Outbreak hurts riverside hotels

Hotels located by the Chao Phraya River are suffering from the fresh coronavirus outbreak as the domestic market avoids Bangkok, which has been designated a red zone with strict rules.

As borders remain closed, the Bangkok tourism market has shifted from foreigners to domestic travellers from provincial areas visiting the capital, with some growth recorded before the New Year holiday, said Daecha Tangsin, executive vice-president of Ramada Plaza Bangkok Menam Riverside.

Bangkok is one of the 28 provinces countrywide defined as red zones, meaning they must follow stringent virus prevention controls, according to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA).

Every high-risk activity or event scheduled to take place in hotels, which includes banquets, meetings and seminars, has been cancelled in line with the CCSA’s regulations, he said.

Many provinces…