Picture: Siam Rath

 

Siam Rath reported from the holiday island of Koh Samui in the south of Thailand where the first luxury cruise liner since the pandemic arrived.

 

The MV Viking Mars had 636 Europeans on board, the first such vessel to dock in three years.

The media said that on December 17th the Mein Schiff 5 operated by Tui Cruise would bring 2,000 foreigners.

 

Picture: Siam Rath

 

Then on December 31st another ship was arriving for New Year celebrations.

 

Surat Thani governor Wichawut Jinto said that next year there would be 31 liners arriving at Samui, sometimes as many as one a week.

 

Then 32 were expected in 2024 and 16 have confirmed they are coming in 2025.

 

It all pointed to continued improvement in tourism to the island. 

 

Picture: Siam Rath

 

TAT rep Suphakan Yortchun said that in the first 10 months of this year 1.4 million tourists had visited Samui, 600,000 to Koh Phangan and 300,000 to Koh Tao making 2.3 million in total.

 

They have spent 40 billion baht. 

 

Picture: Siam Rath

 

The prediction was that by the end of this year tourism recovery would be up to 60% of pre-pandemic levels (based on 2019 figures).

 

Similar improvements were noted by an official from Koh Tao. 

 

-- © Copyright  ASEAN NOW 2022-11-29

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

Monthly car subscription with first-class insurance, 24x7 assistance and more in one price - click here to find out more!

 

Get your business in front of millions of customers who read ASEAN NOW with an interest in Thailand every month - email [email protected] for more information

Can’t think of anything worse than going ashore and being met by that motley lot

Think the calculator is broken again .

As far as I know the people on the ship were only given 4 hours on the island and most were scooped up in minivans and taken to predestined places , so a lot of the island businesses would have got zero benefit of the boat docking here. 

3 hours ago, JoePai said:

Can’t think of anything worse than going ashore and being met by that motley lot

Stay onboard and be met by a Thai submarine... 

Yikes! We spent April on Koh Samui but with these ships arriving! We will pass! Hmm, I wonder if we were counted as “tourists”? Farang retired over decade in Thailand, permanent resident (as long as allowed) whether Thailand recognizes or not?

6 hours ago, ronster said:

Think the calculator is broken again .

As far as I know the people on the ship were only given 4 hours on the island and most were scooped up in minivans and taken to predestined places , so a lot of the island businesses would have got zero benefit of the boat docking here. 

broken what....my calculator says that each one of them spent 4.2 billion baht in 8 seconds on the island. 

19 hours ago, webfact said:

TAT rep Suphakan Yortchun said that in the first 10 months of this year 1.4 million tourists had visited Samui, 600,000 to Koh Phangan and 300,000 to Koh Tao making 2.3 million in total.

 

They have spent 40 billion baht.

Complete and utter rubbish..

how in gods name do they know who spent what where?