Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha’s 120-day deadline to reopen the country is approaching fast – but few provinces are ready to welcome international visitors without quarantine from October 15. PBS World

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha's 120-day deadline to reopen the country is approaching fast – but few provinces are ready to welcome international visitors without quarantine from October 15.

Bangkok, the face of Thailand in many aspects, looks set to be among those that will stay firmly shut beyond the deadline.

COVID-19 stands in the way

Bangkok Governor Aswin Kwanmuang has set three conditions for reopening the Thai capital. Unsurprisingly, all of them relate to COVID-19.

First, at least 70 percent of locals must be fully vaccinated against the disease. Second, the number of new COVID-19 cases in the capital must head downwards. Third, the number of COVID-19 patients in hospitals must fall as well.

Even though Bangkok's COVID-19 caseload is on the decline, the virus still blocks the way for a proposal to reopen the Thai capital by October 15. The business sector, which is keen to see travelers return, has lowered its hopes for now.

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