Koh Larn to pilot Pattaya’s reopening to tourists

Koh Larn off the coast of Pattaya could be reopening to tourists in the near future. As Thailand prepares to reopen to foreign tourists by October, the Chon Buri island will serve as a pilot project for the area’s reopening.

Pattaya Mayor Sontaya Khunpluem says the city is in favour of the Thai government’s 120-day reopening plan, a goal announced by PM Prayut Chan-o-cha earlier this month.

No proposed reopening date has been reported, but earlier reports list Pattaya to reopen in September. A vaccination campaign has been launched on the island in an effort to inoculate 70% of people on the island, a requirement for reopening.

The Koh Larn reopening pilot project is included in an economic and tourism recovery plan for Pattaya, which was hit hard by the lack of foreign tourists during the pandemic, the mayor says.

Local officials plan to revive domestic tourism in the area before the reopening for international tourists.

SOURCES: National News Bureau of Thailand