Pattaya is likely to delay its reopening plan as Thailand may not be able to give enough vaccinations until the fourth quarter.

Thanet Supornsahasrungsi of the Chon Buri Tourism Council said the plan to reopen two districts to international tourists in September may be delayed as the country faces a severe vaccine shortage.

"We might not be able to open as scheduled if the province cannot build herd immunity by the deadline. Even if we did reopen, no tourists would visit us if there's a widespread pandemic," said Mr Thanet.

In 2019, Chon Buri received tourism income of 276 billion baht from 18.6 million visitors. With the pandemic last year, income plummeted to 66 billion baht as the number of tourists fell to 6.97 million.

He said even as Phuket has fully reopened to vaccinated foreigners, tough measures and low demand in the early stages mean many shops, restaurants and entertainment venues remain closed. This is discouraging travellers from considering a trip to Thailand.

Destinations like Pattaya should benefit from the domestic market once local tourists are allowed to travel. But people are not taking trips for the time being as they have less money, Mr Thanet said.

Regarding overseas travel regulations, Thailand may be downgraded on Aug 4 or 5 to the UK's red list.