Curfew Lifted
The nighttime curfew has been lifted in three of Thailand’s key tourist areas — Ko Samui, Pattaya and Phuket.
The announcement of the lifting of the curfew in key tourist areas has been expected for several days now after the initial daily curfew was reduced from seven hours to four hours (midnight to 4.a.m.) as of May 28.
The curfew was imposed nationwide on May 22. Authorities say the situation in the country remains calm, and so the decision was made to lift the curfew on a case-by-case basis. This means that in Ko Samui, Pattaya and Phuket, the curfew has been lifted entirely, and tourists can continue to enjoy the dining, nightlife and day-long excursions.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), the kingdom’s tourism marketing arm, welcomed the lifting of the curfew in the three tourist areas. Thawatchai Arunyik, TAT Governor said, “The lifting of the curfew in Pattaya, Phuket and Ko Samui is welcome news. This latest development should help reassure everyone coming for a holiday in Thailand that it’s very much business as usual and that there’s no reason for anyone to change their plans.”
While the curfew remains in place from midnight to 4 a.m. in the rest of Thailand, most local businesses, shops and restaurants have adjusted their opening times so that people can make use of their services. Tourists and travellers who need to travel to and from international airports can travel when necessary. All airports remain open and airlines continue to operate flights to Thailand as normal.
The TAT adds “The recent political situation only affected a few small areas of Bangkok, while in the rest of the country daily life was not disrupted at all. There is no military presence in popular tourist areas and of course no danger to travellers going out of their hotels and guesthouses in the evening.”
