If you can't read this email, please view it online

Welcome...

...to the June edition of Asian Golf Insider.

We are now fully into the low season here in Southeast Asia, and after some good rain through May, courses across the region are looking lush, green, and in superb condition - some of the best playing surfaces of the year.

June is one of the biggest months on our calendar. We kick off with our flagship event, the Centara World Masters in Hua Hin, followed immediately by the Avani Pattaya 2 Ball Golf Championship - two of the major highlights of our year. Make sure you follow us on social media to keep up with all the action, results, and behind-the-scenes moments from both events as they unfold.

While you are there, take a look at our event calendar further down. We still have availability for several tournaments later in the year, including the Bangkok Golf Championship, the Malaysia World Masters, and a number of others.

If you are planning a golf holiday, you will be happy to hear that we have secured some excellent early bird specials with hotels across the region - the sooner you book, the more you save, with some offers giving up to 20% off room rates. That is a significant saving simply for planning ahead, so it is well worth locking your trip in early.

A quick reminder to download the My Golfasian app, available now on iPhone and Android. From your phone you can:

🗸 Update your profile

🗸 Check your reward points

🗸 View your upcoming and past trips

🗸 See the latest special offers and promotions

Update Your Profile

This month we turn the spotlight on Hua Hin, with Black Mountain Golf Club as our Course of the Month and The Barai Hua Hin as our featured resort - one of the most anticipated wellness openings in Thailand and soon to become the country's first property under The Unbound Collection by Hyatt.

Finally, if you have any interesting news you would like to share with us, please let us know - we would be happy to consider it for a future edition.

Thank you for reading our monthly newsletter, and for choosing Golfasian as your go-to golf tour operator for Southeast Asia.

We hope you enjoy this month's edition.

Mark Siegel,

Managing Director

ASIA GOLF EVENT CALENDAR

Centara World Masters 7 - 13 Jun. 2026, Hua Hin, Thailand (SOLD OUT)
Avani Pattaya 2 Ball 14 - 20 Jun. 2026, Pattaya, Thailand (SOLD OUT)
Double Tree Phuket Golf Invitational 5-10 Jul. 2026, Thailand
Indian Open Thailand 22 - 26 Jul. 2026, Pattaya, Thailand

Pattaya Men's Open 23 - 29 Aug. 2026, Pattaya, Thailand

Bangkok Golf Championship 30 Aug. - 5 Sep. 2026, Bangkok, Thailand

Vietnam World Masters 6 - 13 Sep. 2026, Danang, Vietnam (SOLD OUT)
Vietnam World Masters Week 2 13 - 19 Sep. 2026, Danang, Vietnam

Cambodia Golf Tournament 25 - 30 Oct. 2026, Cambodia

Pullman Invitational 1 - 6 Nov. 2026, Pattaya, Thailand

Malaysia World Masters 21 - 28 Nov. 2026, Malaysia
Philippines Golf Invitational 21 - 27 Feb. 2027, Clark, Philippines (SPECIAL OFFER)

Amari Skins Hua Hin Golf Week 14 - 19 Mar. 2027, Hua Hin, TH (SPECIAL OFFER)

DESTINATION OF THE MONTH: Hua Hin, Thailand

Thailand's Original Seaside Golf Retreat - and Still One of Its Very Best

If there is one destination that proves you do not have to choose between world-class golf and a genuinely relaxing holiday, it is Hua Hin. Thailand's original beach resort town has been a royal retreat for a century, ever since the King built his summer palace here and named it Klai Kangwon - "Far from Worries." That same calm, unhurried character still defines the place today, and it is exactly what makes Hua Hin such a rewarding base for a golf trip.

The golf is the headline, and it is genuinely top tier. Black Mountain Golf Club, our Course of the Month, is consistently ranked the number one course in Thailand and among the best in Asia, with a tournament pedigree that includes Asian Tour and European Tour events. But Black Mountain is just the start. Pineapple Valley Golf Club, carved through old pineapple plantations, has won multiple "best new course" awards. Royal Hua Hin, laid out beside the historic railway station in 1924, is the oldest golf course in Thailand and a piece of living history. Add Springfield Royal Country Club with its Jack Nicklaus design, Sea Pines, Imperial Lake View, Palm Hills, and Majestic Creek, and you have a cluster of championship layouts that can fill a week without ever repeating a round.

