Thailand's main golf bases are Hua Hin, Pattaya, Phuket and Chiang Mai, plus the many courses around Bangkok. The best season is the cool, dry months from about November to February, and a round is usually priced as a green fee plus a caddie fee, with a cart optional and a cash tip for your caddie at the end.
Golf in Thailand has a long history; the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) dates the first course, in Hua Hin, to the 1920s. Today the country is known among golfers for resort courses that are open to visitors, large clubhouses and, above all, the caddie system: at most clubs you play with a caddie who carries your bag, reads the greens and keeps score.
This page compares the regions, explains the season and the heat, and walks through how a round is paid for. We do not print green fees, caddie fees or tip amounts. No club or official body we could reach publishes them in a form we could check in October 2026, and they vary widely by course, day and season. Ask the club or check its own website when you book.
Golf in Thailand: the essentials
- Main golf bases
- Bangkok, Pattaya, Hua Hin, Phuket, Chiang Mai (TAT)
- Best months
- About November to February; hottest March to May
- What you pay
- Green fee + caddie fee (caddie compulsory at most clubs) + optional cart
- Tip
- In cash, directly to your caddie after the round
- Tee times
- Book in advance, especially in high season
- Smoking
- Only in designated areas on golf courses
The five golf regions compared
TAT names Bangkok, Pattaya, Hua Hin, Phuket and Chiang Mai as the classic golf-holiday bases. They differ less in the quality of the courses than in what surrounds them: the beach, the city, the weather in your chosen month and how far you drive between courses.
| Region | Best for | Weather to know | Getting there |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hua Hin | Golf holidays and long winter stays; the oldest golf town | One of the driest stretches of coast; October is the wettest month | About 3 hours by road from Bangkok |
| Pattaya and the east coast | Several courses in one trip, nightlife, short transfer | Rainy season generally May to October | Road from Suvarnabhumi; U-Tapao airport nearby |
| Phuket | Combining golf with a beach resort | Driest January to March; wettest September and October | Direct international flights |
| Chiang Mai | Cooler mornings and mountain scenery | Cool December and January; haze January to April | Domestic or regional flight |
| Bangkok | A round or two on a city or business trip | Hot and humid; rainy season generally May to October | Courses around the city edge |
Hua Hin: Thailand's traditional golf town
Hua Hin is where Thai golf began. According to TAT, the country's first course was built here in 1923 with royal approval; other sources give 1924, so "the 1920s" is the safe summary. The town still has a cluster of courses, most of them inland from the beach, west of the Phet Kasem highway, among housing estates and villas.
That layout shapes where to stay. Golfers often choose a hotel or pool villa near their course and drive to the beach and the restaurants, rather than the other way round; our guide to where to stay in Hua Hin compares the town, Khao Takiap, Cha-am and the inland estates. You will need a car or a driver: courses are spread out and public transport only runs along the main road.
Hua Hin's weather is its other advantage. The Thai Meteorological Department records about 936 mm of rain a year, among the lowest of the beach stations, and December to February are very dry. Our Hua Hin weather guide goes month by month. Many golfers come for a whole winter; our page on long stays in Hua Hin describes golf societies, clubs and daily life for residents.
Pattaya: many courses close together
Pattaya's strength is density. TAT notes that a golf trip based in Pattaya or Bangkok can easily take in three or four courses in one visit, and some visitors play a different course every day. It is also the easiest golf region to reach from Suvarnabhumi Airport by road, so a short trip loses little time in transfers.
The town itself is busy and loud in its center, which suits some golfers and not others. Jomtien, Pratumnak and Naklua are calmer; our page on where to stay in Pattaya compares them, and the Pattaya guide covers what to do on rest days. For a group, renting a van with a driver for the week is often simpler than taxis to each course.
Phuket: golf with a beach holiday
Phuket is the choice when golf is part of a beach holiday rather than the whole point. Bang Tao on the west coast, for instance, is a long bay of resort complexes with golf and lagoons inland, as our comparison of Phuket's beaches explains.
Timing matters more here than in Hua Hin. Phuket is driest from January to March, but from May the southwest monsoon brings rain, and September and October are the wettest months, with the airport station recording over 350 mm in each. Play in the dry season, or accept that some rounds will be shortened by storms.
Chiang Mai: cooler mornings in the north
Chiang Mai's attraction for golfers is the climate in December and January: January's average low at the Chiang Mai station is about 16 °C, so early tee times are genuinely cool. The Chiang Mai guide covers the city and the old town.
The catch is the haze. The same weather station records many days with haze from January to April, peaking in March, when farmers burn fields across the region. Playing 18 holes outdoors in poor air is not a good idea, especially for anyone with asthma or heart problems; check the air quality before you book, and read our guide to air pollution and PM2.5 in Thailand.
