Thailand Golf Holidays, Phuket Golf Packages, Hua Hin Golf Vacations

No Snow Or Freezing temperatures Here, Just Smiles!!!!

I have been reading and seeing on TV the horrendous chaos caused both in the States and across Europe recently by the snow storms and freezing temperatures. Well over here in Thailand the nearest we got to snow was a few fake snow drops on the Christmas trees in all the shopping centres!

Currently the weather in Thailand is very pleasant at around the mid 20’s centigrade with some cool breezes. It’s the perfect golfing weather. Sorry, I am not trying to make you jealous, but at this time of year, the birds are singing, the caddies are smiling, the courses are in tip top condition and the only reason for taking the golf umbrella is to get some shade from the sun. 

Ok so you are jealous...well after the snow has eventually melted, your local green keepers will be working overtime, as I expect your local course will probably need some serious maintenance. No golf today!
So if I was you, I would pack the clubs and the sun block and grab a plane....I hear they are all flying again, so why not head over here and join us?  Playing golf in Thailand is very easy. The only problem is which out of the 250 course you pick.

Thailand Really Is A Golfer’s Paradise

We all get bombarded by travel agents jargon or see the Tourist Boards latest TV adverts extolling their countries fantastic features. One such feature here in Thailand is golf!

Well I can safely say that Thailand golf is in a very healthy state here in the Kingdom of smiles with thousand of overseas players playing here every year. But it’s not just the tourists who love it here, so do the professionals who make their living out of the game.

Thailand recently hosted the 5th edition of the Royal Trophy, Seve Ballesteros’s version of the Ryder Cup, with Europe playing the best of Asia. This year’s edition moved down to Hua Hin’s Black Mountain, one of my favourite Thai golf courses. It seems that several of Captain Colin Montgomerie’s team also agree with me too.

Bangkok Dining

Many on a Thailand golf package spend at least a few days in Thailand’s capital during their golf holiday as it offers convenient flight connections to around the world in addition to great golf, high standard accommodation, shopping, dining and entertainment. I am often asked for restaurant suggestions and while I do not claim to be a foodie, I know what I like. Here is a brief list of some of my favorites:


ITALIAN
There are many good Italian restaurants all over Bangkok in various price ranges. The ones at the Sheraton on Sukhumvit and the Dusit Thani hotels are both very good at the higher end. Others I like a lot that are more moderately priced include La Gritta on Sukhumvit Soi 19, Basilico on Sukhumvit Soi 33, Via Vai on Sukhumvit Soi 8 and Limoncello on Sukhumvit Soi 11.  All offer a great pizza and nice wines as well as an assortment of homemade pastas and more.

THAI
This one is almost impossible because great Thai food is served up in so many places. Even the street food can be good though I don’t particularly enjoy sitting in plastic chairs on the sidewalk and dining a few feet from diesel belching busses while dodging the motorcycle taxi boys flying past our table.  For cheap and good, I like the outdoor corner restaurant just a few meters down Sukhumvit Soi 14 from the Asok Skytrain. At the higher end, the better hotels almost all have good Thai restaurants. It’s hard to go wrong with Thai food in Thailand and often the difference in price is more related to the atmosphere than the food itself.

Amazing Thailand Always Amazes You

Those who have visited Thailand agree that it is almost impossible to explain for those who haven’t.  Different.  Even just plan weird.  The Tourism Authority of Thailand’s official slogan of ‘Amazing Thailand’ sums it up fairly well though comes off as just another cheeky marketing slogan until you’ve actually experienced it. Even among Asian cultures it stands out as unique.

Thailand is one of the few places in Asia that has never been under the rule or dominance of a western country, which may explain some of its’ uniqueness. Also the country has little war history other than long ago border conflicts with Burmese, Khmers and Laotians. The rulers of Thailand have long been able to avoid war and outside rule by deftly playing off leading world powers against one another to remain on good terms with all.

The weirdness begins from the moment you land in Bangkok, whose airport name is written Suvanabhumi but pronounced “Sue wanna boom’“. Even pilots and flight attendants frequently get it wrong during in flight announcements.

Fly up to Chiang Mai.  Or is it Chiangmai?  Or Chang My?  As there is no official transliteration from Thai script to the Roman alphabet you can spell it anyway you want. Street names get really weird as different maps spell the same roads differently while the actual signs on the road may vary from any of them.