Golfers and aviation fans can have a unique experience at the Kantarat Golf Course, which is situated on the grass between the two airport runways!
Unusual or distinctive characteristics distinguish a lot of airports. A entire golf course is located between the airport’s runways, which makes Don Mueang International (DMK), located in Bangkok, Thailand, stand out. Since it served as Thailand’s primary transportation center in the 1950s, the airport has seen significant changes. The golf course is unchanged, though.
Its golf course and Don Mueang
One of the oldest airports in the world is Bangkok Don Mueang International. Commercial flights began in 1924 after the base’s initial opening in 1914 as an Air Force installation. The facility served as a The new Suvarnabhumi Airport opened in 2006, replacing it as Bangkok’s primary airport. The old airport, Don Mueang, briefly shut down after the new one opened, but it quickly reopened as a hub for regional flights and a low-cost base for several airlines. Nok Air, Thai AirAsia, and Thai Lion Air all use Don Mueang as a hub nowadays, and the city is also a focal destination for Thai Lion Air.
A golf course hasn’t always been located between the landing strips at Bangkok Don Mueang International Airport, as it happens. The Royal Thai Air Force did, in fact, introduce the comprehensive training in 1952. The Kantarat Golf Course was established there, in the area that was left open between the two runways.
The two runways are separated by 18 holes.
All of the holes of the full-size Kantarat Golf Course, which has 18 holes total, are situated in a green area that is situated in between the two 3,500 and 3,700 meter long runways (21L/3R and 21R/3L). Amazingly, the course and the runways (and taxiways) are not separated by any towering barriers or fences. This offers incredible views of airplanes taking off and landing while you play golf, as you would imagine. Sadly, the airport no longer has the Boeing 747s that used to frequently use it when it was Thailand’s primary hub airport prior to the opening of Suvarnabhumi Airport.
Even so, there is still a lot to see for golfers who wish to use the area to identify some planes while they are out on the course. Several airlines, including AirAsia, Scoot, Nok Air, and Lion Air, have flights at the airport. You will witness a lot of Boeing 737s and Airbus A320 family planes, but there are also some widebody movements at the airport (presumably the Airbus A330 or maybe the Boeing 787 with Scoot).
There is a public golf course.
Despite being publicly accessible and reasonably priced, the golf course is still held by the Thai military today. A round of golf can cost up to 620 Baht ($18.20) during the busiest weekends, per Gong Golf’s course information. When playing though, there are actually a few distinctions. Before they can use the course, players must go through metal and security screening. Additionally, it appears that a red light system has been put in place to halt play when planes are landing in order to prevent stray golf balls from creating issues on the busy airfield. You can probably imagine how obtrusive the sights and sounds will be during a round of golf. However, if you’re also there for the flight, this isn’t really a problem.
