Where beginners can sit down to play 6

Bangkok has several relaxed places where a newcomer can sit down to a game. On Saturday evenings the Red Knight Chess Cafe in Khlong Toei holds a casual chess night with a free blitz tournament for those who want one, and at the café ordering something is part of the evening. On Friday evenings the Bangkok Chess Club gathers on the mezzanine of a pub in Phrom Phong for casual games before the night's tournament, and first-timers can simply walk in.

On Tuesday evenings a social chess group meets at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand, and it has also held rooftop chess evenings at a hotel in Khlong Toei. Further east in Prawet, CapyChess opens its tables for free play on Friday, Saturday and Sunday afternoons with no booking needed, and it teaches beginners from the first moves. A message to the organiser before a first visit helps, especially for the evening groups.