Thailand plans to gradually ease COVID-19 restrictions on foreigners entering the kingdom after going 28 days without local transmissions.

Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) spokesman, Thaweesilp Wissanuyothin said business executives, professionals and skilled workers, permanent residents and foreigners whose families live in Thailand and medical tourists will be among the first group to be able to enter Thailand.

“They must undergo 14-day quarantine at a state facility,” he said at the COVID-19 daily briefing here today.

To date, he added that there are 700 business executives registered to enter the kingdom, skilled workers (22,000), permanent residents (2,000) and medical tourists (30,000).

Meanwhile, Thaweesilp said short-term businessmen (who attend meetings or sign business contracts or agreements), government guests (who attend ceremonies or specific seminars) and tourists under travel bubbles plan are among those allowed to enter the kingdom without undergoing 14-day quarantine.

“Tourists from China, Japan, South Korea could be among the first group entering the kingdom,” he said.

Thaweesilp said CCSA will look into the proposal carefully as public health and safety is the government’s top priority.

The proposal will be discussed during the CCSA meeting this Friday.

Meanwhile, Thailand has reported three new COVID-19 cases and zero fatalities over the last 24 hours.

The three new cases – all Thai returnees aged between 11 and 34 years old, returned from India on June 15 and are undergoing 14-day quarantine at a state facility.

Thailand has recorded a total of 3,151 COVID-19 cases with 58 fatalities. A total of 3,022 patients have recovered and discharged from hospitals.

He said since April 3, a total of 214 Thais who returned from abroad tested positive for COVID-19, of which 143 have recovered and returned home.

-- BERNAMA