The picturesque island of Koh Tao in Surat Thani province witnessed an unprecedented surge in daily tourist arrivals last week, while its neighboring island, Koh Samui, is gearing up to welcome nearly 30,000 visitors this month, as per hotel bookings.
Koh Tao’s tourist organization reported an astounding figure of 3,106 tourists arriving on the island via boats on July 28, setting a remarkable new one-day record. The sudden influx of visitors coincided with the commencement of a six-day government holiday that extends until August 2.
According to Provincial Governor Wichuwat Jinto, an overwhelming 90% of these visitors were foreign tourists, most of whom are heading to Koh Phangan to partake in the world-renowned Full Moon Party scheduled for August 3 at Hat Rin Beach.
Meanwhile, Koh Samui experienced a soaring number of tourists arriving through the island’s airport, surpassing 141,400 for the entire month of July. Authorities are forecasting an additional 30,000 visitors during the current month, based on hotel reservations. This would bring the total number of air visitors to the island to approximately 171,800.
In response to the escalating demand, Ratchaporn Poonsawat, President of the Tourism Association of Koh Samui, asserted that the association has reached out to airlines, urging them to increase the frequency of daily flights. The scarcity of available flights has led to numerous cancellations for tourists who had made advance room reservations.
This proactive measure is aimed at efficiently accommodating the anticipated influx of tourists during the upcoming peak season. It is expected that this surge in tourism will contribute a substantial 5 billion baht to the island’s economy during the period. Local businesses and the tourism sector are gearing up to ensure visitors have a delightful and memorable experience while also reaping the economic benefits of this thriving industry.
