Local hoteliers on Friday called on the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) to take measures to boost domestic tourism as imported COVID-19 cases have been reported in the Southeast Asian country, raising widespread concerns about the virus' spread.

The hotel runners in the northern tourism provinces of Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai made the appeal.

Thai Hotels Association's (Upper) Northern Chapter President La-iad Bungsrithong said the local hoteliers urged the TAT to rapidly launch a fresh campaign to promote domestic tourism, and to assure Thai travelers that no lockdown measures will be imposed anywhere in the northern tourism provinces in the rest of this month, and that the authorities have been strictly and effectively carrying out anti-pandemic measures for public health safety reasons.

She said that despite assurances earlier made by the authorities, many people have canceled their hotel bookings in the northern provinces.

Hotel runners in Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, who earlier anticipated a hotel room occupancy rate between 70 percent and 80 percent during this month's otherwise high season, have already seen it drop to about 50 percent, she added.