As reported by Reuters, the pandemic has affected over 130 plants,including those supplying international brands, with more than 7,100 casesacross 11 provinces, making manufacturing one of the top sources of infectionsalong with prisons and construction camps.
According to the government data, the affected factories arejust a fraction of about 63,000 factories in Thailand that employ 3.4 million workers.However, local officials worry about the impact on exports that have kept Thailand’sstruggling economy moving as income from its tourism has collapsed.
Electronics, rubber gloves, and food are among the exportsectors hit by infections, Vice Chairman of the Federation of Thai Industries Kriengkrai Thiennukul as quoted by Reuters as saying.
In 2020, exports accounted for 45 percent of gross domesticproduct (GDP). The tourism-reliant economy, a global trade hub, suffered asteep 6.1 percent contraction last year, and last month the government trimmedGDP growth forecast for this year to 1.5-2.5 percent from 2.5-3.5 percent,previously./.