Thailand: Airlines nervous over Songkran

Airlines are urging the government to shut down domestic travel during the Songkran holiday period to prevent a third wave of Covid-19, or else Thailand's tourism will risk losing more over the long run. With the fresh outbreak starting to spread from entertainment hubs in Bangkok to 20 provinces, the contagion must be nipped in the bud as the long holiday next week will see a mass exodus, particularly of people returning to their hometowns and holidaymakers, said Tassapon Bijleveld, executive chairman of Asia Aviation, the largest shareholder of Thai AirAsia (TAA). The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration on Thursday announced that there will be no lockdown during the traditional New Year celebrations as millions of people have already planned their trips. However, each province still has the authority to impose its own travel restrictions, such as mandatory quarantine for inter-provincial travellers, if there are risks of virus exposure.<br/>