Thailand.com reported that recently, Thai Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Prayut General delivered a televised speech saying that the country will open to the public from November to welcome foreign tourists. Prime Minister Prayut's speech caused heated discussion in Thailand. People in favor said, "This move is conducive to boosting the tourism industry and promoting economic development." People in opposition said, "The current vaccination rate in Thailand is not high, and rash opening may lead to a rebound in the epidemic."
On October 13, Song Karlan, former deputy minister of the Ministry of Commerce of Thailand and chairman of the National Party Strategy of the National Party, said that Thailand is not ready for opening up, but the government has not seen this. Since the implementation of the Phuket Sandbox Plan, it has only brought 2 billion baht revenue to the country, which is not a big deal. In addition, Thailand's daily number of new confirmed cases is still at a high level, and vaccination progresses slowly. This time, the risk outweighs the benefits, and the government bets with the safety of the people. While opening the country's doors, the government should be prepared for public health.
Songkarang said that if tourists bring in the new coronavirus, can the government control the epidemic caused by tourists? If the measures are not implemented in place and tourists enter the country without screening, resulting in challenges in Thailand's public health system, will the government be responsible?
(Source: Thai Media)
