First Auto Show Since COVID-19 Pandemic Opens in Bangkok
The 41st Bangkok International Motor Show opened on Wednesday after being postponed twice earlier this year. It’s the first major auto show to take place anywhere in the world since the COVID-19 pandemic started in late February.
Of course, Bangkok doesn’t have the same prestige or significance as Geneva, New York or Detroit in the auto industry, but it’s still an international event with dozens of new models on display and over one million visitors annually.
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The organizers said they want to showcase Thailand’s success in containing the coronavirus.
"This is more than the motor show, but also Thailand's reputation because the other event organizers will be watching," said Prachin Eamlumnow, chief executive of Grand Prix International, which hosts the Bangkok International Motor Show.
Among the various health and safety measures put in place, the number of visitors will be limited, their body temperature will be scanned upon admission, multiple hand washing stations are located throughout the show floor, and visitors must socially distance by at least one metre.
Furthermore, each booth has a single entry and exit. Staff on hand are required to wear masks or face shields during the show, which ends on July 26.
Reuters reports that Thailand has had no locally transmitted cases of COVID-19 for about seven weeks.