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BANGKOK: Thailand recorded its first two locally transmitted coronavirus cases in more than a month, the COVID-19 management center said on Saturday (October 17).
He said in his daily report that the cases occurred between two Myanmar nationals living near the Myanmar border, where infections have recently increased.
The two were evaluated on October 13. They showed no symptoms, but the results were positive, the center said in the statement. The last known local case was in early September.
Thailand said last week it would delay plans to host its first batch of foreign tourists due to administrative problems, a senior official said, adding to uncertainty about when it will welcome visitors vital to its economy.
The processes involved in applying for and issuing special visas are delaying the smooth reopening, Thailand Tourism Authority (TAT) Governor Yuthasak Supasorn told Reuters, adding that around 100 tourists were expected to arrive this month.
Foreign arrivals came to a halt in April after the government banned commercial flights to keep COVID-19 at bay.
Thailand has just over 3,600 confirmed cases, among the lowest in Asia, but its economy could contract by a record 7.8 percent.
The tourism-dependent country could receive just 6.7 million foreign visitors this year, the government predicts, after a record 39.8 million in 2019, whose spending accounted for about 11.4 percent of GDP, or 1, 93 trillion baht ($ 61.78 billion).
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