| Golfing
Thailand
offers truly outstanding
golf facilities. Wherever
you are in the country,
it is not difficult to find
a golf course nearby. In
Bangkok, most courses are
located on the outskirts
of the city where there
is more open space. There
are also a number of fine
and attractive golf courses
in the adjoining provinces,
especially in Samut Prakan
and Pathum Thani. Besides
clubhouses, some modern
golf clubs even provide
swimming pools, tennis courts
and fitness centres. Apart
from enchanting locations,
a main advantage of playing
golf in Thailand is the
low green fees and caddy
fees when compared to those
in the Western countries. |
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Pinehurst
Golf and Country Club With
27 holes, Pinehurst, located
an hours drive north of
Bangkok, is a golfer’s
paradise. The course offers
plenty of challenges, from
water hazards to bunkers
and plenty of foliage. The
clubhouse is modern and
lavishly furnished, offering
fine dining, and is well-equipped
for other sporting activities. |
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Vintage
Club Golf Course
Forty-five minutes east
of central Bangkok, this
18-hole course was designed
to take full advantage
of the area’s terrain.
Long fairways, beautifully
shaped greens and bunkers
run through coconut palms
and bougainvillea bushes.
It is a demanding course
that yields low scores
only to golfers making
well placed tee shots.
The fully appointed clubhouse
offers a swimming pool,
jacuzzi, tennis courts,
squash courts, snooker
room, fitness centre and
a restaurant.
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Thai
Country Club
Recently redesigned, this
course just east of the
city is superbly laid out
and the challenging fairways
ensure it is destined to
serve as the setting for
premier Asian tournaments.
Dennis Griffiths created
the course which features
immaculate fairways and
greens laid out according
to a neo-classic design.
The 18-hole course offers
five different climatic
zones, each with its own
flora and terrain challenges.
Rose
Garden Located
38 km. southwest of Bangkok,
this par 72 course was the
former venue for the Thai
Open. Beautifully maintained,
the tree-lined fairways
lead to difficult greens,
well guarded by bunkers,
offering plenty of challenges
for golfers of any ability.
Natural
Park Ramindra
Designed by Jack Nicklaus,
one of the world's top five
golf course architects,
this course is located within
easy reach of Bangkok's
international airport. The
superb landscaping features
enormous lakes that provide
not only a wealth of natural
beauty but are obstacles
on almost half the holes.
Conditions are good and
greens and fairways are
well maintained.
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Horse
Racing There
are two courses in Bangkok,
one is the Royal Turf Club
of Thailand that is situated
on Phitsanulok Road. The
races are held every two
weeks on Sunday during 12.30
am-6.00 pm. Admission fees
are 50 Baht and 100 Baht.
Tel 02 280-0020-9. The other
race track is at the Royal
Bangkok Sports Club is situated
on Henri Dunant Road. The
races are held every two
weeks on Sunday during 12.30
am-6.00 pm. Admission fees
are 50 Baht, 70 Baht and
100 Baht. Tel. 02 251-0181-6 |
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Horse
Riding can
be done at the following
equestrian establishments,
The Bangkok Equestrian
Centre located at 20/1
Moo 2 Soi Chadsanthahanrue,
Sukhumwit Soi 102 telephone:
02 328-0273-4. Horse hire
costs around 600 Baht
an hour. They do offer
lessons and for those
who like to ride often,
membership costs about
2,000 Baht a month. The
other club located near
Bangkok is the Garden
City Polo Club where horse
hire is 500 Baht and they
also teach polo to those
interested. Tel: 02 317-1431-7
or go there, to 37 Moo
5 Bangna-Trad Road, Tambon
Bangpu.
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Swimming
If your hotel doesn't already
have one the only way to
swim in Bangkok is to use
facilities elsewhere. A
number of private clubs
do have pools but the membership
fees for someone passing
through aren't worth paying,
on the other hand the Department
of Physical Education telephone:
215 1535 lets people use
its pool for around 300
Baht (yearly membership)
and 25 Baht per hour in
the pool. There are a number
of other smaller sports
facilities scattered around
Bangkok that will also accommodate
visiting swimmers. |
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Boating
In Lumphini Park, Bangkok's
most popular park, there
is a big artificial lake
in the centre which is perfect
for boating. Boats are available
for rent at very reasonable
rates. There are similar
facilities in Dusit Zoo.
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ZOO
Originally a private
botanical garden
for Rama V, the
Dusit Zoo is now
one of the premier
zoological facilities
in South-east Asia.
Entry is 20 Baht
for adults and a
mere 5 Baht for
children. Small
circuses perform
on weekends and
public holidays
between 11 a.m.
and 2 p.m. Buses
to catch there are
numbers 10, 18 or
28. All go past
the main entrance
off Th Ratwithi,
where the zoo is
situated.
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SAFARI
WORLD One
of the largest open
zoos in the world
the park also houses
a marine park. Residing
inside its protective
boundaries are both
African and Asian
animals including
rare white pandas.
Open from 10 a.m.
to 6 p.m. admission
is 290 Baht for adults
and 185 Baht for children
(children 3 - 12 years
get free entry). Catch
the number 26 bus
from the Victory Monument
to the suburb of Miniburi
then take a songtaew
from there to the
park. |
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Spa
For those who love
to pamper themselves
by the spa therapies,
there are a good
number of spas in
Bangkok, many of
them attached to
first-class hotels.
These spas are equipped
with hi-tech spa
equipment and offer
a full range of
spa therapies including
aromatherapy, herbal
therapy, massages,
facial and body
treatments.
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Sports
Centres Generally,
swimming pools and fitness
centres are provided in
top-grade hotels. There
are also a good number of
sports clubs and fitness
centres elsewhere around
Bangkok, especially in business
and tourist districts like
Silom, Sukhumwit, etc.
Jogging
& Aerobics
These two activities can
be done easily in parks
scattered around Bangkok.
You can find energetic aerobics
groups in a park around
5-6 p.m. every day. Some
major parks in Bangkok are
as: - Lumphini
Park on Rama IV Road in
the Silom area
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Benchasiri Park (the Queen's
Park) on Sukhumwit Road
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Rommaninat Park on Siriphong
Road, near the Giant Swing
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Saranrom Park on Thaiwang
Road, near the Grand Palace
and Wat Pho
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Chatuchak Park next to Chatuchak
Weekend Market
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