Life is gradually returning to Thailand’s Hua Hin seaside resort, after Prachuap Khiri Khan provincial administration eased lockdown restrictions on May 18th, allowing hotels, food shops, shopping malls, department stores, as well horse rental services, to resume operation.
An increasing number of both Thai and foreign tourists have been returning to the popular seaside town, especially during weekends. The rental horses, a feature of Hua Hin, have been missed by tourists, particularly children, for those short rides along the sandy beaches.
Starting next Friday, the provincial livestock office is to allow horses back on the beaches, so that their owners can get back to earing income.
Mr. Seri Homniam, one of the horse owners, said that they have suffered a double whammy, namely COVID-19 and African horse sickness, since the beginning of the year. He claimed that about 20 horses have died from the disease.
Mr. Chamorn Sakdinan, the chief veterinarian, said that no horse deaths have been reported since a vaccination campaign. In order to ease the hardship on horse owners, he said they can resume business on the condition that all the animals return to the stables in the evening and are kept under mosquito nets to prevent mosquito borne African horse sickness. Additionally, horses are not allowed outside Hua Hin.
Meanwhile, on the southern resort island of Phuket, no new coronavirus cases have been reported since May 5th.
The provincial health office has eased lockdown measures, by allowing wholesale and retail businesses, such as food stalls in fresh markets, flea markets and food carts, to resume operation, but children are not yet allowed in markets.
Shoppers are, however, being told to maintain social distancing, wear face masks and not to touch fresh food with their bare hands.
