(TAN): Thailand will reopen to international visitors by building “travel bubbles” with countries that have relatively low COVID-19 infections, reports said.
The southeast Asian nation shut its borders to foreign visitors in April in a bid to contain the spread of the virus. As a result, the Thai tourism industry, which reportedly contributes 20% to the country’s Gross Domestic Product, suffered massive losses.
[ALSO READ: Global travel sector at risk of losing over 197 million jobs if restrictions continue]
Thailand plans to open the borders so that it can give a nudge to its travel sector – tourism could reopen to countries with similar levels of the coronavirus such as China, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand, according to reports. As per data from Johns Hopkins University, Thailand has reported 58 deaths and 3,129 cases, most of which have reportedly recovered.
“These so-called ‘travel bubbles’ will allow people from countries who have the same level of virus to visit… without the mandatory 14-day quarantine,” a spokesperson for the Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration was quoted by Khaleej Times as saying.
No date was given for the reopening, although travellers would be required to get complete health screenings done before and after arrival, reports said.
Thailand will also lift a nationwide curfew starting June 15, as per reports. Although schools with less than 120 students, exhibition halls, music concerts, film production units, playgrounds, amusement parks, sports competitions without spectators and sales of alcohol in restaurants can reopen next week, pubs, bars and massage parlours will remain closed, as per reports.
“The curfew will be lifted effective on June 15 along with the easing of some activities,” Today Online quoted the spokesperson as saying.
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