Several countries are starting to reopen their borders for international tourists in time for summer but Thailand will not be one of them. The government do not want to risk an increase in infections.
Krabi, Thailand.
The Thai government extended the country’s national state of emergency until June 30, according to Travel and Leisure.
‘We are still on high alert, we just can’t let our guards down yet,’ governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), Yuthasak Supasorn, told CNN. ‘It is still dependent on the outbreak situation, but I think at the earliest, we may see the return of tourists could be the fourth quarter of this year.’
Some domestic tourism will be activated, with restaurants allowing sit-in guests and some hotels planning to reopen for local visitors from June.
The island destination is heavily dependent on international tourism. In 2019, nearly 40 million tourists visited Thailand, CNN reports. The TAT estimates only 14 to 16 million will visit this year.
Image credit: Instagram/Thailand
