Thailand Golf Holiday, Thailand Tours, Golf Resorts & Vacation Information

Useful Thailand Golf Expressions

Do you want to be admired and respected by golf club staff, caddies and other local Thais on your Thailand golf vacation? Here’s a tip: learn a few words of Thai golf vocabulary!

Aside from hello and goodbye (sawadee), are you well? (sabai dee mai), and what is your name? (khun chue arai), good luck (chok dee) is a nice thing to say when you are leaving someone, or when having a drink and raising your glass to someone (like “Cheers!”).

Remember, though, to be polite by ending with krap if you are male (even if this grates on western ears), or kaa if you are female.

Thailand golfing terms include: golf course (sanam golf), go to play golf (bai len golf), wood (maai), iron (lek), left (sai), right (gwaa), straight (trong), uphill (tee lum), downhill (tee soong), and small or little (nid noi).

Dress For Success On The Thailand Golf Course

Do you want to be admired and respected by golf club staff, caddies and other local Thais on your Thailand golf vacation? Here’s a tip – wear the right color clothes on the right day!

In Thailand the days of the week are named after the planets in the same order as some Western countries. In Thai, wan (pronounced wun) means day and it comes before the name of the planet. Each day is also associated with a color. Traditionally, people wear items of clothing according to the color of the day.

A friend of mine’s wife and her family are always appreciative when he wears the appropriate color each day. So for a New Year's present, they have given him a variety of different colored golf shirts. He now has the full set and they try to insist that he wears the correct colored shirt each day according to the following chart!!

Loy Krathong Festival While Golfing In Thailand

The upcoming months are a great time to be golfing in Thailand – and if you are planning to be here this month, try to stay over the weekend of November 24th to take in, and indeed participate in, one of Thailand’s most beautiful and popular Festivals.

The Festival is called Loy Krathong, and it takes place on the full moon in November. During the evening, many people will go down to their local klong (canal) or river or even the beach to float their krathongs. They believe this will bring them good luck. The krathongs (small rafts traditionally made from a section of banana tree trunk  - although modern-day versions often use Styrofoam) are decorated with elaborately-folded banana leaves and flowers, and contain a flower, a candle and three incense sticks which are lighted before being placed on the water. The people usually make a wish at the same time. Some believe that if the candle remains burning until the krathong is out of sight then their wish will come true. By the end of the evening, there are hundreds of flickering lights bobbing up and down on the water. Overall it is really a memorable evening and a great way to compliment golf in Thailand.

Happy Thai Mothers Day From Pattaya Thailand

Happy Birthday to Her Majesty the Queen of Thailand! August 12th is the birthday of H.M Queen Sirikit and a Thai public holiday. Lucky for golfers, since August 12th falls on a Sunday this year, the holiday is celebrated on Monday the 13th, this giving those who golf in Thailand a chance to get in an extra round of golf as the courses are less busy than normal due to the Thais visiting their families.

This day is also known in Thailand as "Mothers Day" as Queen Sirikit is regarded as the mother of Thailand. Children young and old will also take time this day to pay respect to their mothers, usually presenting them with flowers.

Two Pattaya golf courses, St. Andrews 2000 and Rayong Green Valley,  even have Mother’s Day specials whereby mothers get free green fees on this day.

The Hua Hin Golf Festival is also coincidently held during this time of year. Special green fees are available at all Hua Hin golf courses. The Jack Nicklaus designed Springfield Golf Club can be played for only 1000 baht per round. Even the new Black Mountain Golf Club, while not specifically participating in the Hua Hin golf festival, is offering reduced green fees.

Cars, Kids, and Pets in Thailand

Today, the third and final part of the “living in Thailand for golf” series will cover Thailand car options, Thailand schools, and for those of you who like pets: how to bring your dog or cat to Thailand?

Bringing your car to Thailand is not a good idea. Cars can be shipped, but it very expensive. A more practical solution for getting wheels in Thailand is to rent, lease or buy your own car. Buying a car is around 10% more expensive than in Europe or the USA. I recommend that you look at the new Toyota Fortuner, an excellent SUV and the first automobile designed in Thailand. A popular choice for a sedan is the Toyota Camry. The new model resembles a Lexus and has many standard features of its more expensive cousin. If you are an outdoors type person and like trekking in the countryside you could also consider a pick up truck. Popular models are available from Isuzu, Mitsubishi, and Toyota.

Driving in Thailand is a lot easier for you if you have an automatic transmission, especially if you will live in one of the main golf destinations like Bangkok, Chiang Mai,or Phuket. Whatever car or truck you chose make sure you purchase first class insurance, which runs about US$600 per year. That way you will be fully insured, whether any accidents are your fault or not.

