BANGKOK • Thailand yesterday opened malls and department stores for the first time since March in its second phase of relaxing measures as the number of new coronavirus cases slowed.

The country's top mall operator, Central Pattana, said it was reopening 33 of its shopping centres nationwide. It said it would control density by allowing only one person per 5 sq m, and use robots to measure body temperatures. It would also use touchless lifts.

Scores of shoppers were seen queueing up to enter the Iconsiam mall in central Bangkok. Customers are asked to scan a QR code and register on a government website before entering.

"I want to have Japanese food today because I haven't had it for three or four months. The QR code registration is inconvenient for an elder like me," said Mr Sa-nguan Khumrungroj, 65, at Iconsiam.

A machine sprayed disinfectant at shoppers' feet as they entered Iconsiam and another dispensed hand sanitiser.

Thailand reported three new cases yesterday, in line with a trend of fewer new daily cases this month. It has reported a total of 3,028 cases, with 2,856 patients having recovered, and 56 deaths.

"The cases have declined a lot which I think is suitable for the mall to open because the economy has gone bad," said shopper Pornchai Laochunsuwan at Iconsiam.

But the government has also ordered that malls be closed by 8pm and that areas where large numbers of people could gather, such as movie theatres and bowling alleys, remain closed. Other measures that were relaxed yesterday include a shortening of the night-time curfew by one hour, from 10pm to 4am to 11pm to 4am.

Last Saturday, the aviation regulator extended a ban on international passenger flights until the end of June.

REUTERS