Bang Saen Beach has closed again after briefly reopening on Wednesday.
Bang Saen beach reopened on Wednesday 3rd June, a public holiday to mark Her Majesty the Queen’s birthday. The beach, located in Chonburi and approximately 100 km from Bangkok, has been a popular tourist destination with Thais for many years due to it being the closest beach to the capital.
Although locals expected the beach to be busy, they were not expecting crowds that reached 5,000 plus at the busiest point on Wednesday.
Most visitors had driven to the area and by mid-afternoon on Wednesday, tailbacks extended more than two kilometres along roads leading to the beach. Saen Suk municipal Mayor Narongchai Kunplome was then forced to close the roads temporarily, in order to clear the backlog.
The beach is now closed until further notice.
Dr Taweesin Visanuyothin, the spokesperson for the Center for COVID 19 Situation Administration has spoken to officials in provinces with popular tourist attractions, including Chiang Mai, and asked for cooperation from local government, citizens and business owners. He said measures must be put in place to prevent overcrowding and ensure tourists are wearing face masks and social distancing.
