Thailand said it wants to attract high-spending ‘quality tourists’ to help protect the environment, but a business owner said big spenders cause more damage to nature
By Rina Chandran / Thomson Reuters Foundation,
CHIANG MAI, Thailand
The Old City in Thailand’s Chiang Mai is a warren of alleys with ancient Buddhist temples sitting cheek by jowl with guesthouses and luxury hotels, bars and restaurants, and other businesses catering to the millions of tourists who typically flock there.
Now, scores of these businesses are shut, and bars mostly silent amid a ban on alcohol sales to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the Southeast Asian nation that has been largely closed to foreign tourists since March last…
