A handful of people returned to some of Thailand’s famed sandy beaches on Monday (June 1), keeping well apart but enjoying the outdoors, as authorities eased some coronavirus restrictions for the first time in more than two months.
In Pattaya, one or two visitors enjoyed at the clarity of the turquoise-blue waters of the Gulf of Thailand, as ex-pats eager for exercise promenaded along the beach.
Social distancing rules still applied, with the local authorities ordering beachgoers to stay at least a metre apart.
German expatriate Heidi Glemeau, one of the first people who took an early morning dip in the water, said she stopped at the sight of the empty, open beach on her way to the bank.
“I couldn’t resist the temptation,” she told AFP. “It’s become a paradise just like it was 30 years ago.”
Not all beaches were closed during the lockdown, and not all reopened on Monday.
Phuket, in the south, is still off-limits, while sleepy Hua Hin remained open throughout.
Thailand has been under various lockdown restrictions since mid-March, when authorities declared a state of emergency against the coronavirus – shuttering malls, leisure centres and public spaces, including its famed beaches.
Regardless, the exodus of foreigners and a ban on new arrivals hit the economy hard – particularly as the country is so reliant on tourist dollars in resorts such as Pattaya.
Tourism revenues dropped by 40 per cent in the first three months of the year, and the government has warned that the virus’ impact on the second quarter will be more severe.
A major tourist destination with an infamous nightlife and red-light district, Pattaya has turned into a virtual ghost town.
Bars and clubs remain shuttered, however, and it is not clear when normal activity will resume.
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