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Convertible garden


Abandoned taxis have been put to more productive use at the Ratchaphruek Taxi.

A Thai taxi company has converted a carpark full of unused cars into a community garden, using the hoods and roofs of these out-of-use taxis as planters for various vegetables as a means to provide stress relief and some food to their employees.

The vehicles were left unused by drivers who could not afford the rental fees due to the absence of tourists and the economic crisis caused by the prolonged coronavirus pandemic.

With strict quarantine measures put in place by the Thai government, taxi rental companies have seen a significant drop in business due to the lack of international tourism.

Thailand plans to reopen the capital to fully vaccinated visitors next month, officials said last week.

Tourism made up a fifth of the country’s national income in 2019, but severe travel curbs imposed to fight Covid-19 saw the usual flood of foreign visitors dwindle to almost nothing, contributing to the Thai economy’s worst performance in more than 20 years.

The kingdom is pressing ahead with reopening plans despite a deadly third wave of infections driven by the Delta variant.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand said that from Oct 1, fully vaccinated foreign travellers will be able to visit Bangkok and four other provinces without undergoing two weeks’ hotel quarantine.

Instead, the five areas – including Chiang Mai, Chon Buri, Phetchaburi and Prachuap Khiri Khan provinces – are expected to follow a “sandbox” model of the type piloted since July in the holiday island of Phuket.

Under the sandbox scheme, tourists have to stay within a certain area for seven days after arrival and take Covid-19 tests.

Thailand got through last year relatively unscathed by Covid-19, recording low numbers of infections. But since April, the Delta variant has taken hold and cases have soared to more than 1.3 million, with almost 14,000 deaths.

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