Seoul Winter Golf by Private Jet: Thailand, Vietnam, Okinawa

Okinawa in 2h05, Chiang Mai in 4h40 from Gimpo

A private jet flies from Seoul-Gimpo to Naha, in Okinawa, in about 2h05, to Da Nang in about 4h10 and to Chiang Mai in about 4h40, depending on the aircraft and the winds. What shapes the trip is the flight home, since Gimpo is closed to take-offs and landings from 23:00 to 06:00: from Chiang Mai, the jet leaves by about 16:00 local time, or lands at Incheon, open around the clock. Our Bangkok office, two hours behind Seoul, builds the schedule around your tee times and files each country's permits. Request a quote for your winter golf trip, answered within the hour.

Why Seoul golfers head south: an average of -1.9°C in January

The Korea Meteorological Administration's 1991-2020 normals put Seoul's January average at -1.9°C, with a daily high of 2.1°C. At ground level, the grass minimum temperature averages -9.7°C in January and stays below -7°C in December and February: three months of frozen turf at dawn.

KB Financial Group's Korean Wealth Report 2025 ranks golf as the second leisure activity of wealthy Koreans (42%), at around 3.4 rounds a month. Where they play is shifting, according to the press rather than official statistics: The Korea Times reported in September 2026 that golf visits to Jeju fell from nearly 2.9 million in 2021 to about 2.2 million in 2025, as golfers compare domestic courses with Japan and South-East Asia.

Flight times from Gimpo: 1h25 to 5h10, and the category each one needs

Past 3,000 km, the light jet drops out. The Phenom 300 seats 7 for about 4h30 of endurance, enough for Okinawa, not for Da Nang with a reserve. Thailand and Vietnam call for a super midsize such as the Challenger 350: 9 seats, about six hours. Incheon, 30 km (19 miles) west of Gimpo, saves a few minutes.

For the clubs, our fleet pages count 8 bags in a Phenom 300 and 12 in a Challenger 350, and a golf bag fits most light jets and above (see luggage on a private jet). Over five hours their weight counts against fuel, so we ask for the exact number.

Three countries, three lead times: 72 hours to 7 days

The country, more than the aircraft, sets the date you can confirm.

• Thailand: flight permission through the civil aviation authority's online system at least three business days ahead, under the Thai AIP. Chiang Mai is one of five airports where that authority also allocates a slot to every flight.
• Vietnam: the Vietnamese AIP asks for at least seven days for an international charter flight, three working days for a purely private one. We plan on seven.
• Japan: a foreign aircraft carrying paying passengers needs a transport ministry permit, filed 30 days ahead, or 72 hours for a tourism trip through an agent in Japan. We file through an agent.

Since the AIP amendment of 1 October 2026, a Vietnamese permit runs from 12 hours before the planned time, against one hour previously: a round cut short by rain can bring the flight forward, once the authority confirms.

Organise your winter golf flight from Seoul with IBC Aviation

Our Bangkok office files the Thai and Vietnamese permits in the time zone of the courses, and works with a handling agent in Japan. At Gimpo, the AIP asks general aviation to confirm a parking stand at least one day before the flight; we do it with the flight plan. For a late return, we book a slot at Incheon, where every flight needs one.

Over a week of golf, the jet either waits or flies home empty. We price both; the empty return can sometimes be offered as an empty leg flight. Send us your dates, players and bags: our Bangkok office proposes the aircraft and the permit calendar for a flight to or from any of these courses.

Thailand: Chiang Mai, Hua Hin or Pattaya, three different airports

Chiang Mai clears customs 24 hours a day, 4 km (2.5 miles) from the city. Alpine Golf Resort, 27 holes co-designed by Ron Garl, lies about 30 minutes from the airport according to the club. Play from November to January, before the burning season described in our Chiang Mai guide. A 16:00 departure is 18:00 in Seoul, and lands at Gimpo around 22:40.

