Authorities in Pattaya sent several large and powerful vessels to bring about 400 tourists trapped by heavy seas on Koh Lan safely back to the mainland on Wednesday afternoon.
The tourists were stranded on the tourist island off Pattaya beach after marine authorities barred vessels from leaving shore because of three-metre-high waves influenced by a low pressure system resulting from the dissipating Storm Vamco.
Later, they deployed four large double-deck passenger boats escorted by rescue workers' boats to Koh Lan to pick up the tourists. The tourists returned to the Pattaya coast safely.
The ban on boat trips remains in effect as rainstorms and strong waves are expected to continue for two days. The bad weather damaged floating platforms used for parasail services and mooring buoys worth millions of baht along Pattaya beach.
The Meteorological Department said Wednesday evening that waves would be 2-3 metres high in the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea and boat operators should take precautions until Friday.