BANGKOK – The golf establishment in Thailand has launched ‘Golf in a Kingdom: The Thai Golf Experience’, a cooperative itinerary that matches the country’s top courses with leading hotels.
Mark Siegel, president of Bangkok-based tour operator, Golfasian, said, “I think golfers in North America have an inkling that golf is played in Thailand; Europeans have slightly more of an inkling, but I don’t think golfers on either continent fully realise that this is a country with more than 250 courses, many of them as good as you’ll find anywhere in the world.â€
The Tourist Authority of Thailand (TAT) has partnered with eight golf properties, Golfasian and six of the country’s premier resort hotels to produce ‘Golf in a Kingdom: The Thai Golf Experience’.
According to TAT, some 3.2 million visitors arrived in Thailand the first quarter of 2009 — a 19 percent decrease from the same period in 2008.
“I live here and the reality is, the political issues in Thailand haven’t had any effect on the day-to-day lives of citizens or tourists — but the economic slowdown has surely affected tourists: prices have dropped across the board,†Siegel said.
â€Launching ‘Golf in a Kingdom’ now has allowed us to offer value we could not have offered in 2008.â€
Golf courses included in the tour are:
Banyan Golf Club, Hua Hin; Chiang Mai Highlands Golf & Spa
Resort; Muang Kaew Golf Club, the closest course to Bangkok; Santiburi Chiang Rai Country Club; Santiburi Samui Country Club, site of the newest Asian Tour event, the Queen’s Cup; Siam Country Club and Thai Country Club, site of Tiger Woods’ 1997 Asia Honda Classic victory.
The resorts taking part in the promotion are: Anantara Phuket, Bangkok Marriott Resort & Spa; Anantara Golden Triangle; Anantara Hua Hin; Anantara Koh Samui and Hua Hin Marriott Resort & Spa.
“Of all the countries in Southeast Asia, Thailand provides the greatest value,†said Santi Chudintra, director of TAT Los Angeles.
For more information visit www.golfinakingdom.com
