The time has finally come again for the tourism industry. As many countries start learning to live with Covid-19, travel restrictions are being eased and people are hitting the road after staying put for more than two years.
Returning to my hometown in Samut Songkhram recently, I found a number of tourists in the small province near Bangkok that's best known for its unique Mae Klong Railway Market and Amphawa Floating Market. However, vendors and small shops in the local fresh markets are still struggling, particularly those who haven't joined the government's "Kon La Krueng" co-payment scheme or signed up for online delivery platforms like Grab or Line Man.
"Tourists come and see but many of them don't buy anything. Probably they don't have much to spend or don't want to spend much as the economic picture doesn't look good," one merchant told me. It's a familiar refrain and one being heard across Southeast Asia.
