For the first time, Thailand plans to hold a compensatory holiday for Songkran in July.

In early June, the Thai government's Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) proposed a long holiday in July to compensate for the cancellation of the Songkran (Water Festival) celebrations in April. CCSA spokesperson Taweesilp Visanuyothin stated, "July could be a time to make up for Songkran if everything goes smoothly."

Previously, the Thai government had postponed the Songkran holiday, which usually takes place from April 13-15, until further notice, due to concerns that large gatherings and people returning home could worsen the spread of the disease.

The agency also emphasized that this proposed compensatory leave is only feasible if the public works together with the government to reduce the number of new infections in Thailand to single digits, or even zero.

However, the sharp decline in new infections and deaths over the past week has led authorities to allow a shortening of the curfew. Furthermore, recent government efforts to boost tourism have raised hopes among Thais that a longer holiday to replace the Songkran festival will become a reality.

In another effort to control the Covid-19 pandemic, the Thai government has yet to decide whether to open its doors to international tourists. Yuthasak Supasorn, Director-General of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), told CNN: “Everything depends on the pandemic situation, but in my opinion, the earliest we can open our doors 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 designated locations. Thailand aims for a "travel bubble" approach. In other words, Thailand wants to create safe travel corridors by opening its borders to countries and destinations that have controlled the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAI) has announced the completion of a framework plan for reopening the tourism industry, but the outcome depends on the decision of the Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA). Currently, the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) has imposed a temporary ban on all international flights until June 30th, except for flights bringing Thai citizens abroad back home. On May 26th, the Thai cabinet also agreed to extend the national state of emergency until June 30th.

As of May 27th, the number of COVID-19 cases in Thailand was 3,042, with 57 deaths. The daily number of new COVID-19 cases in Thailand has also been low, with some days reporting no new infections. The occurrence of local outbreaks and clusters of infection has also been low, and recently, the majority of COVID-19 cases have been among returning immigrants.

My Tong