Thailand opens malls and department stores after nearly two months amid coronavirus outbreak

Mall and department stores have been opened up for the first time in Thailand since March. This move has come as a second phase of relaxing measures as the number of the new COVID cases have reduced. 

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According to Central Pattana Pcl, country's top mall operator has that it has opened 33 of its shopping centres across the nation. 

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Central Pattana said that they will be taking measures in the light of the novel coronavirus by controlling the density and use robots to measure temperatures and using the touchless elevator. 

Customer is asked to scan a QR code and register on a government website before entering.

"I want to have Japanese food today because I haven't had it for three or four months. The QR code registration is inconvenient for an elder like me,” said Sa-nguan Khumrungroj, 65, at Iconsiam.

A machine has been set up to disinfect shoppers' feet as they enter the mall and another dispensed hand sanitizer. 

Thailand has reported a total 3,028 cases, with 2,856 patients having recovered and 56 deaths.

"The cases have declined a lot which I think is suitable for the mall to open because the economy has gone bad," shopper Pornchai Laochunsuwan said at Iconsiam.

Thailand's government relaxed other measures including shortening a nighttime curfew by one hour, from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m. from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. By the end of April,  the country lifted curbs on small businesses like restaurants and barbershops.