New Golf Courses Opening in Thailand, 2026
Thailand is not flooding the calendar with greenfield openings in 2026. The year's headline is a new Robert Trent Jones II members course at Thai Country Club near Bangkok, in a market that is mostly reinvesting in the courses that already make it Asia's most reliable golf trip.
Photo via Google.
A year of reinvestment, with one marquee new build
If you are hunting for a clutch of brand new Thai courses to chase in 2026, the honest read is that this is a quieter year for greenfield openings than the building booms now under way in Vietnam. Thailand's golf market is mature, with roughly 250 courses across the kingdom and more than 150 genuinely suited to visiting golfers, so the smart money in 2026 is going into redesigns, new clubhouses, better practice grounds and conditioning rather than entirely new layouts.
There is, however, one genuinely significant new build to watch. In May 2026, Robert Trent Jones II Golf Course Architects unveiled the design for a second 18 hole members course at Thai Country Club, the long established club east of Bangkok that has hosted tour golf for three decades. Below is what is actually new, plus the reinvestment that should shape where you play, with the usual caveat that build and renovation timelines move, so confirm a course is fully open before you plan around it.
New and changing Thai golf, 2026 at a glance
| Project | Where | Status in 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Thai Country Club, second course | Chachoengsao, east of Bangkok | New 18 hole members course and practice facility by Robert Trent Jones II, design unveiled May 2026 |
| Established resort courses | Pattaya, Hua Hin, Chiang Mai, Phuket | Cycle of redesigns, new clubhouses and conditioning upgrades rather than new builds |
| Wider new build pipeline | Nationwide | Quiet compared with Vietnam; depth of mature courses remains Thailand's strength |
What is actually new
A second course at Thai Country Club
The biggest news is east of Bangkok, where Thai Country Club has commissioned Robert Trent Jones II to design a new 18 hole members course alongside a comprehensive practice facility, giving the club a second layout for the first time. The architects describe a design built on strategy, variety and ground game options, using sand bunkers sparingly and leaning instead on the shape and positioning of the fairways as the primary hazard. For a club best known internationally as a tournament host, a second course turns it into a genuine 36 hole destination within easy reach of Suvarnabhumi airport.
The reinvestment story around it
Beyond Thai Country Club, the pattern across the country in 2026 is upgrade rather than open. Operators in the Pattaya, Hua Hin and Chiang Mai clusters are putting money into fresh clubhouses, improved practice areas, green and bunker rebuilds and conditioning, which is exactly the kind of work that lifts a trip without making headlines. It means a 2026 visit is less about being first onto a new course and more about playing proven names in better shape than ever.
The wider picture
Thailand's pipeline of brand new championship courses is modest this year compared with the development surge in Vietnam, where giga resort projects and new Central Highlands courses are reshaping the map. Thailand's edge stays where it has always been, in the depth and reliability of its mature golf, the year round playability and the value, which is why the best 2026 Thai trip is still built on established courses rather than an opening date.
Our take
For the traveling golfer, Thailand in 2026 rewards a proven itinerary over a chase for new tape. The Thai Country Club project is worth tracking and will be a strong addition near Bangkok once it grows in, but it is one new course in a country whose real value is its bench of mature, well conditioned layouts and its ease of travel between clusters.
Our advice is to anchor a trip on the established names around Bangkok, Pattaya, Hua Hin or Chiang Mai and treat the new Thai Country Club course as a bonus when it opens. Our Thailand destination hub and the best golf courses in Thailand list are the places to start, and our team can confirm exactly which courses are in peak condition for your dates before you commit.
Plan a Thailand golf trip
Want a 2026 trip built around Thailand's best conditioned courses, with the new Thai Country Club layout folded in when it opens? Tell us your dates and group and one concierge will shape the route, tee times and lodging, costed to the head, with no obligation.
New Thai courses, your questions
Are any brand new golf courses opening in Thailand in 2026?
Thailand's 2026 golf story leans toward reinvestment rather than a wave of greenfield openings. The headline new build is a second 18 hole members course at Thai Country Club near Bangkok, whose design by Robert Trent Jones II was unveiled in May 2026. Across the rest of the country, operators are favoring redesigns, new clubhouses and conditioning upgrades over entirely new courses.
What is the new course at Thai Country Club?
Robert Trent Jones II Golf Course Architects unveiled the design for a new 18 hole members course and a comprehensive practice facility at Thai Country Club, adding a second course at the long established club east of Bangkok. The design emphasizes strategy, variety and ground game options, using bunkers sparingly and relying on the shape and positioning of fairways as the main hazard.
How many golf courses does Thailand have?
Thailand has roughly 250 golf courses spread across the kingdom, with more than 150 genuinely suited to international golf tourists. The depth of mature, well conditioned courses around Bangkok, Pattaya, Hua Hin, Chiang Mai and Phuket is the real strength of a Thai golf trip, rather than any single new opening.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Thai course opening and renovation status compiled June 2026 from Asian golf media and Robert Trent Jones II announcements; build timelines are subject to change. Last reviewed June 2026.