The club continued to grow throughout the following decades, and it became a major hub of British social life in Bangkok. Activities were mainly centred around the bar, especially at lunchtime on Saturdays. A monthly cinema club was also held. However, operations were disrupted when World War II reached Thailand in 1941. On 9 December, Japanese forces, following the country's declaration of war against the British Empire and its invasion of Malaya and Thailand, commandeered the club grounds and detained most of its members. The club's archival documents up until then were all destroyed.