In Thailand, Asia's Golfing Paradise

Thailand boasts over 200 golf courses, many of which rate among the best in the world. Add to this, excellent clubhouse facilities, impeccable services and the cornucopia of non-golfing attractions that Thailand is famous for and what you have is endless possibilities of customised golfing holidays to suit every need.

- Joseph Rozario

THAILAND, ETERNAL TOURIST PARADISE, HAS hordes of tourists flocking to its shores, drawn by its treasure trove of emerald seas, silvery beaches, spectacular scenery, a vibrant nightlife and mouth-watering Thai food. But beyond these well-known draws, there are other segments of the Thai tourism pie that have steadily inched up on the popularity scale. One of them is golf which is slowly but surely beginning to add to the kingdom’s ever swelling tourist arrivals, thanks to Tourism Authority of Thailand’s (TAT) concerted efforts to this end.

Golf and Thailand

Hard though it may seem to conceive, Thailand is a major golfing destination, with a golfing history that dates back a century. Then played by the nobles and elitists, the sport soared on the popularity graph during golfing legend Tiger Wood’s heyday in the nineties and the decade after, in view of his part Thai parentage. A second wave of popularity swept through the nation soon after with star Thai golfers Thongchai Jaidee and sisters Ariya Jutanugarn and Moriya Jutanugarn sending ripples in golfing circles.

Golf, a sport of the upper crust and a niche segment of the Thai tourist spectrum, may not seem an attractive proposition to augment the kingdom’s tourist revenues; but consider Thailand's mindboggling number of golf courses, which now number at over 200, and TAT’s efforts seem aimed in the right direction. Among TAT’s initiatives to promote Thailand as a world-class golfing destination include a popular annual event called Thailand Golf Travel Mart (TGTM) which invites golf tour operators from the world around to meet with suppliers from Thailand’s golf industry. Together with tour operators, members of the overseas media are also invited to cover the event.