Cruise brings 600 tourists to Koh Samui

After three years of pandemic-induced quiet, Koh Samui welcomed back its first major cruise ship. Viking Cruises included Koh Samui in their Secrets of Southeast Asia cruise, stopping on Sunday for some 600 passengers to come ashore and explore the Thai tourist island.

The large vessel was welcomed as it docked at Nathon Pier on the west coast of Koh Samui. Representatives from the tourism industry were on hand, joined by the district chief officer Chayaphol Intarasupha to greet passengers disembarking to explore the island.

The local office of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) arranged some special treats for the tourists according to Thai PBS World. Cruise-goers were met with cultural shows including a dance performance from a Nora southern traditional dancers. Businesses in the tourism sector also greeted the passengers.

In an added effort to ensure the visit from the cruise ship that carries 600 passengers and 400 crew members runs smoothly and without incident, additional police were posted and key locations around the island.

The local TAT office director said this first cruise ship is a harbinger of what’s to come. More cruise ships are expected to arrive next month and next year will see a bigger slate of vessels hitting Koh Samui, along with neighbouring islands Koh Pha Ngan and Koh Tao.

The MV Viking Mars is a smaller ship with a capacity of 930 guests, “allowing us to dock where larger ships cannot,” according to Switzerland-based company VikingCruises. It travelled to Samui from Singapore. In October, Phuket in southern Thailand welcomed its first post-pandemic cruise ship – Royal Caribbean’s Spectrum of the Seas – carrying nearly 4,600 passengers. The vessel is set to dock weekly in Phuket.