Koh Chang, Koh Mak, Koh Kut see a flood of tourists for Songkran
Trat’s three popular tourist islands – Koh Chang, Koh Mak and Koh Kut – saw an overwhelming number of visitors on Wednesday as people made a beeline for the islands to celebrate Songkran.
At the Koh Chang ferry port in Klong Yai subdistrict, hundreds of vehicles queued up since 5am on Wednesday to get on ferries, a news source said.
The ferry operator had to therefore use all five of their vessels to transport travellers around the clock as the parking lot at the port could accommodate only 350 vehicles.
“At around 10am, the parking lot was already full, forcing motorists to queue up on the roadside to get on ferries, creating more than 2 kilometres of traffic congestion,” said the source.
Meanwhile, at Laem Sok Port in Ao Yai subdistrict, which operates ferries and speed boats from mainland Trat to Koh Kut and Koh Mak, there were more than 700 travellers waiting to head to the islands as the available vessels were not enough to accommodate the high volume of visitors.
Another news source said some had to wait out in the hot sun as the port’s roofed area overflowed with passengers.
Trat Port Authority senior specialist Sopaphon Kaewwongmai said that due to traffic and passenger congestion, ferries to the three islands would take more time to load and unload cars and passengers, with the usual one-hour trips now taking 1.5-2 hours.
“The authority has instructed all ports in the province to strictly follow Covid-19 preventive measures, including providing hand sanitisers and implementing social distancing in waiting areas,” she added.
