Update: CCSA puts the brakes on relaxing some measures in Bangkok for at least two more weeks

Bangkok-

The Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration, or CCSA, has put the brakes on a plan to relieve some measures in Bangkok effective tomorrow originally proposed and put together by the Bangkok Governor and Bangkok Metropolitan Administration.

We announced this plan earlier this afternoon here.

  The plan was to relax several things, including massage shops and the current closure of parks, which has been a major complaint from Bangkok residents for weeks.

The announcement from the CCSA has simply stated that all five measures, including parks that saw social media flooded earlier today with excited and pleased messages about the relief, are now reversed.

According to the CCSA announcement, all five measures will remain closed/off-limits until at least June 14th.

The reaction was swift on social media, with many Thai and English commenters furious, especially about parks. Businesses, like massage shops, who were looking forward to being able to get back to work and have received limited to no financial assistance after weeks of shutdowns as most are staffed by informal workers who are not eligible for social security benefits, were also expressing their anger online.

However, there were some online comments that supported the decision, stating that with the number of cases currently, most coming from Bangkok, it was too early to relax any restrictions.

Chonburi, home of Pattaya, has not relaxed any restrictions nor posted that they were planning to earlier today. As of now, all restrictions, which include closures of massage shops, gyms, cinemas, bars, and beaches for exercise only, remain in place “until further notice”.