Buying a Home to Golf in Thailand

Last post covered how to play golf in Thailand everyday by retiring here. Today I will discuss how to buy property in Thailand to live out your golf dream. Thailand land ownership is limited to Thais; however there are 3 common ways foreigners can still “buy” property in Thailand.

1. The most common way to own your home is by being the largest shareholder of a Thai company who owns the property. Of course, this entails setting up a Thai company beforehand.

2. A second option is to engage in a 30 year lease with a Thai individual, including an automatic 30 year renewal. Technically, this is not ownership, but I guess 60 years should be enough for most of us.

3. The third and probably most preferred option for a foreigner wishing to buy a home is to select a condominium, where foreigners can own up to 49% of the units for sale.

In spite of what is reported by the main stream press, I know many people who have followed these proper procedures and don't have problems. I guess it pays to avoid any shady shortcuts or other methods involving Thai “girlfriends” or so called “wives”.

Retiring To Thailand To Play Golf

From time to time, clients of my Thailand golf travel company, after visiting Thailand for a golfing holiday, tell me that they so love the country, its culture and its people, and naturally the golf that they would like to retire to live permanently in Thailand. This is good news for me, as I take personal pride in knowing that others can enjoy the rest of their lives here, and the seed for this decision was initially planted or prompted by them having a memorable Thailand golf vacation.

In the next two postings, I will address some things to consider if you are considering a move to Thailand.

If you are going to retire in Thailand and if you are over 50 years of age you should obtain a Retirement Visa. It's that simple. If you don't then you will be doing a "visa run" every month like tens of thousands of other foreigners.

Thai Hospitality, It Makes Your Golf Day

I have been traveling to Thailand now for just over 15 years and, during this time, have made many friends both Thai and farang (foreigner). As a avid golf traveler, most of these friends are linked to the Thailand golf scene – or maybe a local bar, but that is another story. Also, as an owner of a golf travel agency I regularly get asked to play golf at many different courses throughout Thailand and in particular the Bangkok area.

A couple of weeks ago, I, and a visiting friend from Phuket, were asked to make up a foursome at Thai Country Club. My friend, Brian, is English, but we won’t hold that against him, and it was his first ever visit to this course. I, on the other hand, have played there on many occasions, recommend Thai Country Club to practically all of our golf visitors and am pretty well known by everyone there. They greet me by name at any rate. Well, this particular day, we were playing with a member, an American,  and a German expatriate friend of his. Before golf  we all met in the restaurant where they serve some of the best food in Bangkok. If fact for lunch there is a buffet fit for royalty and if you have followed my fascination and particularity with Thai food, then you know that is saying something!

Newest Thailand Golf Blog

Have you ever wanted a place to share your Thailand and Asian golf stories or just read about the antics of an expatriate Thailand golfer who knows more about golf in Thailand than anyone in the world?

Well look no further. The word is out; Thailand’s newest golf blog can be read at where else than http://www.thailandgolfblog.com, what an appropriate name indeed!

The Thailand Golf Blog author has lived, worked and played golf for over 30 years all around the Far East, with spells in Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Japan and, of course, Thailand. He first visited Thailand in 1977 and eventually relocated to the Land of Smiles in 1991, setting up and running one of the first inbound Thailand golf tour agencies, with offices for golf in Bangkok and golf in Phuket. He now spends most of his time in his native United Kingdom, living with his Thai wife, and is a frequent visitor to Thailand, where he intends to finally retire.

He has made regular contributions to this blog and since then I have invited him to author Thailand Golf Blog in his own inimitable style. You are welcome to post and comment on the new Thailand Golf Blog, preferably in the same light hearted way as the author. Or you can email him at nifteenev@golfasian.com.

Enjoy the reading and let me know what you think!

Ladies Golf in Thailand

Whenever I am traveling overseas and extolling the attractions of golfing in Thailand, sometimes I hear men whining, “Oh, my wife would not let me go on a Thailand golf trip”.  In fact, I am seeing a growing trend where couples are favoring a Thailand golf tour over more traditional destinations. Also, my Thailand golf travel company is hosting more and more dedicated lady golf groups.

Thailand is indeed a 'Paridise For Lady Golfers', not just because of its wide range of golf courses, but also thanks to all those other pluses that most ladies enjoy - fabulous spas, world-class cuisine, lots of value-for-money shopping. Plus, contrary to the old days in Europe and the USA, there’s little golf sexism here. Ladies are very welcome everywhere! Clubhouses have changing facilities for ladies, there are ladies only spas and beauty salons, plus ladies are not only welcome but encouraged to eat/drink at all 19th holes.