Emotions ran high at a number of district offices, where residents of eastern provinces which had been declared maximum and strict Covid-19 control areas were seen queuing for hours to get a permit to travel.
Within the first hour of opening, the district office at Rayong’s Muang district saw more than 100 people stream in to apply for travel permits. As the day progressed, the sheer number of applicants forced authorities to move the dedicated booth to a meeting hall which offered more space.
“The movement restriction came out of the blue. All of a sudden, everyone has to get in line to get a piece of paper to leave the province,” said Sorot Chamchuen, 69, a vegetable trader based in Rayong,…
