Koh Pha Ngan, Surat Thani:- Tourism operators Thursdays called on the Surat Thani provincial administration to fully lift the ban on the notorious full moon party on the island, saying without the party the tourism business on the island would never be the same.
Their representative, Wannee Thaiphanit, chairwoman of the Koh Pha Ngan Tourism Promotion Association, cried foul that the ban has severely affected tourism on her island.
She said nearly all reservations of hotels and resorts were canceled after foreign tourists learned that the full moon party activities on the island were prohibited.
The provincial administration has slapped a ban on full moon party activities on Pha Ngan since April 5.
After several tourism business operators cried foul that the ban affected their business, the provincial administration allowed the activities to be held on case by case basis.
Tourism businesses had to submit a request for holding full moon party activities. Krirkkrai Songthani, chief of Pha Ngan district, said seven or eight had submitted request for holding the activities and three requests have been approved.
Krirkkrai said the operators were instructed to take good care of tourists' safety and to ensure no drug would be allowed in the parties.
But Wannee said the ban should be lifted totally so that the same atmosphere would return to the island.
Wannee said the full moon party had negative image in the past but now the party has changed so she would like the society to change their attitude towards full moon party.