Popular beaches had many visitors on Wednesday's first public holiday since their closure due to the Covid-19 pandemic two months ago, with Bang Saen beach in Chon Buri very busy.
Heavy traffic was seen heading to the beach on Wednesday morning, a public holiday to mark Her Majesty the Queen's birthday.
By mid-afternoon, tailbacks extended more than two kilometres along roads leading to the beach. Saen Suk municipal mayor temporarily closed the roads to clear the jam and control visitor numbers.
On his Facebook, the mayor explained the beach was too packed, making it almost impossible for people to practise social distancing.
The mayor also posted aerial pictures of the beach on Wednesday showing vehicles clogging the entire stretch of road adjacent to the beach. Three of the road's four lanes were occupied by parked cars.
Under the "new normal" regulations, visitors must wear face masks at all times while on the beach and must leave it by 11pm. It was reported that at the busiest time on Wednesday, at least 5,000 visitors were on the beach and most had driven there.
On Wednesday, the number of beach-goers sparked fears among municipal officials about a possible resurgence of Covid-19 infections. Chon Buri has not reported a coronavirus infection in 40 days.
Elsewhere, beaches in Hua Hin of Prachuap Khiri Khan also came back to life as seaside vendors and restaurants welcomed back customers, although many of them were local residents.
In the eastern province of Trat, ferries were back in business transferring tourists between the mainland and islands including Koh Chang.
Koh Samed in Rayong remains closed as it is located in a national park.
