Economic woes hit Thai 'Tiger Fever'

Economic woes hit Thai 'Tiger Fever'

By Robert Horn

PHUKET, Thailand (AP): Thailand still loves Tiger Woods. But "Tiger Fever" has cooled along with the Southeast Asian country's economy.

When Woods made his professional Thai debut last year to destroy the field in the Asian Honda Classic, Thailand treated him as a hero returning home. The American golfer's mother, Kultida, is a native of Thailand.

A TV crew rushed aboard Tiger's arriving plane at Bangkok's airport to film him live unbuckling his seat belt. He was showered with flowers wherever he went, the prime minister gave him a medal, and a campaign was launched to make him an honorary Thai citizen until legal problems arose.

What a difference a year makes.

Back then, Thailand was still considered an Asian miracle economy. Now, the country is one of the worst-hit in Asia's financial collapse. The government has changed and the national mood is no longer one of celebration.

"The fad has gone," said Kavi Chongkittavorn, executive editor of The Nation newspaper, which has relegated Tiger from the front page to the sports page. "Like many other fads, it cannot stay on forever."

Just two dozen spectators trailed the charismatic American golfer as he played Wednesday's pro-am in preparation for the US$ 1.3 million Johnnie Walker Classic, the first tournament on the far-flung 1998 European tour.

Larger crowds are expected during the tournament, but they are unlikely to rival the 4,000 Tiger stalkers who packed the galleries daily last February at a course near Bangkok.

Somchai Sahachiroongruang, a deputy government spokesman, believes Tiger Fever is a victim of the recession: "Golf is a sport and also a business. There may be fewer sponsors this year."

Woods, noting the quieter reception, agreed: "It's a big part of it."

Woods also attributed the more relaxed reception to the tournament's location, the resort island of Phuket, 690 kilometers southwest of the capital, Bangkok, home to most of the country's golf fans and media.

"Last year was in Bangkok, and the Thai media is pretty large," Woods said. "Plus, last year it was a big deal because it was my first time coming to Thailand as a professional."

Slumping exports and a financial and currency crisis sent Thailand's economic fortunes into the rough in mid-1997, requiring a $17.2 billion bailout led by the International Monetary Fund.

Thailand's troubles triggered a regional economic downturn and the country is not out of the woods yet.

Last year, Tiger's coming was heavily promoted and nationalism was fanned by the notion that a person with Thai origins could reach such heights, said Kiatchai Pongpanich, editor and publisher of the Khao Sod newspaper.

"Today, he is still good but the situation is different," Kiatichai said. "I mean, it doesn't matter who is coming, people here are not going to care. They have other problems on their mind."

The government has no plans this year to honor the world's top-ranked golfer, Somchai said.

Woods doesn't seem to care. He said that playing in Phuket was "paradise" and sentimentally special because he was invited there as an amateur in 1994 to play in the Johnnie Walker Classic.

It was the first time Woods made the cut on the pro tour. He finished tied for 34th.

He'll probably fare better this year but faces a tough field in Ernie Els, the South Africa winner of the 1997 U.S. Open, plus Ian Woosnam of Wales, Jose Maria Olazabal of Spain, and England's Ryder Cup sensation, Lee Westwood.