Escaping London: a long-weekend golf trip to Thailand
Imagine getting up early one Friday morning to find yet another day with gloomy skies in London. The raindrops are hitting your window, while outside, the busy rush hour traffic is starting. Now, imagine a totally different setting. Think about yourself standing under clear blue skies on a lush green field where there are towering palm trees, and you are about to hit a golf ball.
It sounds like a distant dream, but escaping the heavy London weather for a quick, sunny break is much easier than you think. More and more people are trading their umbrellas for golf tees over extended holiday weekends. Packing your bags for a long-weekend trip to Southeast Asia has become a fantastic way to recharge your batteries, soak up some vitamin D, and play on world-class courses that look like postcards.
Moving Fast from Heathrow to the Fairway
Taking a long trip for just a few days might sound a bit crazy at first. But when you look at how overnight flights work, the math makes total sense. You can easily finish your work on a Thursday afternoon, head straight to London Heathrow Airport, and board a direct evening flight on an airline like British Airways or Thai Airways.
Because you fly through the night, you can sleep comfortably on the plane. You will touch down in Bangkok by Friday afternoon, ready to start your adventure. By making good use of the time difference and sleeping while you travel, you do not waste a single day of your precious weekend. You can go from the busy streets of London to a peaceful tropical paradise in less than a day.
Sunny Days and Beautiful Green Landscapes
Once your feet touch down from the plane, the hot climate will welcome you in contrast to the frigid climate back home in Britain. The climate here suits those who enjoy the outdoors. With the weather conditions at home being wet and chilly, this tropical paradise offers you sunny days and clear skies all year round.
The courses here are famous all over the world for a good reason. They are kept in perfect shape, with smooth rolling hills, deep sand traps, and beautiful water features. Playing a round of golf in Thailand means you get to enjoy beautiful tropical scenery while testing your skills on courses designed by famous sports legends.
The natural beauty of the landscape adds something truly special to your game. You get to play right next to lush green jungles, sparkling lakes, and sometimes even the bright blue ocean.
Top Spots to Play Near Bangkok
Since you only have a few days on a long weekend, you want to spend your time playing rather than sitting in a car. Luckily, you do not have to travel far from the main airport to find some of the best spots in the region.
● Amata Spring Country Club: This is a spectacular facility known for its incredible care and design. It features a famous hole that sits on its very own floating island in the middle of a lake. You actually have to take a small boat to get to the green after you hit your ball.
● Alpine Golf Club: This beautiful club offers a wonderful challenge with its rolling hills and fast greens. It is surrounded by thousands of local trees and vibrant tropical flowers, making it feel like a quiet sanctuary far away from the busy city.
● Thai Country Club: Famous for its amazing service and high standards, this club treats every guest like royalty. The fairways are immaculate, and the caddies are highly trained to help you read the breaks in the grass perfectly.
The Secret Weapon: Incredible Local Caddies
One of the best things about this place is the exceptional services provided by the caddies. While back at home, you have to carry all your heavy bags or use a trolley for carrying the golf clubs, each person here is assigned a personal caddie.
The caddies not only help you with carrying the clubs and making sure that they stay clean, but also assist you with determining the distance to the target, warning you about water traps around the hole, and giving you clues about the putting green. What is more, these people are extremely friendly and welcoming; they are always smiling and prepared to give you a bottle of cold water and even an umbrella.
Delicious Food and Deep Relaxation
When you finish your final hole for the day, the luxury does not stop at the edge of the grass. The clubhouses here are top-tier, offering great places to cool down and relax. You can enjoy a fresh, ice-cold coconut drink or dive into a plate of authentic local noodles like Pad Thai right after you change out of your shoes.
No trip to this beautiful country is complete without experiencing a traditional massage. After spending hours walking the fairways and swinging your clubs, your muscles will definitely feel a bit tired. A traditional foot or body massage at a local spa is the perfect remedy.
Finally, Head Home with Great Memories
When Sunday evening rolls around, it is time to head back to the airport for your overnight flight back to London. As you settle into your seat for the journey home, you will realise just how much you managed to fit into one single weekend. You've got to play on pristine greens, eat incredible food, soak up hours of warm sunshine, and experience amazing hospitality. You will land back at Heathrow early on Monday morning, feeling energised, deeply relaxed, and sporting a healthy sun tan.
London Gallery Weekend returns from 5–7 June 2026 for its sixth edition, bringing together 120 galleries across the capital for three days of exhibitions, performances, talks and special events. Here is our pick of art exhibitions to see during London Gallery Weekend…
June sees the return of several summer staples, such as the Serpentine Pavilion and the Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition, alongside Meltdown Festival at the Southbank Centre, curated this year by Harry Styles. London Gallery Weekend also returns, with more than 120 galleries across the city taking part…
The 61st Venice Biennale opened on 9 May 2026 in Venice, with this year’s edition shaped around In Minor Keys, a curatorial theme conceived by the late Koyo Kouoh. The Biennale once again transforms Venice into a sprawling international exhibition, with more than 80 national pavilions taking over the Giardini, the Arsenale and sites across the city. Sofia, our arts contributor, picks her five standout national pavilions from this year’s edition.