The season and the heat
The cool, dry season from about November to February is the main golf season across Thailand, and it is also when tee times can be hardest to get. From March to May the heat builds; Thai authorities' heat index scale moves from "caution" at 27 °C to "danger" from 42 °C, and Bangkok's heat index passed 52 °C on 4 May 2026. Bangkok's environment department advises reducing outdoor activity between 11:00 and 15:00 when the index reaches the "warning" level.
For golfers that means tee off early in the morning or late in the afternoon, carry more water than you think you need, wear a hat, and take the cart on hot days rather than walking. Our guide to coping with heat and sun explains the warning signs of heat exhaustion. If someone collapses on the course, call 1669 for an ambulance.
Book the earliest tee time from March to May. In the hot season the difference between a 07:00 start and a late-morning one is the difference between a pleasant round and four hours in the "warning" band of the heat index.
How a round is priced: green fee, caddie and cart
At most Thai courses the bill has three parts:
- The green fee. This is the course's charge for the round. Ask whether weekday, weekend and twilight rates differ, and whether the fee changes in high season.
- The caddie fee. At most clubs a caddie is compulsory, and the club charges a set fee for the caddie, usually paid at the counter with the green fee.
- The cart. Usually optional and charged separately. Ask when you book whether walking is allowed at the time you want to play.
Club rental, golf balls, food and drinks at the halfway house and in the clubhouse come on top. Book tee times in advance, as TAT recommends, especially from December to February and at weekends.
Ask for the full price of a round, not the green fee. A low advertised green fee can turn into a much larger bill once the caddie fee, the cart and the tip are added. Compare courses on the total for one player, with and without a cart.
The caddie system and tipping your caddie
Caddies are the part of Thai golf that visitors remember. TAT describes what they do: carry the bag, suggest the club, read putts, repair ball marks, keep score and go into the rough to find a wayward ball. An experienced caddie knows every green on the course, so it pays to listen.
The caddie fee is paid at the counter with the green fee; the tip is separate and goes to the caddie. Give it in cash, directly to your caddie, after the round, with a word of thanks. How much is customary varies by course and region, and we found no official figure, so ask the club's starter or pro shop what local golfers give. Tip more for a long day in the heat or a caddie who saved you strokes. Our general guide to tipping in Thailand covers restaurants, hotels and drivers; on a golf course, the caddie tip is the one that is truly expected.
Bring enough small notes for the tip before you start. If each player in your group has a caddie, plan one tip per caddie.
Smoking, dress and other club rules
Under the Ministry of Public Health's 2018 notification on non-smoking areas, golf courses are smoke-free except for designated smoking areas, and golf driving ranges are completely smoke-free. Ask your caddie where the smoking area is; our page on smoking rules in Thailand covers fines. Vapes and e-cigarettes are illegal in Thailand altogether, so do not bring one to the course.
Clubs set their own dress codes, so check the rules before you arrive rather than at the counter.
Bringing your clubs
Golf bags travel as special baggage on most airlines, with their own size limits and fees. Check your international airline's rules, and if you plan to fly between golf regions, read our guide to domestic flights in Thailand on special baggage. Renting clubs is an option for a short trip; ask in advance if you need a left-handed set. For driving between courses, our guide to renting a car in Thailand explains licenses and insurance.
If golf is part of a longer stay, see our guide to wintering in Thailand for the visa and insurance side.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to play golf in Thailand?
From about November to February, when it is cooler and dry in most regions. March to May is very hot, so play early in the morning. Phuket and the Andaman coast are wet from May to October, while Hua Hin stays among the driest places on the coast.
Is a caddie compulsory on Thai golf courses?
At most clubs, yes. The club charges a caddie fee together with the green fee, and the caddie carries your bag, advises on clubs, reads the greens and keeps score. Ask about carts and walking when you book.
How much should I tip my golf caddie in Thailand?
There is no official figure, and customs vary by course and region. Ask the starter or pro shop what local golfers usually give, pay in cash directly to your caddie after the round, and give more for a long, hot day or excellent service.
Which is better for golf, Hua Hin or Pattaya?
Hua Hin suits golfers who want a quieter town, a dry climate and a long stay, and it is Thailand's traditional golf town. Pattaya suits a shorter trip with many courses close together and an easy road transfer from Suvarnabhumi Airport, plus livelier evenings.
Sources
- Tourism Authority of Thailand – Smiling Thai caddies make Thailand ultimate golf paradise (2017) (checked October 2026)
- Thai Meteorological Department – Climatological normals (PDF) (checked October 2026)
- Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment – Heat index warning levels (checked October 2026)
- The Nation – Bangkok heat index and outdoor activity advice (checked October 2026)
- Ministry of Public Health – Notification on non-smoking areas, 2018 (unofficial English translation) (checked October 2026)