Five more tourist destinations in Thailand will be opened to visitors starting November 1 on the condition that there is no new large COVID-19 cluster in the areas until then.

A temple in Chiang Mai, Thailand. (Photo: AFP/VNA)

The areas are Bangkok, Chiang Mai (Muang, Mae Rim, Mae Taeng and Doi Tao districts), Prachuap Khiri Khan (Hua Hin district), Phetchaburi (Cha-am district) and Chon Buri (Pattaya, Bang Lamung and Sattahip districts), the government's spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana said.

The government’s decision followed the success of the Phuket Sandbox scheme, which has injected 2.33 billion THB (68.83 million USD) into the economy over the past three months since its launch in July.

Bangkok is of particular concern since it is the gateway to the country. The capital has been the epicentre of the third wave of the outbreak, with the highest number of cases and deaths, although the number of new cases nationwide has fallen to slightly more than 10,000 a day in recent weeks, a level manageable by the healthcare system, according to authorities.

Earlier, the Bangkok governor had said the capital would be opened only when he gave the green light, noting that a 70 percent vaccination rate in all districts was his goal.

Source: VNA