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Published on : Tuesday, December 8, 2020
A Thai national re-entering Thailand unlawfully from COVID-hit Myanmar has triggered alarms in Chiang Mai, a northern province that was mainly popular with Chinese visitors before the pandemic.
On November 24, the woman in her late twenties returned with two friends from working at the 1G1 hotel and casino Tachilek in Myanmar. The entertainment complex is 1.5kms from an official border crossing to Mae Sai in Thailand. The trio re-entered through an irregular crossing point for evading the compulsory 14-day COVID-19 quarantine.
After visiting a number of crowded places in the north, the woman fell ill and tested positive for corona virus. The other two women also tested positive. Subsequently, a 32-year-old Thai DJ working at 1G1 in Tachilek also tested positive.
The 1G1 entertainment complex evidently became a COVID-19 hotspot with 17 cases in all reported till Friday. Ten other Thai women working there had also come back illegally to Thailand to their homes in different parts of the north.
Chiang Mai’s hospitality industry has taken necessary measures for a possible outbreak as the city enters what would be the high season in normal times. Hoteliers too are hoping for a decent uptick in domestic travel during this period.
Although no lockdown has been announced, almost 2,000 hotel bookings were canceled immediately. Chiang Mai’s hotel occupancy rates are around 60% compared to 90% in 2019, according to the Thai Hotels Association (THA).
Thailand’s public health victory has incurred massive economic cost; however, the lucrative tourism industry has been totally devastated.
Apprehensive about an outbreak, local tourism businesses quickly pooled funds and offered 100,000 baht ($3,300) to any tourist found with the virus while traveling in the surrounding areas. Compensation of 1 million baht was offered for relatives of anyone dying from COVID-19 after visiting Chiang Mai.
Punlop Saejew, the vice president of Chiang Mai Chamber of Commerce said, “The recent COVID case is a disaster for the tourism business. We need to do something because this is a golden time of year for the tourism industry here and we don’t want to lose the chance to recover.”
“It has ruined the hopes of hotel-related businesses here in Chiang Mai that were waiting for the high-season period,” said La-Iad Bungsrithong, the president of the THA’s northern chapter.
Chiang Mai previously held a prime spot as a top destination for Chinese tourists. The province used to attract 10.3 million local and foreign visitors annually, 70% of whom came from China.