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Bangkok Metropolitan Authority: No Tourism Reopening Plan Yet

On Friday, Bangkok Governor Aswin Kwanmuang said the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) had no intention of reopening the capital to vaccinated foreign tourists on October 15.

Pol Gen Aswin denied reports that the city would reopen to international travelers next month and insisted that ensuring Thais’ health is a top priority. Authorities do not plan to reactivate Bangkok’s tourism until 70% of its population is fully vaccinated, he added.

“To be able to reopen, infection prevention measures must be improved first. If we decide to reopen now, and there’s a new outbreak, it would be problematic,” Pol Gen Aswin stated.

Health officials’ current goal is to speed up inoculations of the capital’s residents to achieve herd immunity. When over 70% of citizens receive their second Covid-19 shot, talks about reopening can begin, he explained.

“Any other people who talked about the Bangkok reopening have no authority. You have to ask me. We’ll reopen when it’s safe. If a new outbreak erupts, we’ll be back to square one. There is no pressure,” he went on.

Speculation that the capital would open in mid-October was related to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha’s statement in June when he said the government would reopen the country in 120 days, a deadline that ends next month.

However, according to the timeline, Bangkok should vaccinate 70% of its population on October 22. It could be brought forward to October 10 if vaccines are delivered earlier, as the interval between two AstraZeneca doses has been shortened to six weeks.

Also, on Friday, the Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) said authorities had not decided on a strategy to reopen the capital, adding that the issue needs to be discussed and planned in detail by various concerned parties.

According to Assistant CCSA spokeswoman Dr. Apisamai Srirangson, three main criteria should be considered for the tourist reopening program: disease control measures, preparedness, and a response plan for cluster infections.

All provinces are expected to vaccinate at least 50% of their people by late October, while districts selected to reopen under the “Covid-free setting” approach must vaccinate 80% of their residents, Dr. Apisamai said.

Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul also addressed concerns about Bangkok’s reopening, saying that a decision had not been made and that the issue must be considered first by the BMA’s communicable disease panel.