Businesses in Thailand urge relaxing lockdown to stem job losses
The private sector in Thailand is calling on the government to continue easing its lockdown measures to allow other businesses, particularly those related to tourism and supply chains, to restart to curb escalating unemployment.
Visitors return to Yaowarat after the government eases lockdown measures. (Photo: bangkokpost.com)
Bangkok (VNA)- The private sector in Thailand is calling on the government to continue easingits lockdown measures to allow other businesses, particularly those related totourism and supply chains, to restart to curb escalating unemployment.
Thanavath Phonvichai,President of the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (UTCC), said thelatest survey on business sentiment nationwide has found operators most desirean easing of lockdown measures by the government as soon as possible to preventany further business interruption.
Tourism and supplychains are the sectors most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in loweremployment, said Thanavath.
Consumer purchasingpower has dwindled. The UTCC expects the number of unemployed will decrease ifbusinesses are allowed to reopen this month.
The Joint StandingCommittee on Commerce, Industry and Banking predicted last month about 7million workers will be out of job by June because of shutdowns from thepandemic, with most of the layoffs being low-paid workers.
An estimated 4.2million retail and shopping mall workers would lose their jobs, along with 1million construction workers, 978,000 hotel workers, 250,000 restaurantworkers, 200,000 spa and massage workers and 200,000 garment factory workers.
Thailand’s labourmarket employs about 38 million workers.
According to Thanavath,the business sector also calls on the government to come up with reliefmeasures for affected businesses that have to temporarily cease operation because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The measures includerelaxing lending conditions to small and medium-sized enterprises and access tonew loans to ease their liquidity and retain their employment.
Thailand began thefirst phase of the lockdown easing on May 3, although the ordinanceon emergencies and the night curfew order are still valid until late May. Thesecond phase of the four-phase process is expected to start on May 17 if thenumber of new COVID-19 cases does not increase./.
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Visitors return to Yaowarat after the government eases lockdown measures. (Photo: bangkokpost.com) 