Hua Hin is the tighter one: its AIP gives opening hours of 06:00 to 18:00, customs on request and no ground handling listed, on a 2,100 m runway whose landing length drops to 1,950 m towards the north. We arrange both ahead and check the aircraft's weight against that runway. Black Mountain Golf Club, opened in 2007, has 27 holes.

U-Tapao, the airport for Pattaya, is run by the Royal Thai Navy, with 3,505 m of runway and customs 24 hours. Near Pattaya, Siam Country Club's Old Course, opened in 1971, has hosted the Honda LPGA Thailand.

Under a bilateral agreement, Korean ordinary passports enter Thailand without a visa for up to 90 days, according to the Thai foreign ministry, and each traveller completes the Thailand Digital Arrival Card within three days before arrival. Other runways are compared on our Thai private jet airports page.

Vietnam: Phu Quoc in December, Da Nang from February

Vietnam's coasts do not share a season: the national tourism authority describes the centre, around Da Nang and Hoi An, as rainy and cool from September to January, then sunny until August, while Phu Quoc has clear skies from October to June.

Both airports work around the clock, customs included. Da Nang offers 3,500 m of runway 3.2 km (2 miles) from the centre, and Montgomerie Links, 18 holes by Colin Montgomerie, is about 20 minutes away by the club's account. Phu Quoc has 3,000 m, 7 km (4 miles) south of Duong Dong. Visitors from Korea stay 45 days without a visa under Resolution 44/NQ-CP, valid until 14 March 2028; the rest of the country is in our Vietnam private jet guide.

Okinawa and Kyushu: 17.3°C in Naha, 1h25 to Miyazaki

Japan is the short hop, with no time difference. Naha averages 17.3°C in January, with a daily high of 19.8°C according to the Japan Meteorological Agency, and its airport operates 24 hours. Miyazaki, on Kyushu, is milder without being warm (7.8°C on average, 13.0°C by day), its airport open from 07:30 to 21:30.

Korean nationals need no visa for up to 90 days, a rule in force since March 2006, and we arrange customs for the jet with the permit. Tokyo and Niseko are covered in our guide to Japan by private jet.

What a winter golf flight from Seoul costs: from EUR 4,000 per hour

Billing is by the flight hour. Okinawa or Miyazaki in a light jet such as the Phenom 300 starts at EUR 4,000 per hour, and Thailand or Vietnam, 4h10 to 5h10 each way, at EUR 5,500 per hour in a super midsize. Ten players fit a Falcon 2000, a heavy jet from EUR 6,500 per hour. Our private jet charter rates detail each category.

Our Bangkok office prepares these flights south, Gimpo curfew included: tell us about your golf week.

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Frequently asked questions

How much does a private jet from Seoul to Chiang Mai or Da Nang cost?

By the flight hour, with no fixed fare: a super midsize starts at EUR 5,500 per hour, for about 4h40 to Chiang Mai and 4h10 to Da Nang. Okinawa, about 2h05 away, suits a light jet from EUR 4,000 per hour. Permits are in the quote.

How long is the flight from Seoul to Okinawa, Chiang Mai or Phu Quoc?

From Gimpo, about 2h05 to Naha, 4h40 to Chiang Mai and 5h05 to Phu Quoc, depending on the aircraft and the winds. Thailand and Vietnam run two hours behind Seoul, which helps the flight out and costs two hours on the way home.

Can we fly back to Gimpo after the last round?

Yes, if the jet lands before 23:00, when Gimpo closes until 06:00: leave Chiang Mai by about 16:00 local time, or Hua Hin by about 15:50. Later than that, we plan the arrival at Incheon, open 24 hours, and book its slot.

Do Korean passport holders need a visa for Thailand, Vietnam or Japan?

Not for a golf stay. Thailand admits Korean ordinary passports for up to 90 days, with a digital arrival card filed within three days of arrival. Vietnam grants 45 days until 14 March 2028, Japan 90 days.

How far ahead should a winter golf flight be booked?

At least three business days for Thailand, seven days for a charter into Vietnam and 72 hours for Japan through a local agent, plus a slot for Chiang Mai. We file each permit once the dates are set.