Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration to review Covid-19 related restrictions and measures at the end of January. There was not, however, any promise that any regulations, measures, or control status would be changed or lifted by the end of the month from any of the officials, only that they would take it into consideration and review the situation - Pattaya News

Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration to review Covid-19 related restrictions and measures at the end of January

Thursday, 14 January 2021, 22:32

Thailand-

The spokesperson for the Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) stated today that although Thailand was seeing improvements in the overall Covid-19 situation and that nearly all cases were being tracked, traced, and managed it was still too early to consider lifting restrictions that have hurt many businesses, especially in high risk and highly controlled provinces.

Dr. Taweesin Visanuyothin, speaking earlier in the day, said the CCSA would be monitoring the situation closely from January 17th to the 31st and would consider based on the situation potentially changing the status of some provinces and possibly giving guidance on measures and restrictions. Governors, the Pattaya News notes, have a lot of leeway in terms of restrictions but the CCSA also has set some of its own, particularly in terms of the highly controlled provinces such as Chonburi and Rayong.  Some of these restrictions include travel restrictions and closure of what the CCSA considers high-risk venues like bars and entertainment.

This corresponds with statements made by both the Chonburi and Rayong governors as well as the spokesperson for the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration who have asked the public for "patience" with the current measures and that they will be lifted as soon as "safely possible". All parties involved have also stated they understand how difficult the situation is, especially for highly controlled provinces and those reliant on domestic tourism like parts of Trat (Koh Chang) and parts of Chonburi (Pattaya and Bangsaen.)

There was not, however, any promise that any regulations, measures, or control status would be changed or lifted by the end of the month from any of the officials, only that they would take it into consideration and review the situation.

Meanwhile, prominent executives from the hotel industry have continued to ask for relief in terms of being ordered to legally close in Chonburi which would allow their staff to collect social security, saving the industry significant money during the difficult time. So far, there has been no official answer to this continued request.