Thailand's military lifts curfew in key tourist areas

Thailand's military junta has ended a curfew in the major tourist resorts of Pattaya, Phuket and Koh Samui.

The military imposed a nationwide curfew, from midnight until 5am, after it seized power in a coup last month.

It later shortened the curfew to midnight until 4am.

The measure will be scrapped "to create a favourable climate for tourism", the military said in a televised announcement.

The decision was made following complaints from the tourism industry that the curfew negatively impacted tourism, one of Thailand's key industries.

The curfew remains in place in the capital, Bangkok, and the rest of the country.

The army toppled the remnants of former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's administration on 22nd May after months of protests forced government ministries to close and caused the economy to shrink.

Since the takeover, media reports indicate that numbers of foreign tourists entering Thailand have dipped dramatically. 

Sources report that Australian bookings to Thailand dipped by 130% in the days immediately after the coup while bookings from China are reported to have fallen by over 400% in the same period.

21st May 2014 - TOURISM INDUSTRY UNCERTAINTY AS THAI ARMY DECLARES MARTIAL LAW