Destination Pickleball in Thailand,Malaysia, & Vietnam with Video Gameplay
- Greg Hung
- Feb 15
- 4 min read
Updated: Mar 17
Since taking up pickleball in Vancouver, Canada it was a natural fit for me on my next Asia trip to bring my pickleball paddle. Pickleball by nature doesn't require a lot of gear other than your paddle, a ball, court shoes, and a hat. Last year I did just this and brought my pickleball paddle to Bangkok Thailand and Kuala Lumpur Malaysia. I managed to play a social game at a local club in Petaling Jaya, which is a hot bed for pickleball (25 minutes drive from Kuala Lumpur city centre).
However in 2025 I started to hear about the pickleball and digital nomad scene in Danang Vietnam. In 22025 I spent 3 weeks in Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, and Danang and I brought my pickleball paddle with me. As I'm writing this I'm in a cafe in Danang and I can happily say this trip has been a pickleball paradise.
A pickleball paradise in terms of the places to play, high quality facilities, cost, and friendly community.
Reclub App
The reclub app is a good starting point for finding pickleball games in Asia I've been told from Bangkok, Danang Vietnam, or even Kuala Lumpur Malaysia. Search for the city and country you're looking for and add yourself to some communities. I'm still fairly new to this app myself.
Bangkok Thailand
For Bangkok Thailand a friend told me about Benjakitti Park. I checked it out with some friends and found out that by using the line app you can actually make court bookings ahead of time in english. You can also rent paddles for free. The facility had at least 7 or more courts I recall and nicely surfaced. I recommend to download the line app. To book courts you will also need the CSTD Smart member app. To become a member is free you just need to complete some information and you don't need to be Thai. As far as meeting players I would try the reclub app. My last tip is to play at night or early in the morning at this facility as there is air conditioning.
A new discovery in 2025 was the Asok Sports Club, which is walking distance from the terminal 21 shopping mall. It's a nice multi-sport air conditioned facilities that offers open play for all levels. The cost is150 thai baht ($4.46USD) for about 2 hours. Here is the schedule and contact information. I recommend connecting with them on instagram or the line app. As of March 2025 you don't need to pre-register, but it's recommended to contact them before.
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - The Pickleball Capital
Having spent less than a week in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia I could say that Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia is the pickleball capital of Asia. From the variety of courts and games available to join there is no current competition. I recommend downloading the reclub app to see what games are available. You can check the location, the level, details of the session, and chat with the organizer. As someone from overseas you will to register beforehand and need to message the host direct and explain that you can pay them in cash otherwise you may not be invited to the game. Games to drop in range from 7RM ($1.57) to 55RM ($12.36 USD) on the high end.
On my trip last year I had the experience playing at Satellite Sports PJ, which is a short drive away from the city centre. They have indoor and outdoor courts and the price can range from 30RM an hour to 50RM and hour depending on the day you book.
This year I tried the OG club called the pickleball social club (PSC)has a drop in on the high end at 55RM for the novice session. The pickleball social club has their own site and requires you to have a DUPR rating. To set this up you need to create a DUPR account separately and link it to the PSC site and the reclub. The PSC club is pricier, but has amazing facilities and their open sessions count towards your DUPR rating. It you want to play at a 3.25 level or higher you will need to start with novice.
I played at several facilities in Kuala Lumpur and I noticed they have a range of offerings from your indoor air conditioned pickleball club, to covered facilities on the rooftop of some old parking lots with restaurant and bars. The courts are generally in good condition and the sheer number of courts you see on the reclub app are astounding. I may deeper on this for subscribers as I'm just scratching the surface.
Playing abroad can be a surreal experience playing and a good way to meet new friends in a brand new environment. I hope to update this site with more content in the future.
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