Masaki Sugisaki is the Executive Chef at Dinings SW3 in London, where he is known for his contemporary interpretation of Japanese cuisine shaped by both traditional training in Japan and years of experience in the UK. His cooking bridges cultures, seasons, and philosophies, drawing equally on heritage techniques and the possibilities offered by British produce…
South African abstract artist Zach Zono is known for his expressive, gestural paintings that blur the line between instinct and structure. Currently presenting works throughout Rosewood London as part of his Artist Residency…
Major institutional announcements and landmark cultural investments this week highlight the evolving landscape of contemporary art and public culture across the UK and beyond, from Nan Goldin’s long-awaited return to London to Rene Matić winning one of photography’s most prestigious prizes…
The theme for the 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, In Minor Keys, and its artists, were selected by Cameroonian curator Koyo Kouoh. The final form of the exhibition, however, was realised by a committee following Kouoh’s death in 2025…
The prestigious Turner Prize continues its tradition of spotlighting groundbreaking creativity with the announcement of its 2026 shortlist. Revealed by Tate Britain, this year’s nominees, Simeon Barclay, Kira Freije, Marguerite Humeau, and Tanoa Sasraku…
The Hayward Gallery has announced a major solo exhibition by acclaimed American artist and activist Nan Goldin titled You Never Did Anything Wrong. Opening on 24 November 2026, the exhibition marks Goldin’s first institutional UK show since 2002…
A guide to the key London art school degree shows in 2026, with confirmed dates to help you plan visits between May and July…
Mark Perkins is Executive Pastry Chef at Rosewood London, where he has played a central role in shaping the hotel’s pastry programme for more than two decades. With over 30 years’ experience in luxury hospitality, he is recognised for his highly creative, art-led approach to patisserie, particularly through Rosewood London’s celebrated Art Afternoon Tea series…
The Barbican Centre has unveiled its Outdoor Cinema 2026 programme, returning to the Sculpture Court this August with eleven nights of open-air screenings beneath the London skyline….
Rene Matić has been named the winner of the 2026 Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize…
Carmen Joubert is a curator at the Norval Foundation and recently curated Interior Weather, a collaboration with Mount Nelson, A Belmond Hotel. We had a chat with her about the project, her approach to working within the Mount Nelson’s historic interiors, and her perspective on the current contemporary art scene in Cape Town…
Artist Ġulja Holland, whose life and practice have unfolded between Malta and the UK, has developed a practice that moves fluidly across geographies and disciplines. In her practice, this sense of in between is not a limitation but a generative force…
A major exhibition at the National Gallery in London brings together over 50 works by Spanish Baroque master Francisco de Zurbarán, showcasing his striking range from intimate still lifes to powerful, large-scale altarpieces. Including his iconic Agnus Dei (c. 1635–40)…
Alexandra Steinacker-Clark picks her top pavilions to see at the 61st Venice Biennale 2026, from Merike Estna’s Estonian Pavilion to Florentina Holzinger’s widely discussed SEAWORLD VENICE for the Austrian Pavilion…
With a background as an athlete, Samarasinghe draws on sport as a framework for thinking through identity, effort and embodied experience. In this interview, she reflects on the processes behind the work, from repetition and “muscle memory” in her mark-making to her ongoing interest in visibility, connection and what it means to hold the body in motion through art…
The Korean Cultural Centre UK (KCCUK) presents Icheon and Beyond: The Space Within Form, an exhibition examining the philosophical and material foundations of Korean ceramics through the city of Icheon. We speak with co-curator Jaemin Cha about her curatorial process, the development of Korean ceramics, and the importance of intercultural dialogue….
Located at the eastern end of Unter den Linden, close to the Reichstag, the Tiergarten and Germany’s political centre, Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin occupies one of Berlin’s most prominent addresses. Despite the constant movement outside, with tourists, officials and traffic passing through the area, the atmosphere inside is notably calm, composed yet fantastically grand…
Goliath’s work was originally selected to represent South Africa at the Venice Biennale Arte 2026, before being cancelled by Minister Gayton McKenzie on the grounds that its content was deemed too “divisive”. In this iteration, references to the Israeli war on Palestine and the killing of Palestinian poet Hiba Abunada are made, leading to the censorship of Elegy in the official South African pavilion…
London's outdoor festival season is officially underway and this year we’re truly spoiled for choice. Global headliners are gracing our local parks most weekends from early May through to September, catering for music lovers of all tastes, from electronic, rock, jazz and hip hop…
Head for the heights at Banyan Tree Bangkok. Overlooking Lumphini Park, south of Siam Square, East of China Town and West of some of Bangkok’s busiest night spots, with the iconic curve of the Chao Praya river close by…
May is arguably one of the best months in London, with two bank holidays to look forward to, the weather starting to warm up, and the feeling that a full summer of outdoor living, music festivals and long evenings is just around the corner…
The Royal Drawing School has announced an upcoming exhibition dedicated to Frank Bowling’s drawing practice, while the Hayward Gallery is revealing further details of its HENI Project Space series, expanding its focus on emerging international artists…
Across Europe, art gallery weekends bring contemporary art into focus as cities open up their galleries, museums and independent spaces for a concentrated programme of exhibitions and events. From Gallery Weekend Berlin and Antwerp Art Weekend to Oslo, Paris and Zurich…
This week’s art news roundup (20–26 April 2026) covers the announcement of the Museum of the Year finalists, fresh details on summer exhibitions at Dulwich Picture Gallery and the Saatchi Gallery, and updates on upcoming art fairs and events across London…
London in the summer is packed with major events that bring together art, sport, music, and outdoor culture. From long-standing traditions like Wimbledon and the Chelsea Flower Show to large exhibitions and evening cultural programmes, the city offers a wide range of experiences across different neighbourhoods. Below is a more detailed guide to key events in 2026…
This week in art (13–20 April) is marked by major cultural events across London and Europe. The Southbank Centre has shared new details on Harry Styles’ Meltdown Festival, which he is curating as part of its 75th anniversary celebrations, alongside new announcements for May exhibitions and film programming across London…