Thailand Ends Mask Mandate, Lifts Curbs on Nightlife Venues
- Outdoor, indoor mask-wearing voluntary with immediate effect
- Pubs, bars, karaoke lounges can operate as before pandemic
Customers at the outside seating areas of bars and restaurants in the Patpong entertainment district of Bangkok.
Photographer: Nicolas Axelrod/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Thailand scrapped a mask mandate and allowed bars and pubs to remain open for longer hours as the Southeast Asian nation rolls back its remaining Covid-19 curbs amid a decline in new cases and a rebound in tourist arrivals.
The wearing of masks is now voluntary nationwide, Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha said in a statement published on Royal Gazette late Thursday, ending a mandate first imposed in June 2021. People with chronic diseases should continue to wear masks during group activities to prevent infections, he said.