PHUKET: Cruise ships will soon be returning to the Andaman Sea coast in increasing numbers, with Asia's biggest cruise ship due next month, a maritime official said on Monday.
The forecast emerged from a meeting of Maritime Enforcement Command Centre Area 3 and other officials on Monday to discuss standard welcoming procedures for returning cruise vessels.
Spokesman Capt Pichet Songtan said cruise ships would soon again be visiting the Andaman Sea coast, eventually returning to pre-Covid numbers.
He said this was a result of the government reopening maritime tourist destinations along the coastline and planning to declare Covid-19 an endemic disease on July 1.
Tensions between Russia and Europe would also prompt tourists to turn to the Asia-Pacific area, Capt Pichet said.
The spokesman said Asia's biggest cruise ship, Spectrum of the Seas operated by Royal Caribbean International, would arrive in Thailand next month. It had 16 decks and could accommodate 4,188 passengers in its 2,100 cabins.
