Thailand's military council lifts curfew in Pattaya, Phuket and Koh Samui

Thailand's military council announces the lifting of curfew in major tourist destinations in the country as it hopes to entice tourists to return.

The National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) has issued the announcement on lifting curfew in tourism areas such as Pattaya in Chonburi province in the eastern part of the country, while in the south the areas are Koh Samui in Suratthani and Phuket province.

The curfew is lifted effective immediately today.

The curfew in other areas including Bangkok still remains in effect from midnight to 4.00 am.

Thailand expected about 26.3 million tourists this year, although the initial target had been as high as 28 million.

Many tourists have changed their destinations from Thailand to other countries following a prolonged political conflict that sometimes turned violent with more than two dozens of people killed since the end of November and hundreds injured before the military staged a coup to stabilise the country.