Travel industry faces ‘nail in coffin’ after new outbreak

Bad news: Another nationwide lockdown could be the final straw for many tourism-related companies. — AFP

As Phuket and other Thai tourist destinations prepare for a slight bump in business from the countdown to 2021, a new virus outbreak among seafood factory workers near Bangkok couldn’t come at a worse time.

Thailand discovered a record cluster of infections in Samut Sakhon province last week, prompting a 14-day lockdown of the industrial district. The government is mulling whether curbs need to be expanded to other locales.