Massage shop operators submitted a petition to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on Wednesday (April 29), asking the government to allow their businesses to reopen given the lockdown is being eased from Friday.
Massage shops have been shut since early April when the government also closed malls and other entertainment venues to control the spread of the Covid-19 virus.
The petition signed by 327 massage operators was led by Pitak Yotha, who said shop owners had been left to carry the financial burden of bills for water, electricity and staff during the lockdown. He added that he was also representing around 300,000 traditional-Thai masseurs who had been left without income.
The petition asked for massage shops to be reopened along with salons and beauty clinics, all of which come under the Public Health Ministry’s supervision. The massage business operators also want the government to help sanitise their shops to encourage customers to return, and to aid training of staff to boost customers’ confidence.
Though barbers and hairdressers are among the businesses that will be allowed to reopen from midnight on Friday, massage shops and beauty clinics have been ordered to remain shut until further notice.
