Thailand has been facing some of the worst coronavirus crises since the very beginning of the outbreak back in early 2020. Mid-April was the start of widespread infections in Bangkok that has been affecting the whole country to regress into chaos, resulting in a series of governmental restrictions, including the closure of 31 types of venues in Bangkok and the face mask-wearing enforcement.
The upsetting events have not stopped coming, as the Facebook page of Samet National Park made an announcement last night (April 26) that Samet island, together with five nearby islands, is ordered by the government to suspend new entry to the area for 14 days in order to control and prevent the coronavirus infections. The other five islands are, namely, Koh Ku Dee, Koh Thalu, Koh Gruay, Koh Kham, and Koh Plai Tin. The area of Khao Laemya National Park is also included in the restriction.
All these aforementioned spots are widely known among both national and international tourists. Since the first phase of COVID-19 outbreak, these islands have been visited by travellers already residing in the kingdom, and now the incident has even made it more unlikely for the tourism to come back like the government had planned earlier.
The temporary closure will be in effect until at least May 10. Koh Chang, another renowned island in Trat, is considering to partake in the restriction. Stay tuned for an update.