Govt reopens entertainment venues to woo back tourists

Back in business: A file photo of customers outside a bar on Khaosan Road in Bangkok. — Bloomberg

The country will allow bars, pubs and karaoke clubs to reopen in some regions from next month, ending a more than a year-long shutdown, as the tourism-reliant nation targets more travellers to bolster an economic recovery amid an easing Covid-19 outbreak.

Popular tourist destinations including Bangkok, Phuket, Chiang Mai and Chonburi are among 31 provinces classified as green and blue zones where pubs, bars and karaoke lounges can serve alcohol to patrons until midnight from June 1, Rachada Dhnadirek, a government spokesperson, said on Twitter yesterday after a meeting of the nation’s virus task force chaired by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.