Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has given City Hall the green light to authorise five types of businesses, including spas and beauty clinics, to reopen from Monday, June 14.
The decision to lift some restrictions in Bangkok was posted on the Facebook page “Prayut Chan-o-cha” on Saturday night after careful consideration. It comes when the COVID-19 outbreak in the capital is considered to be under control and many residents have been vaccinated.
As a result, the proposal of the Public Health Ministry and the Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) to allow some businesses to resume operations is approved.
As of Monday, many COVID-19 restrictions imposed in Bangkok to control the outbreak of infections will finally start getting lifted. According to Gen Prayut, the Public Health Ministry and the CCSA had agreed with the city administration’s proposal to relax measures now that coronavirus cases and outbreaks had been controlled with aggressive testing and treatment.
Additionally, the vaccination campaign in Bangkok has progressed steadily, with thousands of people heading to Bang Sue Grand Station on Monday to get shots.
The businesses authorized to open are public parks and botanical gardens, allowing people to go out for walks in the open air. Besides, authorities approved the reopening of museums, archaeological sites, beauty clinics, and tattoo shops.
Nail salons and massage parlors, exclusively foot massage parlors, could also open from today.
However, saunas were not part of the proposed easing of restrictions that begins this week. Concerning other businesses, such as restaurants and tourist attractions, the prime minister stated that officials would continue to monitor the situation and implement measures to reopen those venues when it is safe to do so.
Originally, Gen Prayut had said that he wanted more than two weeks to assess the capital’s situation before approving the City Hall plan.
He allowed some businesses to resume operations given the need to boost the local economy when mass vaccination and COVID-19 controls begin to bear fruit. Nonetheless, officials warned that venues could be closed again if people do not strictly adhere to safety standards, including social distancing and wearing masks, or if a further increase in transmissions in Bangkok is reported.
