November 1st through April 30th is generally considered ‘high season’ as Europeans and North Americans come to Thailand to escape the cold and soak up the sun on our beautiful beaches and golf courses. The ‘high peak’ runs from mid December through mid January, and popular hotels may sell out all available rooms several months in advance. The ‘high peak’ is also when hotel prices are highest. Early December and the period mid-January through the end of February are a bit less crowded, though anyone planning to come here then should still book well in advance. November, March and April are less crowded than the above periods, though are still considered high season and the better hotels will be fully booked or nearly so. April and May are the warmest months in Thailand, though temperatures don’t fluctuate significantly throughout the year. November – March are the driest months. We get most of our rain from mid April through October, though it is still possible to golf most days as showers tend to be very brief and courses dry quickly – in fact rain-outs are extremely rare. Hotel prices are generally at their lowest April-October.
Golf in Bangkok
Bangkok is a large cosmopolitan city with over 10 million residents. It has excellent world-class hotel accommodations and fine dining plus several cultural attractions and numerous options for shopping and entertainment. It also has many excellent golf courses including several that have hosted Asian and European PGA Tour events. We often recommend a few days in Bangkok at the beginning and/or end of your trip, and also recommend weekday golf if possible (when courses are less crowded and green fees lower).
Golf in Phuket
Phuket is a very popular area for beach holidays and sports several excellent golf courses of varying design. It is a beautiful tropical island with nice beaches and countless options for hotels, dining and nightlife. It is more expensive than other areas of Thailand, particularly during high season, though good values are available from mid April through October. And even during high season prices are reasonable compared to other high quality international golf destinations. Phuket has some nice shows and cultural attractions for tours, though the main attractions are golf, beaches and spas. Phuket is a one hour flight from Bangkok and is not practical to reach by land.
Golf in Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai, in northern Thailand, presents a very different environment. The culture and atmosphere is very gentle, relaxed, peaceful, and ‘more truly Thai’. There are numerous universities in the area, and despite having a population of over 1 million it feels much smaller. Chiang Mai has some of the best cultural attractions for tours (ancient temples, elephant camps, mountain trips, tribal villages, etc), and also some excellent golf. There are also a number of good restaurants particularly along the riverfront, and a vibrant night market area as well. Further Chiang Mai is less expensive than Phuket, Bangkok or Hua Hin.
Golf in Hua Hin
Hua Hin is a smaller seaside beach town popular with European couples and weekend visitors from Bangkok (and the King of Thailand who has a palace there). Hua Hin is located about 3 hours from Bangkok by highway. There are 7 international standard golf courses in the area, including 2 that are world class. It is a quiet and relaxed area and the nightlife is more subdued than other areas, which is why it appeals to those looking for a quiet holiday. Further the golf courses are closer to the hotels than other areas of Thailand.
Golf in Pattaya
Pattaya has numerous very good golf courses and offers great value with lower prices than Phuket. It is conveniently located less than 2 hours from the Bangkok airport via highway and can easily be combined with Bangkok for a two centered holiday. The downsides for some are that the beaches are not particularly attractive, the nightlife caters mainly toward adult males and there aren’t as many cultural or sightseeing attractions in the area as some other places.
Golf in Thailand Seasons:
