BANGKOK, 5 January 2021: The annual Thailand Tourism Forum is the first casualty of Bangkok’s red zone status instigated over the weekend to combat a surge in Covid-19 local cases.
The organisers confirmed Monday they were postponing the event scheduled for 18 January. It would have been the 10th edition of the forum that is traditionally a curtain-raiser for international travel and hospitality companies that have a stake in Thailand’s tourism.
Around a thousand executives routinely turn up for the afternoon event that has always been hosted by Bangkok’s InterContinental Hotel. This year it was scheduled to move to Conrad Hilton.
C9Hotelworks managing director Bill Barnett, who founded and curates the event, says no new dates have been set. He tells would-be attendees: “Patience rules the day, and there is light out there, but it’s a ways off. For now, stay safe, and TTF 2021 will be back as soon as humanly possible.”
Bangkok’s declaration of a ‘red zone’ that shuts down gatherings entertainments spots and even schools comes in the wake of a surge in Covid-19 cases since late December. In days, infections increased from around 4,000 to crest on Monday 4 January at 8,439 cases with 65 deaths. The latest tally for 4 January showed 745 new cases with 28 provinces out of 77 officially designated “maximum control zones”.
Possible limitations on inter-provincial travel may have also triggered the decision to postpone the event. Barnett noted: “What is clear now is the content would not be relevant given so many uncertainties are at play… I believe the correct timing will be to reschedule the programme we have in place in late February or early March and we will revert on timing.”
New#COVID19 cases in#Thailand since the new outbreak
23 Dec +46
24 Dec +67
25 Dec +81
26 Dec +110
27 Dec +121
28 Dec +144
29 Dec +155
30 Dec +250
31 Dec +194
1 Jan +279
2 Jan +216
3 Jan +315
4 Jan +745
(Source: Richard Barrow)
