With Pattaya and Bangkok shutdown, Ko Samui sees New Year tourism boost

[rooster59]

With Pattaya and Bangkok shutdown, Ko Samui sees New Year tourism boost

Tanakorn Sangiam

 

 

BANGKOK (NNT) - The operator of the ferry to Ko Samui has had to increase the frequency of the service to accommodate the number of visitors during the New Year holiday. The company is asking all passengers to comply with precautionary measures against the spread of COVID-19.

 

Seatran Ferry’s pier in Ko Samui, Surat Thani, was crowded with cars and passengers waiting to leave the island to return to the mainland today, while incoming traffic to the island was also at a peak with visitors coming over for their New Year holiday.

 

Because of this increase in passenger volume, the company has increased service frequency to transport more cars and people in either direction.

 

While some hotels on this popular tourism island have closed down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the remaining ones have dropped their prices to attract domestic travelers.

 

Visitors to Ko Samui are asked to comply with social measures designed to prevent the spread of COVID-19. It is recommended that they wear masks at all times, while hand sanitizers are widely available for visitors to use.

 

-- © Copyright NNT 2021-01-02

 

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[HashBrownHarry]

But what happens if the people visiting are from BKK ann Pattaya.....hmm - not good!

[Bruce Aussie Chiang Mai]

Social distancing on board. Be like being in a single bed with the missus.

[Tropicalevo]

22 flights into Samui airport today. Presumably taking people home. We do have a few check ins today though.

[Surelynot]

.......and, albeit time delayed, an increase in covid cases will follow no doubt.....but what the hell.

[ronaldo0]

Er what happens to the fact that people coming from other areas were meant to quarantine for 14 days if arriving in samui ?

[Tropicalevo]

45 minutes ago, ronaldo0 said:

Er what happens to the fact that people coming from other areas were meant to quarantine for 14 days if arriving in samui ?

Guests that have arrived today have not been told this.

[ronaldo0]

34 minutes ago, Tropicalevo said:

Guests that have arrived today have not been told this.

Not been told but this was issued before new year and Bkk was in a yellow area as well as Phuket etc .

[khunPer]

1 hour ago, ronaldo0 said:

Not been told but this was issued before new year and Bkk was in a yellow area as well as Phuket etc .

There is a long way from the mainland to Samui so that kind of news won't be spread fast...

 

[Susco]

21 minutes ago, khunPer said:

There is a long way from the mainland to Samui so that kind of news won't be spread fast...

 

 

So in other words, you will not tell them?

[phetphet]

15 hours ago, HashBrownHarry said:

But what happens if the people visiting are from BKK ann Pattaya.....hmm - not good!

That's what I am worried about. We have got off relatively lightly here on Samui to date. I doubt for much longer.

[HashBrownHarry]

6 hours ago, phetphet said:

That's what I am worried about. We have got off relatively lightly here on Samui to date. I doubt for much longer.

Yeah, too late now, should have been shut down before NY.

 

It's like the UK, i don't know why they don't just have a blanket lockdown, all the different tiers and rules to hard to follow should just be " no one goes anywhere " - end of..

[Tropicalevo]

16 hours ago, ronaldo0 said:

Not been told but this was issued before new year and Bkk was in a yellow area as well as Phuket etc .

This just goes to show how ineffective and misleading communications are from this government.

This is today's announcement. No mention of Bangkok nor Pattaya.

 

'Surat Thani

Arrivals from Samut Sakhon are to report to the local public health office. Individuals who visited the COVID-19 risk areas are to enter a 14-day quarantine.

Mass gathering events with more than 300 participants must strictly follow the public health guidelines'

 

 

[khunPer]

Virus spreads from people moving, so the only sensible way to stop a virus from spreading is to stop people moving out of areas with the virus, or into areas without the virus. That's why closing foreign arrivals, and mandatory quarantine for those that are let in, made sense. And restrictions in domestic travelling also makes sense.

 

In my view travelling restrictions makes more sense than closing shopping malls at 9 pm, to let the same number of people shop during a shorter period, and mingle more. The wish of letting domestic tourists inside, which after all is a limited business compared to "business as usual", might be at a high cost if the virus thereby hits the area, and a fully lockdown is needed thereafter.

[brewsterbudgen]

Strange topic title - Bangkok and Pattaya are not shutdown.

[Nout]

Pattaya is. At least the entertainment venues are shut down.

[Nout]

20 hours ago, khunPer said:

There is a long way from the mainland to Samui so that kind of news won't be spread fast...

 

Not until some kind of mobile communication device is invented.

[khunPer]

2 hours ago, Nout said:

Not until some kind of mobile communication device is invented.

I'm not sure you understand "Thai way of thinking", the expression originates from my local Thai lawyer on Samui...????

[Tropicalevo]

Well, 2021has started with a knee in the groin for tourism.

With the second round of Covid infections, Thais have disappeared from our villas.

Expats and others though are still coming. They are staying longer than the 2 - 3 days that the Thais stay.

One piece of good news for those in the Plai Laem area, they have almost finished the new drains and tarmac.

This is the road from the airport turning in Bangrak and goes past the entrance to Wat Plai Laem.

[sitta]

How is Ark Bar? still in business and busy?

[sitta]

Miss Koh Samui.. lockdown in Sydney!!

[Tropicalevo]

2 hours ago, sitta said:

How is Ark Bar? still in business and busy?

I am told that the Ark bar is still going strong.

A busy four day weekend (CNY) and half term this week. A fair number of people around on Samui.

I am currently having a rest on KPN. Very, very quiet up here by Koh Maa.