Thailand will lift a nationwide night-time curfew on Monday as part of phase four of its easing of lock-down measures, a government spokesman said yesterday.
The move comes after no local coronavirus cases were reported over the past 21/2 weeks.
"The ban on going outside after 11pm will be lifted on June 15 after phase three is over," said Dr Taweesilp Visanuyothin, spokes-man for the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration.
"But travel restrictions into the kingdom via land, sea and air will be maintained, as most cases are now imported," he added.
All incoming international flights have been banned from April 4, except repatriation and cargo flights. The ban is set to continue till June 30.
Thailand declared a state of emergency on March 26 and imposed a nationwide night-time curfew on April 3, initially from 10pm to 4am, before changing it to between 11pm and 4am on May 17.
It was further relaxed on June 1, from 11pm to 3am, as the number of Covid-19 infections continued to fall, often to single digits, and recently to zero local case.
Around 36,000 people have been arrested so far for curfew violations, deputy national police spokesman Krisana Pattanacharoen told The Straits Times.
They risk a maximum two-year jail sentence.
The government's continued use of an emergency decree, which allows it to impose the curfew, has been criticised by the opposition and academics. The decree is valid until June 30, but can be extended.
"The emergency decree should be lifted as well as the curfew. The problem with the decree is impunity for the authorities, who may abuse their power and bully the people," Mr Rangsiman Rome, a Move Forward Party lawmaker, wrote on his Facebook page yesterday.
Thailand started easing lockdown measures on May 3, when restaurants, hair salons, parks, markets, open-air sports venues, pet grooming salons and nurseries reopened.
Phase four, initially declared as the final phase, will see international and tutoring schools, as well as amusement parks, open their doors again from Monday.
Schools under the Ministry of Education, with more than 120 students, will reopen on July 1.
While alcohol can be served in restaurants, hotels and other eateries from Monday, bars and nightclubs will have to remain shut.
Sports competitions will be allowed, but without spectators.
The kingdom has recorded a total of 3,129 confirmed Covid-19 cases, including four new cases comprising Thais returning from India, and 58 deaths as of yesterday.
Over the past 18 days, new cases involved Thai returnees housed in state and local quarantine facilities.
