Thana City & Muang Keaw (Bangkok)

Hi - I'm planning a trip this August and probably doing 1 round each in Thana & MK. Are these courses recommended?

Also how do you get back and forth from say central Rama 9?

Also are there any promo booking sites/services i can use (like Oscar/IGolf) there? The published rates seem pricey.

Played both before and Thana is definitely better than MK in terms of course design. Both course condition are good and green speed is faster than in SIN.

If you are playing on weekends, try to start before 8am to beat the crowd. Talk to the taxi when you are traveling from airport to hotel and they usually can come pick u up on that day in the morning n pick u up after the game, cost about 1200 baht 2-way? If not the hotel concierge will help u call a taxi but prob will be more ex.

Usually I'll email them direct to get rates. Hope this helps.

@renode - Thanks! What other convenient courses are there in BKK? Convenient meaning, travelling from city <1hr and the course experience is worth it?

Krungthep Kreetha is the only golf course inside the city, easy to take Taxi to & fro.If you stay in fortune Hotel lagi near.

Forget about Unico (the course next to Krungthep Kreetha).

What is the nearest course from the city?

And how long the journey will be? Thanks

Krungthep Kreetha, about 30 min depending where you stay also.

I usually stay at Hilton shukhumvit

Around 30 min if you leave your Hotel before 8am.

Thanks

Are most golf courses in BKK walking course? Seems like caddy is compulsory and some only allow 1 golfer/buggy at a much higher price. Thana & MK are very similar in this arrangement.

Played at both Thana City and Muang Keaw before, both are nice courses with wide fairway and near to the city. However, like most courses in Bangkok, both are pretty flat. If you don't mind travel a little further (around 45 to 60 minutes by taxi, if you avoid the normal Bangkok traffic jam) and pay a little more, I would recommend Riverdale, a well maintained, undulating course which I am sure you will enjoy playing. 

Better still, if you happened to be there at that time, they have an Amazing Thailand Golf Tournament (check out their website) on Tuesday 23 August 2016, where all-in fee is 3,250 THB, inclusive of lunch, dinner and souvenir, good value for money.

By the way, there is an application called golfdigg, which has last minute (one week prior) promotion for some of the courses in Bangkok and Thailand, you may want to check it out.

@B89ties - Thanks, will check out Riverdale. Unfortunately we are only staying there for 4 days so can't make it for the tournament.

There are quite a few nice courses with an hour of the city and, given my 25+ years of experience golfing in Bangkok, I'd like to offer a few considerations to make before you select:

1. Value for Money
1a. As B89ties mentioned, there are apps like golfdigg with last minute deals but they only offer a limited number of courses.  Plus it can be unsettling to pay for flights, hotel & transport only to leave your golf bookings to chance and a last minute confirmation.
1b. As renode said, you can also call the courses directly to see if they have promotions.  While you can find great deals occasionally, this can be very time consuming and frustrating when you go through the effort only to later discover your friends who booked through a golf agent got an even lower rate.
1c. There are newer courses like Nikanti (with a unique three 6-hole layout, each individual layout consisting of 2 par threes, 2 par fours and 2 par fives) that run fantastic promotions.  The rates we can secure for you are even better!
1d. My golf partner and I have been golfing in Thailand for over 40 years collectively and we've found that booking through agents is always cheapest, especially when you consider transport and accommodations. One agent that we've found to be solid is GolfAsian.  However, although we've had decent experiences booking through agents, frankly, we weren't content and knew the agents could do better (they are often marketing to the masses, and lose sight of individual golfer's requirements, communication for non-Thai speaking golfers can be a major issue, accommodation options are rarely updated with newer properties and the agents often fell short when it came to non-golf activities like F&B, massage, entertainment etc). This is the primary reason why we've launched our very own golf tour service, specifically focused on BKK and Hua Hin.


2. Membership Only Clubs
There are a few notable members only clubs like Alpine, Amata Spring, Ayodhya Links and Thai Country Club.  Some don't allow visitors without a member playing, other have restricted tee times for visitors. If you book through us, we can get you on without a member.


3. Travel Time
BKK traffic is notoriously bad, so select courses and accommodations strategically so that you don't get stuck in a 2 hour traffic jam getting to the course, or worse, getting back to your hotel when you're starving! I can't tell you how many golf trips I've been on where we didn't want to settle for a dinner at the course with all the amazing food in BKK, but then got stuck in hours of traffic getting back to the hotel/restaurant.  I speak Thai, but can imagine how frustrating it would be sit in a car for 1.5 hours, be absolutely starving, not know how much longer it will be to reach the hotel and not be able to communicate with the driver who only speaks Thai!
Our itineraries are created to maximize your time in BKK.  Whether you arrive into BKK or DMK, we will recommend a first course near the airport and other courses that are strategically situated relative to your hotel considering BKK traffic patterns.

4.  Accommodations
Whether you require 3*, 4* or 5* accommodations, the most important factor in selecting a property is its location.  This holds true everywhere but ESPECIALLY in BKK.  Can you get to/from the courses within 30-60 minutes?  Can you squeeze in a massage and get to dinner on time?  What about proximity to BKK nightlife?
We don't just partner with the large hotels who offer the best rates, we strategically place our golfers in accommodations where they will have the best overall experience.  We'll provide you options based on your requirements and budget.

5. Course Conditions & Caddies
Make sure you are aware of the course conditions before booking.  It'd be an absolute shame to go through all the effort of booking and traveling all the way to BKK to find out on the first green that all greens have just been aerated/cored/sanded.  Unfortunately, if you call the course directly to book, not all reception staff will even know what this is as all they do is answer phones.  Similarly, not all golf agents are honest and upfront and therefore may not advise you of upcoming/current course maintenance.
Caddies are often compulsory on courses in Bangkok.  They are with you the entire round from the first tee shot on #1 to the last putt on the 18th green.  Having golfed in Thailand for over 25 years, I'll be the first to tell you a good caddy can make your experience but a horrible caddie can absolutely ruin it. While most caddies at the notable courses are decent, others are not.  Perhaps you are more of a recreational golfer and just prefer a young, pretty caddie.  Whatever your level, a tour service like ours is intimately familiar with the major courses in BKK and we can pre-select and pre-book caddies for you.

I encourage you to PM me or contact booking@bvl.com.sg for a no obligation golf tour consultation and quotation.  Or if you are so inclined, reach out to the courses directly and other golf agents first, then contact us.  Then make your decision accordingly!  

Enjoy and happy golfing in Thailand!  

Will be in Bangkok Early April Maybe Playing at Thana City and Summit. How much Tip usually tip the caddy? Thanks

Played in bkk 2 years ago, was advised that the tips is around 300-500 baht (I tipped 500baht my caddie for good course knowledge, green reading and was on New Year eve). 

Not sure any changes now

Normal is 400, the rest is up to you.

any course near Bang na that allows 1 ball on weekend?

Yes but only Sunday afternoon.

which course?