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

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.

After Bangkok Golf Cheap Restaurant Guide

After a long day at a Bangkok golf course where is the best cheap restaurant to eat at? Excluding sidewalk restaurants (the topic for another post) here are four places that you should investigate after your next round of golf in Bangkok, all under $10 USD a head, including alcohol!

1. Steak Lao restaurant is on Chang Wattana in Ram Intra, 100 yards from the outer ring road exit. The restaurant is an ideal place to visit after golfing at Panya Indra Golf Club, Legacy Golf Club, Windsor Park or President Country Club. It has a true rustic Thai feel and the sizzling steak Lao dish is fantastic. By the way in addition to beef “steak Lao” comes in pork, chicken, and fish. Yes that’s right fish and if you have to ask, well just order one of the other varieties!

2. Via Vie is an Italian restaurant on Soi 8.  What better than a pizza and beer after a day at the golf course? Well this jewel of a restaurant has the best wood fired pizzas in all Bangkok, if not Thailand. The other night after dropping off my mates from a round at Thai Country Club, I went into Via Vie for their specialty pizza margarita and a warm spinach salad. Ricardo the owner cooked for me as usual, came over, and we even shared a beer. The total tab, including 2 beers was not even $10 dollars.  As an added plus for those golfing at Santiburi Country Club, the original Via Vie is on Chewang beach and is run by Ricardo’s brother!

Thai Golfers Stomach

Sometimes, I as an amateur golfer in Thailand together with my professional golfer friends often look for new local talent at the driving ranges around Bangkok.

This week, continuing with my regular visits,  I once again bumped into this Thai lady, who is the girlfriend of a very good friend of mine.  An attractive 28 year-old lady, Nok (Thai for ‘bird’) is of slightly larger stature than the traditional Thai but by no means does that mean she is a big girl. Nok possesses a talent that I have to explain.

Having seen her taking past lessons with the local Thai professional, Nok has conquered the grief of over setting her wrists, collapsing her left side and a straightening her right leg. This time, as before, I was really looking forward to seeing her get her usual joy from hitting one crisp strike after another. Imagine my feeling when she turns up and cannot hit a single shot! Balls are topped off the tee and flying in all directions. Definitely not the norm for Nok and she was not a happy girl.

Insider's Guide To Non Golf Activities in Bangkok Thailand (Part 2 of 2)

Here are the final 8 of my best suggestions for non golf and non tourist activities to do while winding down or taking a day off from your Bangkok golf.

9. Take a walk in the park. Lumpini Park, at the intersection of Silom Road and Rama IV, is the city's oldest and most popular park. It's location near the centre of the business district means that is attracts an upscale early morning crowd of exercisers and Tai Chi practitioners from the time it opens at 6am until around 8am. The park has two lakes, and paddle boats are available for rent. There is also a library, and at certain times of the year the park becomes the domain of the city's kite flyers.

10. Use an Internet Café. Over the past few years the number of Internet Cafes has grown enormously, not only in Bangkok, but across Thailand. Regardless of where you stay there will almost definitely be an Internet Cafe within walking distance. Most offer high speed broadband access at reasonable cost and some offer refreshments and food.

11. Shop at Chatuchak "Weekend" Market. Claimed to be the biggest weekend market in the world, it's actually open every day except Tuesday, but with many more traders at the weekend, especially on Sundays.

Insider's Guide To Non Golf Activities in Bangkok Thailand (Part 1 of 2)

Some people come to Thailand on golf trips, play golf everyday for two or three weeks and, by the end of their trip, whilst still enjoying their golf, are beginning to tire of tourist traps, partying, or sitting in their hotel room or in a bar each evening.

Over the next 2 days I will discuss 16 alternative things to do in Bangkok on your days off from golf or in the evenings. Please note that I am not talking here about the ‘must do’ tourist attractions such as the Grand Palace, the Chao Praya River, Wat Arun , Wat Pho, Jim Thompson’s House, the Floating Market, etc., or the usual nightspots.

1. Take in a movie. Most of Bangkok cinemas are world-class - crystal clear viewing, digital sound and very comfortable seating. Some theatres even have a first class section with  lazy boys in single or love seat configurations, free blankets, soft drinks, hors d'oeuvres and of course popcorn. Check the English language papers (Bangkok Post and The Nation) for locations and current offerings. The Emporium and Siam Discovery Centre are convenient as both can be reached by Skytrain. The very latest films are shown, sometimes months before the overseas release date, with the normal English soundtrack subtitled in Thai.

2. Experience Thai Boxing.  Muay Thai, is best enjoyed at Lumpini Boxing Stadium. You can get front row seats and meet the star attractions after their bouts for a photo session.

3. Go bowling. Usually located on the top floor of shopping malls alongside a host of other entertainments - cinemas, video games, karaoke, computer games and food halls- bowling alleys in Bangkok are state-of-the-art.

Food and Drink Costs at Thailand Golf Courses

As with almost any golf course throughout the world, food and drinks are available at all Thailand golf clubs. On the other hand, unlike golf clubs in the USA or Europe, the food and drink prices at Thailand golf clubs are very reasonable and of good value.

While more expensive than outside the course, 15 baht (US$0.40) for bottled water is not bad. Coke and other soft drinks can be purchased for around 25 baht (US$0.70).  At each of the rest stops, found every 3 holes on Thailand golf courses, you will also find an assortment of food for the golfer on offer.

The selection varies greatly among the courses and even from day to day at the same place. Some courses are well stocked and others have only 1-2 items available at their halfway houses. Most common are an assortment of snacks and chips (30 baht a bag) and hot items like Dim Sum (steamed dumplings, 30 baht for 5), boiled eggs (10 baht each) , fresh fruit (10 baht for one piece), flavored sticky rice wrapped in banana leaves (25 baht each), and fried chicken or hot dogs (30 baht each).

Songkran Festival Golf in Thailand

If you are thinking of a Thailand golf trip in next few months, why not aim to be here in April and join in Thailand’s Songkran Festival. Songkran is the Thai New Year celebration which starts on April 13, when the sun moves into Aries. This national holiday customarily lasts for three days, and even longer in Chiang Mai and Pattaya. The word 'Songkran' originates from the Sanskrit meaning 'beginning of the solar year'. So, the holiday-loving Thais get to celebrate New Year three times each year: the Western New Year on January 1, the Chinese New Year in February, and the Thai New Year in April.

Traditionally, Thais visit temples at this time of year to offer food to the monks and to participate in bathing ceremonies for Buddha images. Another custom is the releasing of small fish into rivers and canals. This merit-making act is thought to come from the old practice of collecting small fish from dried out pools, to keep and later release back into the wild.

These days, during Songkran festival most people throw water on one another to keep cool and have fun. It is the one time of year where the Thais and visitors freely mix together and let their hair down, so to speak. Whatever part of Thailand you happen to be in, you can go out on the streets and enjoy the good fun. But watch out, and keep your cool the first time you get wet!

Golf Holiday in Phuket: Four Insider Tips

Here are four of my top tips to make your golfing holiday in Phuket more enjoyable:

1. Changing money: There are lots of banks and exchange booths both in Phuket Airport and in the main tourist areas such as Patong and Karon/Kata Beaches and Laguna Resort. They are all competitive and it is much better to change your foreign currency there than at your hotel. You need to have your passport if you are exchanging traveler's’ checks or getting cash (or shopping) with your credit card.

2. Eating out etc.- there are loads of restaurants, bars etc. in Patong. Walk along the beach road until you get to Soi Bangla. 'Soi' means street. Turn right. Explore the small Soi's leading off Soi Bangla, and also go to the top of Soi Bangla onto the second road back from the beach (200 Year Road). There are also restaurants going past Soi Bangla on the beach road. Some recommendations: for seafood, The Savoey (sic) and No. 6 Restaurant. Good inexpensive Thai: Sabai Sabai Soi Post Office, and Kaab Gluay on the outskirts of Patong near the (only) Temple (soon after the Esso Gas Station). If you get tired of Thai food and just want a good steak: Sam's in the Holiday Inn, not far from the Amari. Out of Patong: Kang Eng Chalong Bay, about 30 minutes from Patong by tuk-tuk, and Ka Jok Si in Phuket Town (you need to make a reservation).

Golf in Thailand: 5 Essential Items to Bring to the Course

Golf in Thailand can be different from golf in other parts of the world and many of the unique attributes of Thailand golf have been covered in my previous posts. One area that is often overlooked or assumed to be the same is what to bring with you to the golf course.

Five of the essential items to bring to the golf course in Thailand (aside from your golf clubs) include:

1. Light, loose fitting, cotton garments, including cotton socks. Many golfers prefer to wear tailored shorts (with black socks!) rather than long pants as this affords the best balance of comfort and fashion. Whilst Thai golf courses tend to be more relaxed than those in other parts of the world, the usual standards of dress still apply. Pretty much anything you feel comfortable in will be “allowed” ,the only exceptions being cut-off jeans and t-shirts which are frowned upon.

Thailand Golf Food and Drink

With great Thailand golf plans in hand, golf holiday dates firmed up, and tee times confirmed, what else do you need to be aware for your Thailand golf vacation? 

The short answer is food and water! Here are some tips to help ensure that you enjoy your time golfing in Thailand.

Before play, don't skip meals. This could affect your focus and energy levels dramatically. I suggest you eat a small, balanced meal 30 to 60 minutes before tee time. An example of this may be a low-fat and low-carbohydrate snack, a piece of fruit and at least 12 to 16 ounces of bottled water. Skip the caffeinated drinks like soft drinks, coffee or tea. Caffeine will cause you to dehydrate, which is a very bad situation when walking a hot Thailand golf course.