Any hopes people in Thailand may have had of seeing lockdown restrictions eased for some low-risk businesses and social activities by early May have been dashed by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.
The Prime Minister issued an order, published in the Royal Gazette late Wednesday night, mandating all provincial governors, including Bangkok’s governor, to delay their plans to ease the measures until further notice.
The order, issued under Section 9 of the country’s State of Emergency Act, states that all lockdown measures remain enforceable until there is a new announcement from the Government.
The order means that the plan, by Bangkok’s governor, to allow low risk limited business and social activity resumption, will have to be shelved for now.
Inter-provincial travel will remain subject to control as staying at home remains the order of the day. That means many residents of the capital, who had plans to get out of the city for the long weekend, will probably have to stay at home instead.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha is asking businesses to be patient for a little longer, assuring them that the CCSA is considering easing certain lockdown restrictions, said Prime Minister’s Office Minister Tewan Liptapallop today, adding that the he is concerned that a rush to reopen businesses may lead to a new wave of COVID-19 infections.
