The landscape of the extending metropolis comprised not only manu-
facturing and residential components, but also a leisure industry in the
form of golf courses. Reflecting international trends (especially in the soci-
eties of East Asia), golf emerged in Thailand as a recreational form with
important social and status display functions. By the mid-1980s, member-
ship of the prestigious exclusive clubs was expensive but critical for
aspirants to elite status. The subsequent explosion of golf course devel-
opment both in resort centres and the metropolis reflected the increasing
affluence of the business elites and the expansion of international tourism.
In the period 1990-2 alone, forty-six new golf courses were opened or
planned, while seventy-eight were under construction. The largest number
were located within the BMR and its fringes