Thailand is off and Running as Asia's Golf Hub!

BANGKOK, Oct. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- It's true! Thailand has earned its stripes as Asia's Golf Hub. The Southeast Asian nation has worked hard to gain the right to be the golf capital of the region.

In less than twenty years, Thailand has transformed itself into one of Asia's brightest stars on the golfing landscape. Today, the "land of a thousand smiles" has more than 280 golf courses, which is more than any other country in Southeast Asia. It is reported that Thailand is also home to between 500,000 to 700,000 golfers and it has  produced some of the greatest names in Asian Golf – Boonchu Ruangkit, Thongchai Jaidee, Prayad Markseang and Thawon Wirachant to name a few.

(Photo;  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20101011/NY79657 )

(Photo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20101011/NY79657 )

Over the next 18 months, Thailand will raise the bar with the staging of a total of nine world-class golf events. These events include:

All of these events are being produced and staged by Asia Pacific Golf Group through its subsidiary, Asia Pacific Golf Development Conferences (APGDC). "We have selected to headquarter all of our shows in Thailand based on very sound business reasons," explained Mike Sebastian, Chief Executive Officer of the Asia Pacific Golf Group. "It is a nation that loves golf, enjoys a very strategic geographic location relative to all of Asia and is just a terrific venue for international conferences and exhibitions," he added.

Delegate registration to attend the Asia Pacific Golf Summit and the Inaugural Golf Course Superintendents Summit of Asia is still open. The on-line registration link is:

https://secure.golfconference.org/register/

All of APGDC's events are fully supported by the Thai government through the following agencies:

According to Mike Sebastian, "The three agencies have set up a task force to help in the promotion of Thailand as the region's golf hub." Mr. Sansern Ngaorungsi, TAT's deputy governor for International Marketing (Asia and South Pacific), heads the task force. "We view all of the events being staged by APGDC as being a very important part of our total effort to promote both the game of golf and golf tourism to Thailand in particular."

"Golf in Thailand is a very unique brand of the game – it is unhurried, very pleasurable, very affordable and the game can be played on a variety of locations – by the sea, by the mountains, by the rainforests and right in the heart of bustling Bangkok city," is how the golf experience in Thailand is described by Mr. Sansern Ngaorungsi Deputy Governor for International Marketing (Asia and South Pacific) Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT)

"We want to grow the game of golf in Thailand and continue to encourage more young people to take up the game and we believe that by hosting international conferences and exhibitions on golf, we will be able to expose not only our golfers to the latest trends in the game but to also help generate greater interest amongst golfers in Asia as a whole," pointed out Mr. Kanokphand Chulakasem, Governor of Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT).

TCEB is of the strong opinion that APGDC's events will help promote Thailand as a major business hub for the golf industry. "We are strategically located to serve as a logistics centre for the multi-billion golf industry in the region and in time, we hope that the major players in the golf industry will consider Thailand as a preferred market place for their business events said Mr. Akapol Sorasuchart, President of Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB).

As it now stands, Bangkok is a major business operational centre for a number of the leading brand names in golf equipment.

"We are going to be experiencing a very busy few days in October as we stage the Asia Pacific Golf Summit, the Asia Pacific Golf Industry Show and the Inaugural Golf Course Superintendents of Asia Summit – never before has any city anywhere in Asia witnessed such diversity in terms of the number of events for golf," Sebastian pointed out.

The patron for the Asia Pacific Golf Summit, Mr. Pornsit Sriorathaikul, President Thai Golf Course Association said, "We are delighted to be playing host to the Asia Pacific Golf Summit and it is my firm belief that by so doing, we are playing our part to help grow the game of golf in Asia.

SOURCE Tourism Authority of Thailand