Thailand’s Koh Samui to welcome first cruise ship in three years this weekend

On Sunday, a cruise ship will dock in Koh Samui in southern Thailand for the first time in three years, according to the President of the Koh Samui Tourism Association Ratchaporn Poolsawat.

An MV Viking Mars cruise liner carrying 700 tourists, mostly Europeans, will make their way to the island from Singapore, said Ratchaporn.

Ratchaporn said the return of the cruise ship to Koh Samui will be vital in helping the local economy which is still recovering from the pandemic. Income will be generated for restaurants, merchants, taxi drivers, bus operators, and local businesses, he said.

Thailand is definitely set to surpass the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s (TAT) goal of 10 million tourists before the year is through, especially with the help of cruise ships, said Ratchaporn.

So far, 8.2 million tourists have holidayed in Thailand this year – mostly from Malaysia,…