Tee time: Six golf resorts are on offer where patrons can enjoy the game and roam freely within the lush premises rather than confining themselves in their rooms for 14 days. — Bloomberg
THE Thai government is pitching half a dozen lush green golf courses as state quarantine centres to foreign tourists as the South-East Asian nation seeks to gradually reopen its tourism industry.
The government has approved six golf resorts, including three in Kanchanaburi province, where patrons can enjoy the game and roam freely within the premises rather than confining themselves in their rooms during a two-week mandatory quarantine, the Tourism Authority of Thailand said.
The golf quarantine is the latest effort by Thai authorities to lure foreign travellers amid a new wave of Covid-19 infections after earlier offers of special long-stay visas evoked a lukewarm response.
The pandemic has devastated Thailand’s tourism industry, which netted over US$60bil (RM242bil) in revenue from about 40 million visitors in 2019 and accounted for about a fifth of the nation’s gross domestic product.
Prospective golf aficionados planning trips to Thailand will need visas, medical and travel insurance and a certificate of entry, according to a government announcement.
“Thailand remains a golfer’s paradise, even during the pandemic, ” the tourism authority said.
“With fewer players on the links, it is now easier to book tee times and the pace of play is much faster.”
The approved resorts include a par-72 course in Mida Golf Club in Kanchanaburi and an 18-hole course at Artitaya Golf and Resort in Nakhon Nayok. — Bloomberg
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