Kiradech Aphibarnrat returns to Thailand -- but now he’s quarantined

Kiradech Aphibarnrat has never been more anxious flying home to Bangkok than on this occasion.

He needed to put on protective gloves and a face mask throughout three flights that took him from Orlando, Florida, to Thailand’s capital city in a journey spanning nearly 10,000 miles last weekend.

The PGA TOUR star is now serving a mandatory 14-day quarantine in a hotel room designated by the local government until he and his wife Tunyatorn can be reunited with their family members.

“We had our gloves and mask on all the time throughout the flights,” said Aphibarnrat, who was 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.

“In the plane, the passengers were kept apart to observe social distancing,” he said. “We left our home at 6 a.m. on April 17 and arrived in the quarantine center at 1 a.m. on April 19. My wife and I are currently in different rooms due to the quarantine. I’m excited to be able to see my family soon.”

When the PGA TOUR temporarily shut down due to the spread of COVID-19 on March 13, Aphibarnrat 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 when Thailand stopped all international arrivals as part of preventive measures.

Aphibarnrat 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, the golfers began the rush to complete the necessary documentation and medical screenings needed to get on the flight.

“We 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,” said Aphibarnrat.

Upon arrival in Bangkok, the passengers were sent to the quarantine hotel. They are provided with basic needs and Aphibarnrat 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.

“I have to keep myself all the time. It’s a lockdown,” he said. “We can’t get friends to send stuff over and the food here is OK. However, I can’t wait to eat my mother’s home-cooked food though. I’m going to ask her to make Thai basil pork, which is my favorite when I get home.

“I’ve got my golf clubs in the room, but I can’t chip or putt as I don’t have any golf balls in the bag. So, I’m just exercising a little bit, resting, playing online games and watching movies to pass the time.”

While the PGA TOUR has announced plans to resume competition in June at the Charles Schwab Challenge, Aphibarnrat is unsure of his immediate playing schedule. He opened the 2019-20 season with a T8 at THE CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES but has missed the cut in four of his last five TOUR starts.

“I want to work, I want to play but I want to be safe as well,” said Aphibarnrat, the first Thai golfer to hold a PGA TOUR card. “It’s good to announce we will resume play, but I’ll decide on my plans later. Right now, I intend to stay at home for a while and shut down. I won’t go out to practice and will keep safe as I don’t want to affect my parents. It’s an opportunity to also rest my (left) knee and work on strengthening the knee (which he injured last April).”

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 has the burly Aphibarnrat viewing things with a different lens.

“This is like a life lesson,” he said. “I’ve 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.”