Getting here could not be easier. Hua Hin sits roughly two and a half to three hours south of Bangkok by road - a straightforward, scenic drive that makes it ideal as a standalone trip or as an extension to a wider Thailand tour. The accommodation choice is equally broad, from beachfront five-star resorts and boutique wellness retreats through to comfortable mid-range hotels and golf-and-stay packages to suit every budget. Whatever the group and whatever the spend, there is a base in Hua Hin that fits.

Off the course, Hua Hin quietly over-delivers. The town is famous for its night markets - the bustling Hua Hin Night Market for street food and souvenirs, and the artsy weekend Cicada Market near Khao Takiab for live music, crafts, and local design. Inland, the rolling hills of Monsoon Valley Vineyard offer one of Asia's most surprising wine experiences, with tastings, vineyard tours, and a hilltop restaurant looking out over the vines. For something more soulful, the area's ethical elephant sanctuaries let you meet and care for rescued elephants in a responsible setting, while the dramatic limestone peaks of Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park, just south of town, hide the breathtaking Phraya Nakhon Cave and its royal pavilion lit by a single shaft of sunlight - one of the most photographed sights in Thailand.

This is also a town built for winding down. Hua Hin is a wellness destination in its own right, anchored by world-renowned spas - including The Barai, our featured resort this month - alongside countless smaller spas and the open-air Thai massage shops where an hour of expert hands costs a fraction of what you would pay back home. After a round, it is the perfect antidote to tired legs.

When it comes to food and evenings, Hua Hin keeps the same easy rhythm. As a working fishing town, it serves some of the freshest seafood in the country, from the lively jetty restaurants to elegant beachfront fine dining and a deep bench of Thai and international options. The nightlife is relaxed rather than rowdy - think live-music bars, rooftop sundowners, and laid-back beach clubs rather than the full-throttle scene of the bigger resort cities, which is exactly how most visitors like it.

Through it all runs the thing Thailand is loved for above all else: the warmth of its people. The genuine friendliness and easy hospitality of the locals turn a good golf trip into a memorable one, and it is a big part of why so many golfers come to Hua Hin once and keep coming back.

World-class courses, an easy drive from Bangkok, a huge choice of hotels, and a town that knows how to relax - Hua Hin is, quite simply, one of the must-play golf destinations in Asia.

COURSE OF THE MONTH:
Black Mountain Golf Club

Roughly 30 minutes west of central Hua Hin, where the coastal plain gives way to a valley ringed by towering black granite hills, sits the course that has done more than any other to put Hua Hin on the world golf map. Black Mountain Golf Club opened in 2007, carved from former jungle and pineapple plantations by Australian architect Phil Ryan of Pacific Coast Design, and it established itself as one of Thailand's finest layouts almost immediately. In 2012 it became the first course in Thailand to be named among Golf Digest's 100 Best Courses Outside the USA - an honour it has retained every year since.

The golf itself is built for the serious player without punishing the casual one. The original 18 (the East and North nines) was later joined by a third nine, the West, giving 27 holes of championship golf that can be combined into three distinct 18-hole routings. From the tips it stretches to a muscular 7,343 yards off a par of 72, but multiple tee options mean players of every standard get a fair test. Creeks and water hazards have been woven naturally through the valley floor, distinctive native red grasses frame many of the fairways, and the black rock hills loom over almost every shot. The signature par 3s, played over water against that dramatic mountain backdrop, are among the most photographed holes in the country.

Conditioning is a genuine standout. Despite the exposed, sun-baked setting, the bunkers, fairways, and greens are kept in superb shape year-round, with quick, true putting surfaces that hold up to tournament scrutiny. That quality is no accident: Black Mountain was designed with elite competition in mind, and it shows in every detail of the setup.

