Thailand’s reopening plan in November triggers mixed reactions

BANGKOK, Oct. 29 (Xinhua) — Fully vaccinated visitors from 46 low-risk countries and regions including China will be allowed to enter Thailand quarantine-free from November.

The recent announcement has not only raised hopes for Thailand’s economic recovery, but also sparked concerns.

Affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, Thailand’s tourism-dependent economy shrank by 6.1 percent last year, which has put tremendous pressure on the government to open up the economy again soon.

As the outbreak has slowed down in the past month and the nationwide vaccination has picked up pace, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha set the date for reopening the country on Nov. 1.

He admitted there were still risks, but “millions of people who depend on the tourism, leisure and entertainment industry can no longer afford to miss out on a second New Year holiday.”

In Thailand, the winter months usually make up…