Asian river cruise line Pandaw has secured funding to cover lay-up and vessel refurbishment costs ahead of a potential restart in autumn 2022.

The line was forced to close in October because it was unable to cover the cost of lay-up operations of its 17-ship fleet during the pandemic.

The line’s founder, Paul Strachan, plans to resume marketing activity once “all remaining travel restrictions have been lifted” and keep the business within his family.

He reported 2022-23 bookings have been “strong” and many departures had sold out after customers used future cruise credits [FCCs] to rebook cancelled voyages.

Strachan said: “If it were not for the incredible support from the members of the Pandaw community, with so many kind words evoking memories of incredible experiences with us, I think we would have thrown in the towel.

“A big thank you to all our supporters for raising morale after nearly two years of hell.”

The line said in October it had “no alternative” but to cease operations due to current political situation in Myanmar and the closure of destinations in Laos, India, Cambodia and Vietnam.