![\"Kiradech](\"https:\/\/indiansportsnews.co.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/Kiradech-Aphibarnrat-520.jpg\")
Kiradech Aphibarnrat has never been more anxious flying home to Bangkok than on this occasion.<\/p>\nKiradech Aphibarnrat has never been more anxious flying home to Bangkok than on this occasion.<\/p>\n
He needed to put on protective gloves and a face mask throughout three flights that took him from Orlando to Thailand\u2019s capital city in a journey spanning nearly 16,000km last weekend.<\/p>\n
The PGA TOUR star is now serving a mandatory 14-day quarantine in a hotel room designated by the local government before he and his wife Tunyatorn can be reunited with their family members.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had our gloves and mask on all the time throughout the flights,\u201d said Kiradech, who were part of a group of nearly 140 Thai nationals including LPGA Tour stars Ariya and Moriya Jutanugarn flown out of the U.S. on April 17 through arrangements made by the Thai government.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the plane, the passengers were kept apart to observe social distancing. We left our home at 6am on April 17 and arrived in the quarantine centre at 1am on April 19. My wife and I are currently in different rooms due to the quarantine. I\u2019m excited to be able to see my family soon.\u201d<\/p>\n
When the PGA TOUR temporarily shut down due to the spread of Covid-19 on March 13, Kiradech initially felt it was best to stay put in his U.S. base in Orlando. As the situation escalated, he tried to leave the U.S. with the Jutanugarn sisters in early April, only to be denied at the 11th hour when Thailand stopped all international arrivals as part of preventive measures.<\/p>\n
Kiradech then posted on Instagram a screengrab of him in a video call with the sisters, all of them teary-eyed. He kept in close touch with them and another fellow Thai LPGA golfer Wichanee Meechai and when the Thai government announced a special flight home on April 17, they began the rush to complete the necessary documentation and medical screenings needed to get on the flight.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had to submit the paperwork to the Thai Embassy in Washington D.C. and also get a medical certification to be deemed as fit-to-fly,\u201d said Kiradech.<\/p>\n
Upon arrival in Bangkok, the passengers were subsequently sent to the quarantine hotel. They are provided with basic needs and Kiradech has spent most of his time watching movies, conducting his exercises and getting onto social media to keep in touch with friends while stuck in his room.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have to keep myself all the time. It\u2019s a lock down,\u201d said Kiradech. \u201cWe can\u2019t get friends to send stuff over and the food here is okay. However, I can\u2019t wait to eat my mother\u2019s home-cooked food though. I\u2019m going to ask her to make Thai basil pork which is my favourite when I get home.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve got my golf clubs in the room but I can\u2019t chip or putt as I don\u2019t have any golf balls in the bag! So, I\u2019m just exercising a little bit, resting, playing online games and watching movies to pass the time.\u201d<\/p>\n
While the PGA TOUR has announced plans to resume competition in June, Kiradech is unsure of his immediate playing schedule. \u201cI want to work, I want to play but I want to be safe as well,\u201d said Kiradech, the first Thai golfer to hold a PGA TOUR card.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s good to announce we will resume play but I\u2019ll decide on my plans later. Right now, I intend to stay at home for a while and shut down. I won\u2019t go out to practice and will keep safe as I don\u2019t want to affect my parents. It\u2019s an opportunity to also rest my (left) knee and work on strengthening the knee (which he injured last April).\u201d<\/p>\n
Thailand has reported over 2,800 cases of Covid-19 and new cases has been on a downward trend over the past two weeks. Being stuck initially in Orlando and now in a quarantine hotel due to health and safety precautions have the burly Kiradech viewing things with a different lens on now.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is like a life lesson. I\u2019ve been away from golf for so long now. When we were in Orlando, it was scary to go out to meet friends as we were afraid of passing the virus. Everyone has to be safe. It makes you appreciate life and golf more.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Kiradech Aphibarnrat has never been more anxious flying home to Bangkok than on this occasion.<\/p>\n
He needed to put on protective gloves and a face mask throughout three flights that took him from Orlando to Thailand\u2019s capital city in a journey spanning nearly 16,000km last weekend.<\/p>\n
The PGA TOUR star is now serving a mandatory 14-day quarantine in a hotel room designated by the local government before he and his wife Tunyatorn can be reunited with their family members.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":37235,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-37681","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-golf-golf"],"yoast_head":"\n