The tournament pedigree backs it up. Black Mountain hosted Asian Tour events in 2009 and 2010, the prestigious Royal Trophy (Asia versus Europe match play) in 2011, the King's Cup in 2014, and the co-sanctioned Asian Tour and European Tour True Thailand Classic in 2015 and 2016. In 2015 it became the first course in Asia to be granted European Tour Property status, and it has continued to host high-level Asian Tour and International Series events in recent years. Few courses in the region can claim a competitive record like it.

Off the course, the experience matches the golf. The five-star clubhouse is a relaxed, contemporary space with an open dining terrace that catches the valley breeze, panoramic views over the closing holes, a well-stocked pro shop, and an extensive bar and restaurant serving a varied Thai, Western, and Swedish menu - a nod to the club's Nordic ownership. There is a full driving range and practice facility, plus on-site accommodation, spa, massage, sauna, swimming pool, fitness, tennis, and snooker for those who want to make a day or a stay of it. A particularly nice touch: the caddies, widely regarded as the best dressed in Thailand in their distinctive gold and black uniforms, are trained to an exceptional standard both on and off the course.

For any golfer heading to Hua Hin, Black Mountain is non-negotiable. It is the best course in the area, one of the best in Thailand, and a genuine bucket-list round that lives up to every bit of its reputation. As host venue for our flagship Centara World Masters this June, it is also where a lot of our travellers will be making their own memories this month.

ACCOMMODATION OF THE MONTH:
THE BARAI Hua Hin

Thailand's First Unbound Collection by Hyatt - and One of Asia's Most Distinctive Wellness Destinations

Some hotels you check into. THE BARAI you step into, almost like crossing into a different state of mind. Set on the beachfront at Khao Takiab on the Gulf of Thailand, this architectural wellness sanctuary has spent nearly twenty years as one of Hua Hin's best-kept secrets, quietly earning a reputation as one of Asia's most distinctive wellness destinations. On 1 August 2026 it takes its biggest step yet, opening as a standalone hotel and Thailand's very first property under The Unbound Collection by Hyatt.

The story begins with the architecture. THE BARAI was designed by Lek Bunnag, widely regarded as the father of modern Thai architecture, around a simple but powerful idea: a journey from the noise of the outside world to a silent inner sanctum. Monumental ochre and burgundy walls, filtered light, shifting shadow, and a long saltwater swimming channel guide you deeper into a space that slows your pace before you have even noticed it happening. The name itself comes from the ancient Khmer baray, the great reservoirs that once symbolised life, balance, and renewal.

At its heart is one of Thailand's most celebrated destination spas, built around the Thai healing philosophy of four elements: Earth, Water, Air, and Fire. Eighteen treatment rooms each come as a private retreat in their own right, with an outdoor soaking pool, rain shower, and Thai daybed, designed so that wellness here is never a single treatment but a complete ritual of bathing, heat, touch, and rest. Signature wellness journeys such as the Four Elements Retreat go further still, combining personalised consultations, treatments, movement, hydrotherapy, and nutrition over several days.

As it becomes a fully fledged hotel, THE BARAI adds 90 new rooms and suites to its eight existing signature suites, creating a 98-key luxury wellness destination, alongside two beautiful beachfront restaurants. McFarland House, set in a restored 19th-century pavilion overlooking the Gulf, serves a relaxed coastal grill, while The White Cottage handles breakfast before turning into a refined seafood and vegetable-forward dining destination by night. Throughout, the brief has been to extend what THE BARAI has always been rather than bolt something new on, so the whole property feels like one seamless world.

For golfers, the location could hardly be better. With eight championship courses in and around Hua Hin, including our Course of the Month, Black Mountain, THE BARAI is the perfect place to recover after a round. Tee off early, then return to hydrotherapy, a treatment, the pool, or the quiet of your suite before dinner by the sea. It also works beautifully for couples travelling where one golfs and one does not, with each able to enjoy a full and rewarding day before coming back together in the evening.

THE BARAI Hua Hin opens in its new form on 1 August 2026, and it promises to be one of the most exciting additions to our Hua Hin golf itineraries. [Read our full interview with the team behind THE BARAI here.]

