Thailand loses 1.45 million tourism jobs from pandemic, says group; only 39 cases reported on Monday (March 29)

Images courtesy of The Nation Thailand/ANN

BANGKOK, March 29 (Reuters): Thailand has lost about 1.45 million tourism jobs during the coronavirus pandemic, including 400,000 in the first quarter, a private tourism group said on Monday, as the country gets ready to reopen to visitors to try to rescue the struggling sector.

Tourism is a key driver of Thailand's growth, typically accounting for 11-12% of gross domestic product. The group says there were 4.5 million tourism jobs before the pandemic, from a workforce of about 38 million people.