Over 60 per cent of chief executives in Thailand see the 120-day reopening plan as a crucial policy to support the business sector, amid fears of a fourth wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, said a survey on Monday.
A poll of 200 chief executives on the government’s reopening announcement showed that 62 per cent agreed with the premier’s decision while the remaining 38 per cent did not, according to local media Bangkokbiz.
The majority of those who agreed, 73 per cent, believed that lifting the border will minimize the danger of company closures and rising unemployment.
Of those who said no, 66 per cent did not trust the entire system of the government’s effort to curb the infections.
More than half of this group, 53 per cent, were not convinced that the government will be able to provide enough vaccines to achieve herd immunity.
Among the 200 business chiefs polled, around 64 per cent were concerned that the event could lead the country to face another disaster, a fourth pandemic wave.
News clusters and fatalities would wreak havoc on the economy, they warned.
“The unclear decision from the government has caused a lack of trust,” said one of the chief executives.
“Even vaccine procurement plans are not presented with transparency, especially the distribution of vaccines in the labour sector,” he added.
Supant Mongkolsuthree, chairman the Federation of Thai Industries, supported the 120-day reopening plan to support economic recovery particularly in the tourism industry, including revitalizing most of the country’s small and medium enterprises sector.
More importantly, inoculation must be hastened to cover as many Thais as possible, Supant said.
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