SURAT THANI: Rough seas forced the cancellation of a one-day visit to Koh Samui for about 5,500 passengers, mostly Europeans, aboard two cruise liners off the southern resort island on Sunday.
Affected were 2,852 passengers on Celebrity Solstice liner and 2,670 on Diamond Princess. Both ships had arrived from Singapore with a total of about 2,000 crew members.
High wind and waves prevented the passengers from boarding smaller boats to the holiday island in the Gulf of Thailand. T
On Saturday about 1,800 tourists on the Norwegian Jewel cruise liner from Europe were able to board small boats to the island. On Monday a further 2,000 travellers were expected to arrive off Koh Samui aboard another cruise ship, the MS Westerdam.
Suthin Prompalat, chief of the Mu Ko Ang Thong National Park in Koh Samui district, said he had suspended visits to Mu Ko Ang Thong islands from Friday to Monday due to rough seas.
Kanrawee Sitthicheewapak, director-general of the Meteorological Department, said waves would be 2-4 metres high in the Gulf of Thailand on Sunday and Monday and small boats should stay ashore during the period.