Thai budget businesses fear premium tourist focus

The Old City in Thailand's Chiang Mai is a warren of alleys with ancient Buddhist temples sitting cheek by jowl with guesthouses and luxury hotels, bars and restaurants, and other businesses catering to the millions of tourists who typically flock there.

Now, scores of these businesses are shut, and bars mostly silent amid a ban on alcohol sales to curb the spread of coronavirus in the Southeast Asian nation that has been largely closed to foreign tourists since March 2020.

Starting Nov. 1, Thailand will waive quarantine for fully-vaccinated visitors from 10 low-risk countries and gradually more, in a bid to revive its battered economy - but with a focus on premium tourists who authorities say will be more beneficial.