Koh Larn, Pattaya —
A hotel operator told TPN Media that the rooms on Koh Larn were fully booked with over 10,000 visitors daily during these four consecutive holidays.
TPN reporters reported a large number of domestic and international tourists flocking to Koh Larn during the extended holiday weekend from May 13th to May 16th. Each ferry station reportedly facilitated several thousand people throughout the day.
It was also reported that all of the rooms on Koh Larn were fully occupied. Mr. Kanchanop Sukkee, an island hotel operator, told TPN Media that several tourists who couldn’t find a room were disappointed and had to change their plans to do short-term activities instead before leaving the island. Koh Larn only held 2,000 rooms, but there were 10,000 visitors per day which far exceeded the hotel’s capacity, Kanchanop said.
Many tourists were reportedly surprised the island was so busy, primarily notes TPN, with domestic tourists from the Bangkok area.
This weekend features a religious holiday on Sunday that will also see heavy traffic at local temples and religious spots but is also a “dry” day, with a national alcohol sales ban. That does not, however, seem to be deterring domestic Thai tourists from heading to the beaches and islands for the weekend.
Additionally, since May 1st, a rising number of foreign tourists have been arriving in Pattaya and Koh Larn, driven by the removal of the previous Test and Go program, which required foreign visitors to take Covid-19 tests and risk quarantine. With that fear removed, many tourists are returning, especially Indian nationals noted Koh Larn business operators. Unfortunately, with rising numbers of tourists, there has also been an uptick in local crime in Pattaya, although police have stated they are working on catching the suspects.
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