The first cruise ship to enter Thailand three years after the COVID-19 pandemic docked in Phuket on Monday, October 24, allowing 800 guests to disembark for a one-day sightseeing excursion.
The head of the Phuket branch of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), Nanthasiri Ronnasiri, and Phuket Governor Narong Woonsiew boarded the ship, Spectrum of the Sea, to greet the travelers.
Over 4,500 people, representing 55 different nationalities, are aboard the ship that left Singapore, but the majority are from Singapore, Malaysia, India, the Philippines, and Indonesia.
After three years of COVID-19, this is the first cruise ship, according to Nanthasiri, who also added that the presence of cruise ships and yachts will help Phuket’s tourism industry grow because the majority of the passengers have substantial purchasing power.
Prior to the COVID-19 outbreak in 2019, Phuket was the port of call for 154 cruise ships and 485,598 passengers. Thailand PBS