Japanese department store Isetan closes in Bangkok as COVID-19 decimates tourism

2020-09-01 4

Hundreds of shoppers converge on a department store for closing down sale - 30 years after it first opened in Bangkok, Thailand.

The Japanese outlet named Isetan had been one of the most popular stores for locals looking for clothes, makeup and household items from the Far East.

However, it closed for the final time yesterday (August 31) after the owners did not renew the lease amid the Covid-19 uncertainty, which has decimated tourism in the country.

Thailand received no foreign tourist arrivals for the fourth consecutive month in July, with ministers keeping borders closed to prevent Covid-19 spreading.

There have been no local transmissions for more than three months. However, the country's tourism reliant economy accounting for up to 20 per cent of GDP has been shattered - shrinking at its deepest pace since the 1998 Asian crisis.