Good news for Bangkok residents pining for green space, a manicure, or a tattoo.

 

Tomorrow, June 1, the city will reopen select businesses and public spaces, including public parks, salons, tattoo parlors, spas and massage parlors, and learning centers such as museums.

 

City Hall announced the eased restrictions earlier today, citing the low risk these venues pose. The announcement is a reversal of previous policy, which saw City Hall casting a wide net with its restrictions, closing essentially every shared space, with the exception of shopping centers and restaurants, throughout May. 

 

 

The reopenings include tightened measures aimed at preventing the spread of Covid-19. For instance, massage parlors can’t offer herbal and steam treatments or facials, and group picnics will not be allowed in parks and botanical gardens.

 

They also come at a time when Covid-19 cases are steady, if not still climbing, in the greater Bangkok area. On Monday, more than 1,300 cases were recorded in the capital alone, and 45 active clusters continue to seed outbreaks across the city, despite ongoing restrictions.