A couple of cruise ships brought thousands of Europeans to the rescue of Koh Samui. The last group of Chinese travellers already left the southern resort island.
Marella Discovery and AIDAbella docked at Koh Samui with ~3500 passengers, mostly from the UK and Germany. On Wednesday, February 5, guests visited major attractions including local Buddhist temples, Chaweng beach, souvenir shops, and restaurants. Smiling shop owners said the cruisers' arrival had revived Koh Samui as the last group of Chinese tourists had left the island on Tuesday.
According to Surat Thani governor Wichawut Jinto, a total of 11 cruise vessels were scheduled to visit Samui Island in February and would "significantly compensate for the absence of Chinese visitors." He added visitors were screened and no one was found infected with the coronavirus.
Flights from China were suspended because the country stopped all outbound group travel.