The Bangkok Podcast31 Aug 2021

Golfasian's Mark Siegel Talks Fees, Tees & Thai Golf Holidays [S5.E25]

Greg interviews Mark Siegel, the director of Golfasian, one of Asia's largest golf tour operators. Greg opens with the caveat that neither he nor Ed are golfers and leaves it up to Mark to do his best to sell us on a golf holiday in the Land of Smiles.

Greg begins by noting that his first thought of a relaxing holiday would not be to spend 4 hours walking around in the scorching sun, but Mark (in the first of his many insights) responds that if you're back in the freezing winter of Canada you might! Mark then points out that the unique appeal of Thailand is that there are so many other things for tourists to do that even if you do spend 4 hours in the sun, the rest of the day can be spent getting a Thai massage or relaxing by the pool. In further discussions of what makes Thailand so good for golf compared to other destinations, Mark observes that there are over 60 (!) golf courses of all difficulty levels within proximity to Bangkok, and about one-third of them are owned by the military which means they are not run for profit and are incredibly cheap compared to places such as Japan.

The guys continue with an in-depth discussion of the positive economic impact of golf courses on surrounding communities, what golf will look like in Thailand over the coming years, and how a golf holiday may actually be considered eco-friendly.

By the end, Greg and Ed are sold. At least in theory. If they don't have to get off their couches. But you, you can go do it for real and tell us all about it!

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