Footage shows struggling restaurants in Bangkok, Thailand, today (July 14) with owners struggling to survive amid the ongoing Covid-19 restrictions.

Food outlets have been repeatedly banned from opening to the public since the start of the pandemic last March. The latest closures came on July 29 and banned dining in. Restaurants can only offer take-away and deliveries.

Ministers tightened the restrictions again last Friday (July 9) with a 9pm – 4am curfew and checkpoints around the capital to ‘discourage interprovincial travel’ following a sudden rise in Covid-19 cases to almost 10,000 a day.

The measures, which will be reviewed after two weeks, lead to airlines and bus companies canceling many of their services. Retail shops were also forced to close, adding to the hit on the Thai economy which is already struggling from a lack of tourists since the pandemic erupted last March.

Economists have warned that it could be another five years before the country’s tourism industry returns to pre-pandemic levels.

Two years ago tourism made up an estimated 21 per cent of Thailand’s GDP, generating 1.8 trillion baht in revenue. However, the country’s National Economic and Social Development Council predicted that it could be another five years before similar numbers are seen.

Analysts said that between now and 2026, around seven million workers will continue to be affected by the economic harm from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Thailand has recorded 363,029 Covid-19 cases and 2,934 deaths as of July 14. Ministers hope a vaccine rollout that started last month will allow them to re-open the country to international tourists before the end of the year.