Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about MeetPlayNow Bangkok League.

New to MeetPlayNow?

If you have not chosen a country yet, the general FAQ explains what MeetPlayNow is, how an amateur racket tournament works, and what you need before your first match.

Read the general FAQ

Can't find your answer?

Ask Khun Somtum — the fastest, easiest way to get a straight answer.

General

Why should I play in MeetPlayNow?

MeetPlayNow connects amateur sports players across Bangkok in a structured league format. You play regular matches against opponents at your level, climb the rankings, and meet like-minded players — without the commitment of a club membership.

How is the league different from one-off tournaments?

A one-off tournament is a single knock-out weekend: lose once and you're out. A MeetPlayNow competition runs over several rounds — Swiss pairing, round robin, or groups followed by a knock-out — and with Swiss a defeat never eliminates you. How many rounds there are (anywhere from 1 to 20), and whether the season ends in playoffs, is decided by the organizer of each competition and shown on its page before you enter.

Can I play if I'm a beginner?

Yes. There are five levels: Total beginner, Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced and Competitive player. You choose your own level for each sport when you join it — it's self-declared and can only be changed until your first match in that sport.

How are the levels defined?

There are five levels — Total beginner, Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced and Competitive player — and you declare yours separately for each sport, changeable until your first match in that sport. The level is not derived from your ELO: it decides the ELO you start from (1000, 1100, 1200, 1300 and 1400 respectively), and from there the rating moves on its own after every match. Your first 10 matches are provisional, when it moves faster (K-factor 40); after that it settles to a slower K-factor of 24.

Is there an age limit?

You must have reached the age of majority in the country where you play — 18 in most of our markets, but 20 in Thailand, where the Civil and Commercial Code sets it and we have no route to collect a parent's consent for anyone younger. Your date of birth is required when you create your account, and if it puts you under that age the registration is refused — there is no organizer approval and no guardian consent route.

Are there prizes?

It depends on the competition. When an organizer sets prizes up they pick from four kinds — a trophy, platform credits, something from a sponsor, or a physical item — and the prizes of a competition are listed on its page. Credits land in your wallet automatically; the rest are handed over by the organizer. Free entry to the next season is not one of them: the platform has no such mechanism.

How do I contact support?

Email support@meetplaynow.com. You can also use the form on the Contact page, which reaches the same inbox. For anything about a match or a competition, the in-platform chat reaches your opponent and the organizer. There is also a support thread with the MeetPlayNow team, but only the team can open it — once it is open you can reply there. We don't promise a response time.

Entrance Fee

How much is the entrance fee?

There is no fixed entrance fee: it is set for each individual tournament by the organizer when the tournament is created, so it varies from tournament to tournament. You'll always see the exact fee on that tournament's registration page before you sign up.

Are court costs included in the fee?

No. The entrance fee covers league administration, rankings, scheduling and platform costs. Players share court rental costs equally for each match they arrange together.

What does my fee cover?

Platform operations, ELO calculations, automated scheduling, customer support, season-end prizes, and partner ecosystem development.

What if I sign up but can't play?

It depends on the competition. If the organizer switched Joker Cards on, you can spend one to postpone a match — the postponement lasts as long as that competition's grace period, and the organizer also decides how many Jokers each player gets. Plenty of competitions run with Jokers off. If you have to pull out altogether, see the refund policy.

How do I pay?

By credit or debit card, through the secure payment gateway on the registration page. That is the only payment method: PromptPay and bank transfer are not supported. Platform credits, a coupon or a referral voucher are applied before the card — and if they cover the whole fee there is nothing left to pay and no card is asked for.

Can I get a refund?

Yes, on a fixed scale. Cancel before the registration deadline and you get 100% back; cancel after the deadline but before the competition starts and you get 30%; once it has started, nothing. Whatever the date, you get the full amount back if the organizer cancels the competition or if it doesn't reach its minimum number of players. Credits you spent on the entry come back on the same scale.

Signing Up

How long is a season?

There is no fixed length. A competition runs the number of rounds its organizer set — anywhere from 1 to 20 — and each round gives you one opponent and a window of days to play them in, so the calendar is that competition's own. Playoffs at the end are optional and the organizer decides whether to have them. Each competition's page shows its rounds and its dates before you enter.

What's my starting ELO as a first-timer?

It depends on the level you declare for that sport: 1000 as a total beginner, 1100 beginner, 1200 intermediate, 1300 advanced, 1400 competitive player. Your rating then moves up or down after each match based on Elo-style calculations — beating a stronger opponent gains more points; losing to a weaker one costs more. For your first 10 ranked matches you are provisional and your rating moves faster (K=40); after that it stabilises (K=24).

I don't know what level I'm at — how do I choose?

Total beginner if you've never played the sport, Beginner if you've played a few times and are still learning the basics, Intermediate if you play now and then and can keep a rally going, Advanced if you play regularly and beat most people at your club, Competitive player if you play in leagues or competitions. Pick the closest one — you can still change it until your first match in that sport.

Are there separate divisions for men and women?

Currently all divisions are mixed. As the community grows we will introduce gender-specific divisions where there is enough demand.

What's the minimum number of players for a competition to run?

It is set per competition by the organizer, and shown on the competition's page. If the registration deadline passes with fewer players than that, the competition is cancelled and everyone who paid is refunded in full — entries are never merged into another level or another competition.

Can I change my level later?

Only before your first match. The level you declare for a sport is locked the moment you play your first match in it, and it stays locked — no reset between seasons, no suggestion based on your rating, no request-a-change flow. After that only your results move your rating.

