Bangkok among 8 tourism provinces to reopen in October

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 02, 2021

The Public Health Ministry has launched preparations to reopen the country from October 1, starting with Bangkok, Chon Buri (Pattaya), Prachuap Khiri Khan (Hua Hin) and Chiang Mai.

Health and tourism officials approved guidelines for the reopening at a meeting of the national medical hub board on Wednesday.

Also slated to reopen under bubble-and seal measures in October are tourism areas in Loei (Chiang Khan) and Nong Khai provinces, Trat (Koh Kood, Koh Chang) Rayong (Koh Samet).

The reopening is in line with the prime minister’s 120-day deadline, announced in June.

The medical hub board also proposed measures to speed up development of Thailand’s four home-grown Covid-19 vaccines. These are Chulalongkorn University’s ChulaCov19, Baiya Phytopharm Co’s Baiya vaccine, Government Pharmaceutical Organisation’s HXP-GPO Vac, and Biotech’s nasal-spray vaccine. The board will ask the Cabinet to boost the vaccine-development budget and allow the Food and Drug Administration FDA to cut the registration period for Thai-made jabs.