Tourism operators here have asked the government to impose a two-week lockdown to keep the Covid-19 virus from spreading to provincial areas and affecting the economy.

Thai Federation of Provincial Tourist Associations (TFOPTA) president Chamnan Srisawat said it was not too late to put the country into a complete lockdown, closing both land and air connections for two weeks or even up to one month.

The Bangkok Post said the federation planned to propose the lockdown at a meeting for all tourism-related associations and seek approval from other tourism-related businesses as well.

Chamnan said the government should impose a lockdown policy before the virus spreads to every part of the country, adding that while infections had mostly clustered in the capital, authorities could still limit the damage.

“Without decisive control, the disease could spread across the country and severely impact the economy.”

The government must also prepare enough basic medical supplies such as face masks and hand sanitizers to protect healthcare workers and people living in provincial areas, he said. “The government has to ensure that tourism operators can access funding before they go out of business.”

The TFOPTA has more than 100 members in each province, with 10,000 members nationwide, consisting mostly of tour agents and hotels.

Association of Thai Travel Agents (Atta) president Vichit Prakobgosol agreed with Chamnan, saying a lockdown to slow down the infection rate was crucial. He added that while Thailand was in the second stage of the contagion, many countries have sealed their borders.

The number of foreign tourists using Atta member services from January to March 10 fell by 53 percent to 544,506. Vichit said if Thailand could get the outbreak under control quickly, the country would be among the first to be ready for the rebound.