Bangkok-
At a meeting this weekend chaired by Dr. Suwannachai Wattanayingcharoenchai, the director-general of the Department of Disease Control and secretary to the Covid-19 Center for Situation Administration (CCSA) and attended by multiple agencies and business representatives from across Thailand suggestions and assessments of businesses ready to open were decided upon and were to be forwarded to the Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha to deliberate on early next week.
The meeting, which was attended by such organizations as the Interior Ministry and Tourism Ministry along with representatives from multiple business clusters in the country, came together at the Public Health Emergency Center in Bangkok this weekend to discuss the potential of “unlocking” and re-opening more businesses around May 17th of this month in Thailand. The plan is part of a structured overall effort to cautiously re-launch the Thai economy and get an estimated ten million plus workers who are currently unemployed back to their livelihoods and businesses.
Any re-opening would be based upon the continued low numbers, currently in the low single digits and mostly imported, of the Covid-19 Coronavirus nationwide in the Kingdom of Thailand.
The businesses discussed specifically which will be recommended to be opened to the Prime Minister with strict health and safety guidelines are Shopping malls, larger restaurants such as Thai BBQ’s, amusement parks, health and beauty like salons (including allowing hair dying and other services at salons that are currently open) gyms, fitness centers, spas, massage shops, amusement parks including water parks, meeting and seminar venues and the film production industry.
The Pattaya News notes that all of these items are suggestions and are not guaranteed to be opened on or around May 17th and will be dependent on the final decisions of the Prime Minister and his counsel. Any venues re-opening will require strict physical distancing and hygiene measures.
Last Sunday, May 3, was the first phase of re-opening which included small restaurants, outside markets, barber shops, parks and several other mostly low risk venues. The CCSA has said that although it is still early to tell, having a week pass already without any sign of new or confirmed cases from lessening the restrictive measures was a cautiously positive sign. The CCSA, however, stated that it was still far too early to lessen ones guard.
Re-opening many of these larger venues will immediately put tens of thousands of unemployed Thai workers back to work and according to Thai economic experts assist in relaunching a significant portion of the economy.
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