The National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) is considering lifting the midnight to 4 .00 a.m. curfew in Phuket and Pattaya after realizing its negative impact on the country’s tourism which contribute up to 10% of GDP.
NCPO deputy spokesman Col Nattawat Chancharoen said consideration of the curfew lift came after the NCPO head Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha received complaints from the private sector of inconvenience and negative impact felt by businesses in tourist-frequented province, and dropping revenues.
The businesses include entertain places, restaurants and nightspots.
The army deputy spokesman said that Gen Prayuth has instructed his working groups on economic and security affairs to assess the situation in these tourist-frequented provinces namely Phuket and Pattaya.
He said the NCPO head indicated of lifting the night curfew to restore tourism in provinces where there is no coup resistance.
The Tourism and Sports Ministry revealed recently that although the number of foreign tourists would decline after martial law was declared, Chinese tourists who were then in Pattaya did not rush home as they were told by their government, the spokesman said.
This was obviously because the Chinese tourists did not see any harm and violence in Thailand even after the coup, he said.
He added several teams would be sent to various tourist destinations to assess the situation. If the situation in those areas is normal, the curfew may be lifted selectively, adding that decision would be expected next week. THAIPBS
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