CHON BURI: More than 130,000 tourists have visited Koh Larn, a popular tourist island off Pattaya, so far this month and the number will surge as Chinese tour groups start arriving in Pattaya soon.
Manote Nongyai, deputy mayor of Pattaya City, said on Wednesday that municipal officials had been counting the number of visitors boarding passenger boats at Bali Hai pier in South Pattaya for Koh Larn since March 1.
Over the past two weeks, they counted about 130,000 tourists, or more than 10,000 visitors a day. Of the total, 70% were Thais, said Mr Manote. The remaining 30% were from Russia, India and European countries, he added.
There are still some Covid-19 prevention measures in Pattaya, but they have been reduced to body temperature checks, he said.
The arrival of more tourists has been a welcome boost to Pattaya’s economy after more than two years in the doldrums because of the pandemic.
Pattaya City has been looking to improve its infrastructure as arrivals will be boosted further now that China is allowing tour groups to travel abroad. Facilities at tourist venues such as Na Ban pier and Ta Waen beach pier and roads will be developed as budgets have already been allocated, said Mr Manote.
However, he acknowledged that the number of hotel rooms was not enough to serve the rising number of tourists arriving in the beach town.
Tourists board a boat to Koh Larn from the mainland in Pattaya. (Photo: Chaiyot Pupattanapong)
