No handicap as South Koreans swing through Thailand’s ‘golf quarantine’

SEOUL (Reuters) – At six in the morning, Heo Kwang-eum tees off another day in Thailand in coronavirus quarantine – literally. He’s one of dozens of South Korean visitors spending two weeks in isolation playing golf at a resort an hour north of Bangkok.

The 66-year-old businessman is one of the first group of 41 Korean travellers to arrive in Thailand under a ‘golf quarantine’ programme devised by the Thai government to boost its ailing tourism sector during the pandemic.

At the Artitaya Country Club, the visitors were tested three days after arrival last week, and face at least two more tests before they can exit quarantine. With bars and other resort facilities closed, there’s no prospect of a gathering for Heo and other visiting golf fans to thrash out the missed birdies, bogeys and shanks of the day, but spirits remain high.

“It’s a huge golf…