HIDDEN HUA HIN: UNIQUE EXPERIENCES BEYOND THE FAIRWAYS

The special, the rare, and the genuinely off-the-radar

Hua Hin rewards the curious. Beyond the golf and the beach lies a cluster of experiences that even seasoned visitors often miss, and the green low season is the perfect time to find them, with the hills and rainforest at their lushest. Here are a few of our favourites for the days you trade the clubs for something different.

Track wild elephants in Kui Buri National Park.

Roughly two hours south of Hua Hin lies one of Thailand's great wildlife secrets. Kui Buri is home to around 320 wild elephants roaming free in their natural habitat, and with sighting rates reported as high as 95 percent, it is widely considered the best place in the country to see wild elephants in the wild. Late-afternoon 4x4 safaris with local rangers also turn up gaur, deer, and a rare sense of being somewhere genuinely untouched. This is eco-tourism at its very best, and still remarkably under the radar.

Chase the sunbeam at Phraya Nakhon Cave.

Hidden in the limestone peaks of Khao Sam Roi Yot, this is one of Thailand's most magical sights. Reached by a short boat ride and a steep climb, the cave opens to the sky where its roof has collapsed, and mid-morning a single shaft of sunlight falls directly onto the Kuha Karuhas, an ornate royal pavilion built for King Rama V in 1890. Time it right and you will see why it is the symbol of the entire province.

Rise above the clouds at Kaeng Krachan.

Thailand's largest national park hides a phenomenon worth the very early start. From the Khao Phanoen Thung viewpoint, reached by 4x4 up a steep mountain track, dawn reveals a vast "sea of mist" rolling through the valleys below as the sun breaks over a blanket of cloud. Raw, wild, and a world away from the resort strip.

Sip tropical wine at Monsoon Valley Vineyard.

Thailand makes wine, and it makes it surprisingly well. Set in a valley about 45 minutes from town, on land once used as an elephant corral, Monsoon Valley is the heart of Thai "New Latitude" winemaking. Tour the vines, then settle in for a tasting or a food-and-wine pairing on the terrace, looking out over rolling hills you would never expect to find an hour from the Gulf of Thailand.

Trek to Pa La-U Waterfall.

Deep in the rainforest near the Myanmar border, this eleven-tiered waterfall is one of the region's most beautiful natural escapes. A jungle trail follows the cascades upward through butterflies and birdsong, with cool, clear pools to cool off in along the way. In green season it is at its most spectacular.

Drift through the mangroves at Pranburi.

Just south of Hua Hin, the quiet Pranburi Forest Park offers a raised boardwalk through coastal mangroves and towering casuarina pines, while a longtail trip along the Khao Daeng Canal in nearby Sam Roi Yot glides past limestone cliffs, kingfishers, and playful monkeys. Peaceful, scenic, and blissfully crowd-free.

Step back in time at Hua Hin Railway Station.

One of the most beautiful stations in Thailand, its ornate red-and-cream pavilion once served as a royal waiting room. Pair it with the historic former Railway Hotel, now the Centara Grand, whose colonial teak architecture and manicured topiary gardens have even had their moment on the big screen.

Receive a blessing at Wat Huay Mongkol.

Away from the tourist trail, this revered temple is home to one of Thailand's largest statues of the monk Luang Phor Thuad. Locals come to make merit, receive blessings, and release fish for good fortune. A genuine window into everyday Thai spiritual life.

Whether you are extending a golf trip, entertaining a non-golfing partner, or simply curious to see the Hua Hin most visitors never reach, these are the experiences that turn a good holiday into a memorable one. Our team can build any of them into your itinerary, just ask.

To book your tailored Hua Hin golf package and find out more information, please email us.

Golf Package of the Month -
Two Week Hua Hin Golf Package

If you want to experience the home of Thai golf in full, this is the itinerary to consider. Fourteen days, thirteen nights, and eight of Hua Hin's finest courses, all at a relaxed pace that leaves plenty of room to enjoy everything else the destination has to offer.

