COVID-19: Thailand draws up guidelines to reopen borders

Thailand is drawing up guidelines to reopen its borders for business travellers and tourists from low-risk countries as the COVID-19 situation in the kingdom continues to improve with no local transmission for 16 days.

Deputy director-general of the Department of Disease Control Tanarak Pipat said Public Health Ministry and Tourism Ministry are in discussion to draw up a set of guidelines to prevent second wave of COVID-19 outbreak when reopening its borders.

"We are preparing the document. Once it is completed, we will send it to Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA)," he told Bernama.

However, he said no definite timeline has been set borders to reopen.

Tanarak said related agencies and authorities are working to allow business travellers to enter the kingdom first and followed by tourists from low-risk countries.

"At the moment, we received requests from international companies to allow their employees enter to work.

"We are going to open up (borders) for business travellers. It is a low-risk approach. They (business travellers) who will stay in Thailand for some time. They will undergo 14-day quarantine and the cost will be borne by their respective company," he said.

For tourists, Tanarak said Thailand will reopen its borders for tourists in stages to prevent the second wave of COVID-19 outbreak.

For tourist arrival, the government will kick-off with tourists from low-risk countries and evaluation will be made along the way before border opening "wider and broader".

He reiterated that intensive screening on arriving passengers will be carried out to curb the COVID-19 outbreak.

To date, borders in Thailand remain closed until June 30. Starting March 26, all foreigners are banned from entering the kingdom from all entry points with the exception of diplomats and foreigners with working permits.

On April 3, Thailand banned international commercial flights and it has been extended until June 30. Thai nationals, diplomats and foreigners with work permits can enter the kingdom and undergo mandatory 14-day quarantine upon arrival.

After months of closure, local media reported that Thailand hopes to reopen its door to tourists from low-risk countries including China and South Korea in the third or final quarter of this year.

Meanwhile, Thailand has reported four new COVID-19 cases and no new deaths, over the last 24 hours, bringing the total to 3,125 cases with 58 fatalities.

CCSA spokesman Thaweesilp Wissanuyothin said the four new cases are Thai nationals aged between 34 and 44 , who returned from India (two), Madagascar and Pakistan (one each).

Of 3,125 COVID-19 cases, 2, 981 patients have recovered and discharged while another 86 remain warded.

-- BERNAMA