince Purachatra was travelling on official duties the evening of the founding dinner and was therefore absent. He was nonetheless unanimously elected Charter President by acclamation, and a telegram was dispatched immediately to notify him and secure his acceptance.

The first weekly luncheon meeting was held on Thursday, 2 October 1930, at the Rajdhani Hotel near Hua Lamphong Railway Station. The club subsequently moved to the Phya Thai Palace Hotel, which became its early home during the club's formative years.

The Rotary Club of Bangkok was assigned Charter Number 3392 by Rotary International, with the charter formally received on 28 November 1930.

The Second World War and Continuity of Purpose

The outbreak of war in the Far East in December 1941 brought the club's formal activities to an end. However, a nucleus of committed members resolved to maintain the bonds of Rotary fellowship during the period of conflict.

Under the designation "Service Association of Bangkok", this group continued to meet weekly in private, adapting Rotary's constitution to wartime conditions.

The Association sustained charitable work throughout the war years, including support for girl orphans at Chulalongkorn Hospital, the Foundation for the Welfare and Education of the Blind, and families made homeless by aerial bombardment of the city.

Following the war, Rotary International restored Charter Number 3392 to the club in October 1946. The charter was formally presented in April 1947 by the post-war District Governor in a ceremony marking the renewal of the club's founding commitments.

Establishment and Growth

From the sixty-nine charter members of fifteen nationalities who gathered in September 1930, the Rotary Club of Bangkok developed into one of the most respected clubs in the Asia-Pacific region and across the global Rotary movement.

The club has served as the founding or sponsoring body for numerous Rotary clubs across Thailand and has been home to members who have gone on to serve at the highest levels of Rotary International.

The founding principle articulated by Prince Purachatra — that friendship across nationalities, professions, and backgrounds sustained by service can create meaningful change — has remained central to the club's identity.

The weekly Thursday luncheon established at the club's first meeting in October 1930 continues to this day, representing an enduring tradition of fellowship and service.

"The Rotary Club of Bangkok is still growing. Its roots are deep and firm in the soil, enriched by something more than mere age. It is hoped that the years ahead will bring an era of even greater achievements." — Rotarian Luang Sit Sayamkarn

H.R.H. Prince Purachatra Jayakara: Charter President and Father of Rotary in Thailand

H.R.H. Prince Purachatra Jayakara, Prince of Kamphaengphet, served as the Charter President of the Rotary Club of Bangkok and is widely recognised as the founding figure of the Rotary movement in Thailand.

His standing as a senior member of the Thai Royal Family, his international education and professional achievements, and his personal conviction regarding Rotary's potential made him the indispensable partner in establishing Thailand's first Rotary club in September 1930. Rotarians across the country regard him as the Father of Thai Rotary.

Background and Public Service

Prince Purachatra was born on 23 January 1881, a son of H.M. King Chulalongkorn (Rama V). He received his secondary education at Harrow School in England before studying engineering at Trinity College, Cambridge.

He later pursued additional studies in France and the Netherlands, developing expertise in civil engineering and canal design. Upon returning to Thailand, he served as a military engineer and officer in the Siamese Royal Army for seventeen years before entering government service.

In 1926, Prince Purachatra was appointed Minister of Commerce and Transport. In this role he applied his engineering knowledge and administrative leadership to modernising Thailand's national infrastructure. He is credited with the modernisation of Thailand's railway network, earning recognition as the Father of the Thai Railways, and with introducing radio broadcasting to the country, for which he is also remembered as the Father of Thai Radio.

James W. Davidson, the Canadian Rotarian from Calgary who partnered with Prince Purachatra to found the Bangkok club, later wrote:

"I really do not believe there is another person in Siam more energetic and more capable than Prince Purachatra."

Davidson recalled visiting the Prince at his palace and finding him simultaneously receiving an American telephone switchboard delegation, conducting other official meetings, and still taking time to demonstrate a private collection of natural-colour film footage — all at once.

Engagement with Rotary International

Before the founding of the Rotary Club of Bangkok, Prince Purachatra had attended Rotary luncheons in Manila, Tokyo, Shanghai, Tientsin, Kuala Lumpur, and Singapore, among other cities across Asia. On these occasions, the only emblem he wore on his uniform was the Rotary button — a deliberate expression of his identification with the organisation's ideals.

He was elected Charter President of the Rotary Club of Bangkok at the founding dinner on 17 September 1930, even though he was travelling on official duties at the time. Prince Purachatra served three presidential terms: 1930–1931, 1931–1932, and 1933–1934.

In 1935, he was appointed Honorary Commissioner of Rotary International. That same year he became the first District Governor of Rotary District 80, the district that then covered Southeast Asia and surrounding territories. He was later re-elected to a second consecutive term as District Governor — an exceptional demonstration of confidence from clubs across the region.

Nobel Prize–winning author Pearl S. Buck, speaking at the 1959 Rotary International Convention, recalled meeting the Prince:

"The prince was giving a luncheon for Rotary; he himself being a Rotarian. He was a very charming person, and I enjoyed sitting next to him... And when he sat down, I said, 'Have you been in our Midwest?' He said, 'No, but that speech was sent to me from Chicago.'"

Later Life and Legacy

Prince Purachatra died on 14 September 1936 at the age of fifty-five in Singapore, where he had been living with his family following the Siamese Revolution of 1932 and his withdrawal from public life in Thailand. He died while completing his second term as District Governor of District 80.

The Rotary Club of Bangkok has continued to recognise his founding role across the decades that followed. A commemorative postage stamp bearing his portrait was issued in his honour, copies of which the club has distributed to members. The club's historical publications continue to open with his photograph and words, and anniversary programmes regularly acknowledge his contribution.

A signed photograph — "To Paul Harris with kind regards, Purachatra, Sept 1935" — records the personal connection between the founder of Thai Rotary and the founder of the global Rotary movement.

The club he helped to establish has continued to grow in influence across the region, supporting the expansion of Rotary throughout Thailand and preserving in Bangkok the tradition of international fellowship across professions, nationalities, and backgrounds that Prince Purachatra identified as Rotary's most important quality.