Thai musicians protested on Monday (February 1) calling for financial help from the government due to the COVID-19 closures of bars and pubs.

A number of performers that rely on income from shows in entertainment venues gathered outside the Government Complaints Centre in Bangkok where they delivered a petition.

Thousands of bars have gone bust due to the restrictions imposed last March preventing tourists from entering Thailand.

The second wave of COVID-19 cases in December sparked a fresh shutdown, with bars in the capital Bangkok still closed.

A small group representing musicians said they had a ‘constructive’ hour-long meeting with officials and are optimistic that a 3,500 Baht a month ($116) allowance will now be paid to them.

The leader said that many musicians were falling into debt to keep up with the costs of food and accommodation.

Thailand’s Krungsri Bank forecasts that it will be up to three years before tourism returns to its pre-pandemic levels. The country has recorded 19,618 COVID-19 infections and 77 deaths as of February 1 but the impact on the tourism-dependent economy has been devastating.