Beaches and tourist attractions in Pattaya buzzed with tourists on Friday, the first day of a six-day long holiday, with hotel rooms on Koh Larn fully booked.
Many Thai and foreign tourists boarded ferries at Bali Hai pier in South Pattaya to Koh Larn - an island about 7 kilometres off the coast of Pattaya - on Friday morning.
Authorities have asked operators of ferries to strictly follow safety measures regarding the number of passengers suitable for the type of boats. All passengers were told to wear life jackets and/or be fitted with other rescue equipment to prevent a possible incident.
Koh Larn has about 3,000 rooms for visitors. The occupancy rate has been 100% since early this month. The long holiday period was expected to generate more than 100 million baht on the island.
There was a rising demand for rooms on Koh Larn after Tuesday's announcement declaring Monday, July 31, a special government holiday, creating a six-day vacation period from July 28 to Aug 2 to spur tourism.
July 28 is His Majesty the King's birthday, Aug 1 is Asahna Bucha Day and Aug 2 the beginning of Buddhist Lent, all government holidays. The extra day makes it a six day-weekend for government employees.
