COVID-19 in Thailand: Measures for Travellers
In light of the global situation which is escalating, Thailand is taking extra precautionary measures to prevent further imported cases and cases of local transmissions, in accordance with the Communicable Diseases Act B.E. 2558 (2015).
The Ministry of Public Health has listed certain territories as Disease Infected Zones of the COVID-19 outbreak. A Disease Infected Zone is defined as a country or territory reporting over 1,000 confirmed cases. These are the Republic of Korea, China, including Macao and Hong Kong Special Administrative Regions, Italy and Iran. The list can be amended when the situation changes.
Travelers from Disease Infected Zones must implement self-quarantine at his or her accommodation for a period of no less than 14 days without leaving (emergency cases shall be approved by a disease control officer) until the end of the infectious period or the reason for suspicion. Travelers must record his or her own symptoms in the reporting system and strictly monitor his or her symptoms as required by the MOPH.
According to the notification of the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand, dated 8 March 2020, airlines operating from Disease Infected Zones are required to check that passengers have a health certificate, certifying that they are not infected by COVID-19. Otherwise, a boarding pass will not be issued.
Additionally, precautionary measures will be applied to Ongoing Local Transmission Areas, which currently include Taiwan, Singapore, Germany, France, Japan and Spain. An Ongoing Local Transmission Area means a country or territory reporting cases for two consecutive weeks. All travelers arriving from these areas will be placed under observation (supervision without quarantine) to ensure self-monitoring for no less than 14 days until the end of the infectious period or the reason for suspicion, but may be permitted to travel to some places as necessary. The individuals under self-monitoring will have to regularly report their symptoms through the reporting system of the Ministry of Public Health and notify the disease control officer about the places they visit.
Travelers from Disease Infected Zones and ongoing local transmission areas that feel sick or have fever, accompanied by at least one of the following symptoms: cough, runny nose, sore throat, and shortness of breath, within 14 days of arrival in Thailand, must inform a disease control officer immediately upon symptom onset or upon suspecting illness in order to be tested, treated, clinically diagnosed, isolated or quarantined on a case by case basis.
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Royal Thai Embassy,
11 March 2020
