Bangkok life is back to normal!
ICA reports on Thailand ICA Ambassador Kennedy Ho reported on Thailand. His report says, in the beginning of January 2020, the gem business in Thailand was still good. Most dealers were expecting a good 2020. The first Covid-19 confirmed case emerged on 13 January 2020 and Thailand had the world’s first COVID-19 case outside of China. After the Tucson fair in early February, we still managed to do the Bangkok Fair at the end of February. By that time, there were 42 confirmed cases in Thailand. Business sentiment was still good in early March but all of this started to change in the middle of March when COVID-19 cases shot up by over a hundred per day. On 21 March, Bangkok City Hall authorities announced the Bangkok shutdown. Restaurants, department stores, markets, schools, barbershops, sports stadiums, golf courses, and massage parlors in Bangkok were closed temporarily. By 26 March, the Thai government declared a state of emergency. Most restaurants, stores, and enterta