Myanmar Covid-19 situation hits Tak's tourism badly during long weekend

By THE NATION

 

 

Hotels and guest houses in Tak province have seen only 50 per cent reservations by tourists during the four-day long weekend from September 4-7, compared to previous long weekends, due to news of Covid-19 spreading in Myanmar, Thitiporn Kasomsan, president of Tak Tourism Businesses Association, said on Sunday (September 6).

 

The extended weekend is a result of compensation holidays for Songkran.

 

“Mae Sot district used to be the centre of Tak tourism but today it’s completely quiet due to the news of the escalating Covid-19 situation in Myanmar, which shares the border with Tak in several districts,” she said.

 

 

“The Myanmar government had announced total lockdown in Rakhine state, which is at the epicentre of the outbreak and is far from Karen state that shares the border with Thailand,” added Thitiporn. “I have recently visited Myanmar and saw that their disease control capability is adequately efficient. It would be nearly impossible for an infected person to travel from Rakhine to Mae Sot without being stopped by authorities of both countries."

 

“I would like to urge the public to digest the news carefully and not believe rumours that the outbreak is out of control in Myanmar,” she added.

 

“The situation in Tak is completely normal while operators of tourism businesses, such as hotels, guest houses, restaurants and souvenir vendors are recovering from the impact of Covid-19 and are awaiting visits from domestic tourists.”

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30394125

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-09-07

 

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Boarder is shut and should stay that way!

But the Bangkok Post has a story today about hospitals in Tak province pleading for assistance to deal with COVID 19 cases from Myanmar and so the situation is clearly not 'completely normal'.

It should be noted that one of the big draw cards to Mae Sot are the casinos on the Myanmar side of the boarder. Thais and foreigners alike do not have to officially cross the boarder to access them, it's just a 30 second boat ride.  So even with the boarders closed you can still get your Myanmar contracted Covid, which I guess is too much of a gamble even for casino junkies.

20 hours ago, webfact said:

It would be nearly impossible for an infected person to travel from Rakhine to Mae Sot without being stopped by authorities of both countries."

 

“I would like to urge the public to digest the news carefully and not believe rumours that the outbreak is out of control in Myanmar,” she added.

While almost daily news of traffickers bringing in illegals dominate the news.