Koh Larn reopened its piers to tourists who arrived to find a raft of social distancing restrictions.
Day trippers – overnight stays are still prohibited as hotels are closed – must wear face masks, maintain safe distances from each other and cannot smoke or drink on the beach.
People also are encouraged to “check-in” using the government’s Thai Chana contact-tracing app when entering restaurants or businesses.
The tourist island’s residents asked the city to close Koh Larn to outsiders last month to prevent the coronavirus from reaching its shores. But, in doing so, locals cut off their only real source of income, plunging them into poverty and reliant on charity handouts.