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A night-time curfew in Thailand has been lifted in the major tourist destinations of Pattaya, Ko Samui and Phuket, as of today.
The curfew was put in place after a military coup in the country on Thursday May 22, which put the country under the administration of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO). It was relaxed from seven hours to four hours – from midnight to 4am – last Wednesday, May 28.
A statement on the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s (TAT) website said the curfew had been completely lifted for the three tourist destinations today, with all tourist businesses and services, including bars, expected to resume normal operating hours from tonight.
It added: “The move demonstrates the commitment by the National Council for Peace and Order to promote tourism, which it identified as one of the key drivers for Thailand’s economic growth.”
All other Thai destinations remain under a daily curfew of midnight to 4am, with tourism businesses continuing to operate as normal. According to TAT, there is “hardly any military presence” in the major beach destinations of Hua Hin, Khao Lak and Krabi.