The Tourism Authority of Thailand said New Year's countdown events will be held as planned in five provinces, although the final decision isn't up to the toothless marketing agency.
TAT Gov. Yuthasak Supasorn said Tuesday that the first reported case of the coronavirus omicron variant in Thailand has no impact on tourism and showed the government's screening procedures and disease-control measures are working.
There would not be any immediate negative impact and TAT would organize New Year countdown events in Phuket, Chiang Mai, Nakhon Ratchasima, Chonburi and Ayutthaya as earlier scheduled, Yuthasak said.
TAT, however, couldn't run a bath, let alone a government disease-prevention campaign. If cases should surge in the coming weeks, the Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration or Cabinet could override TAT without bothering to text Yuthasak.
The TAT also is sticking to its deluded prediction that 200,000 foreign tourists will arrive in Thailand this month, even though daily numbers are far off that pace.