The course lineup covers the full spread of Hua Hin golf, from the historic to the world-class. You will play Royal Hua Hin, Thailand's very first course, laid out beside the railway station in 1924, and Black Mountain, our Course of the Month and one of the 100 best courses in the world. In between come the Jack Nicklaus-designed Springfield Royal Country Club, the hill-country layout at Majestic Creek, the links-style Sea Pines on the Gulf of Thailand, the palm-lined fairways of Palm Hills, the parkland of Lake View (host of the 2025 Asian Tour Q-school), and the multi-award-winning Pineapple Valley, voted Thailand's Best Golf Club by international golfers.

Based on one of Hua Hin's lovely beaches, with every course just a short drive away, the trip is paced to be enjoyed rather than rushed. Free days are built in throughout, giving you time to recover at the spa, explore the markets and night life, take a day trip into the hills and national parks, or simply enjoy a long lunch by the sea between rounds. It is golf and holiday in perfect balance.

As with every Golfasian tour, the itinerary is fully customisable. Add an extra round, swap in another course, adjust the rhythm of golf and rest days, or upgrade your accommodation to suit your group, right up to a stay at one of Hua Hin's landmark resorts.

For golfers who want to play their way through the very best of Hua Hin, or to anchor a wider Thailand trip around a destination that does both golf and relaxation beautifully, this package delivers it all.

Contact us to find out more about this Hua Hin golf holiday.

MEET OUR TEAM - Jaja

Jaja's path into golf travel began with five years studying in Australia, an experience that gave her a broad international outlook she still draws on today. Her career is rooted in premium hospitality and sports management, from Front Office operations at luxury resorts in Hua Hin and Koh Samui to Sales Operations at Black Mountain Golf Club, our Course of the Month. Now a Sales & Reservation Executive based in Hua Hin, she combines that resort-level service background with genuine local knowledge of the destination, making her a real asset for clients planning a trip to the home of Thai golf.

Travel is what inspires her. Jaja is an avid traveller who loves discovering new destinations, and she is especially drawn to the way different cultures blend luxury with their own local traditions. She is always looking for fresh perspectives on service excellence and aesthetics, and that eye for detail carries straight into her work, where every itinerary is a chance to give clients something thoughtfully put together.

Outside the office, she is drawn to golf for its unique mix of mental discipline, precision, and the simple pleasure of being outdoors. She is also a digital content creator with a keen eye for high fashion, luxury styling, and the latest in beauty. A firm believer in wellness and self-care, she stays active through fitness and finds her balance in the arts, often spending her free time drawing or finding inspiration at galleries.

When it comes to food, Jaja has a deep appreciation for the artistry of fine dining and adventurous international cuisine, but her heart always returns to authentic Thai flavours and the traditional dishes she grew up with.

Please vote for Golfasian 🙏

Once again, Golfasian has been nominated for the 2026 World Golf Awards.

If you have travelled with us before and appreciate our service, please be so kind and cast your vote by clicking the following links below. Every single vote counts and we thank you very much in advance.

FREE DOWNLOAD -
Asian GOLF & More Magazine

The highly anticipated edition #4 of Asian GOLF & More has arrived!

We take a focused look at Asia's continued rise as a global golf powerhouse - now home to over 20 percent of the world's golfers and an estimated USD 7 billion in annual golf tourism. This issue highlights Vietnam's transformation into a leading destination, with insights from Greg Norman on the country's long-term vision, plus commentary from LIV Golf's Su Ann Heng on the modern professional game and golf's expanding international reach.

Beyond Vietnam, we cover Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Indonesia, alongside practical features on jet lag management, cultural additions to golf trips, and the growing amateur tournament scene. Concise, informed, and forward-looking - designed for golfers who want context, insight, and ideas for where the game is heading next.

View the Magazine Here

GOLFASIAN Customer Testimonials

Don’t just take our word for it - we encourage you to delve into the testimonials of our satisfied customers. Their firsthand accounts will provide you with an in-depth understanding of the exceptional golf holiday services we offer at Golfasian, and how we strive to create unforgettable golfing experiences. View all recent reviews here.