Which cities does the league cover?

MeetPlayNow currently operates only in Bangkok, Thailand. Expansion to other Thai cities is being evaluated based on community interest.

My sport isn't listed — can you add it?

All six are already live: tennis, padel, pickleball, badminton, squash and ping pong. You can take up any of them on your profile right away. What varies is whether an organizer has published a competition in that sport in your city — if there isn't one yet, your enrolment and your rating are ready for when there is.

How is my personal data handled?

Data is processed under Thailand's Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) B.E. 2562. We collect only what's needed for league operation, never sell data, and you can request access or deletion via the Privacy page.

How the League Works

How do players choose where to play?

Players agree on a venue together using the in-platform chat. If they can't agree, the player listed first on the Matches tab decides — the default surface is hard court.

When are matches scheduled?

There is no weekly draw day. Every round has a fixed deadline, set when the competition is created, so the whole calendar is known from day one — not decided week by week. Round 1 is drawn a few minutes after the registration deadline passes; each later round is drawn right after the previous round's deadline, whether or not every match from that round has actually been played. Inside a round you have until its deadline to agree a court, a day and a time with your opponent.

Are matches refereed?

All matches are self-officiated — players call their own lines and resolve disputes calmly. Honesty and good sportsmanship are required.

How do I contact my opponent?

Use the in-platform chat. The default language is English to ensure clarity across Bangkok's international community. You must reply within 48 hours of being paired.

What if my opponent doesn't respond?

Keep trying until the round's deadline — your chat history is the proof if you need it. If your opponent still hasn't answered when the deadline passes, the match is cancelled automatically: nobody wins, nobody loses, and your rating doesn't move. If you don't want to lose the chance to play, spend a Joker before the deadline to push it back and try again.

What if my opponent shows up late?

A player arriving more than 15 minutes late without prior notice may lose the match by walkover.

What happens if a match isn't played by the deadline?

It's cancelled automatically the moment the deadline passes: nobody wins, nobody loses, zero points for both, and your rating doesn't move. That only happens if neither of you played it — if one of you used a Joker before the deadline, the match stays open and is played later, with real points once the result is entered. And if a dispute is open on the match, it stays open until support resolves it.

What's a Joker Card?

A way to push back your own match deadline before it runs out — if the competition you're in has Jokers switched on (the organizer decides that, and how many each player gets). Spend one and your deadline moves forward by that competition's grace period, giving you more time to play. You have to use it before the deadline: once a match has been cancelled for running out of time, a Joker can no longer bring it back. Jokers belong to the competition you're in — they aren't transferred and they don't carry over.

What's a Super Joker?

A way to replay a match that was closed by walkover — for example your opponent arriving too late. Both players have to agree. It only works on that kind of match: it can't bring back a match that was cancelled automatically because neither of you played it by the round's deadline — that one is closed for good, whatever cards you spend. To avoid reaching that point, use a normal Joker before the deadline instead. A Super Joker costs 2 Joker Cards each — 1 if you already spent a Joker on that same match — and you can use at most 2 per season. Knock-out matches are excluded.

Are matches always against players of similar strength?

Roughly, and it comes from your results rather than from the level you declared. The first round is drawn on ratings; from the second round on you are ordered by points, then by how strong the opponents you have already faced were, and paired with the nearest player you haven't met yet. If everyone left has already played you, you get a rematch rather than no match at all. There are no separate draws per declared category.

How are rankings calculated?

Three signals: league standings (points from wins), your rating, and tiebreakers (strength of schedule). Walkovers and byes earn points but leave the rating untouched.

Who enters the match result?

Either player enters the final score right after playing, and it counts immediately — there is no confirmation step and no waiting period. The other player is notified and, if they disagree, their only move is to contest it: that sends the match to the organizer, who decides on the evidence. Contesting doesn't undo the score in the meantime. Organizers can also enter a score themselves.

How does Swiss pairing work?

After each round, players are ranked by current points. The top-ranked player is paired with the nearest player they haven't yet faced, working down the standings until everyone is paired. This produces fair matchups every round without elimination.

What is the ELO and how does it change?

It's a rating system used in competitive sports — you gain points for winning and lose points for losing, and the amount depends on the gap between you and your opponent: beating a stronger player gains more, losing to a weaker one costs more. It only moves on matches that were played: a walkover or a bye counts in the standings but leaves your rating where it was. There are no level brackets built on it — the level you declared simply decided the rating you started from.

Partners

Why should a venue or brand partner with MeetPlayNow?

Reach an engaged, active audience of amateur Bangkok players. We drive recurring bookings to partner venues and offer brands targeted exposure inside the league experience.

Who is your audience?

Adults 28–45 living and working in Bangkok, with disposable income, who play sport regularly. Both Thai nationals and the international expat community.

What do partners get?

Listing on the Venues page (for courts), branded presence in tournament pages, and access to MeetPlayNow's community newsletter. Pricing depends on scope.

How do I become a partner?

Email partners@meetplaynow.com — the address linked on the Partners page — with your business name, location and the format you have in mind. We don't promise a reply time.

What are the partnership conditions?

Partners must offer a service relevant to amateur sports (venues, equipment, coaching, sports medicine, sports F&B). We maintain editorial control over the league experience.

Who do I talk to about partnerships?

Write to partners@meetplaynow.com. The form on the Contact page reaches us too, and the in-platform chat only reaches the organizer of a competition you are in, so email is the way.

MeetPlayNow FAQ — Playing in Thailand