In early June, the Thai government's Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) proposed a long holiday in July to make up for the cancellation of Songkran (also known as the Water Festival) festivities in April. "July could be a time to make up for Songkran if everything goes well," CCSA spokesman Taweesilp Visanuyothin said.
The Thai government had previously postponed the Songkran holiday, which was scheduled to take place from April 13-15, until further notice, due to concerns that large gatherings and people returning home could worsen the outbreak.
The agency also stressed that this proposal for compensatory leave is only feasible if people join hands with the government to reduce the number of new infections in Thailand to single digits, or even zero new infections.
However, the sharp decline in new cases and deaths over the past week has prompted authorities to allow curfews to be shortened, and recent government efforts to boost tourism have even raised hopes among Thais that a long holiday to replace Songkran will materialize.
In another effort to control the Covid-19 epidemic, the Thai government has yet to decide to open its doors to international tourists. Mr. Yuthasak Supasorn - General Director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) shared with CNN: "Everything still depends on the epidemic situation, but in my opinion, the earliest we can open to tourists is in the fourth quarter of this year."
According to Mr. Yuthasak, once Thailand reopens to international tourists, they will only be able to visit fixed locations. Thailand wants to move towards a "travel bubble" measure. In other words, Thailand wants to create safe travel corridors by opening borders to countries and destinations that have controlled the Covid-19 epidemic.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) said it has completed the framework for reopening the tourism industry, but everything depends on the decision of the Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA). Currently, the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) has issued a temporary ban on all international flights until June 30, except for flights carrying Thai citizens abroad. On May 26, the Thai cabinet also agreed to extend the national emergency until June 30.
As of May 27, the number of Covid-19 cases in Thailand is 3,042 and 57 people have died. The number of new Covid-19 cases per day in Thailand is also low and there are days when there are no new cases. The occurrence of local outbreaks and clusters is also low and recently the number of Covid-19 cases is mainly among repatriates.
