BANGKOK – Thailand is planning to extend its inbound flight ban on international visitors up till mid-May as it braces for another wave of infections from more than 1,000 returning Thai citizens this week.
The move reflects Thailand’s cautious stance despite having drastically brought down the number of new Covid-19 infections to below 20 cases since 21 April, with the exception of 25 April when there were 53 cases recorded among a group of detained illegal migrant workers.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) plans to extend the ban by another 15 days, which was due to expire this Thursday (30 April), Bangkok Post reported. This will be the fourth extension of the temporary aviation shutdown that began on 4 April, which is assessed every 15 days.
CAAT chief Chula Sukmanop said on Monday that it “may need to further disallow passenger aircrafts from entering Thailand”, adding that the final call will be made by the Public Health Ministry.
The move reflects Thailand’s cautious stance despite having drastically brought down the number of new Covid-19 infections to below 20 cases since 21 April, with the exception of 25 April when there were 53 cases recorded among a group of detained illegal migrant workers.
The latest ban was prompted by concerns of another wave of infections as Thai citizens are set to return from six countries, including India, Australia, New Zealand, Spain, Japan and the Netherlands.
Meanwhile, Thailand’s low-cost carriers Nok Air, Thai AirAsia and Lion Air are expected to restart domestic flights from 1 May, with new restrictions in place. All three carriers confirmed that they will resume services to most destinations in the country, but with fewer flights.
CAAT has issued measures that airlines must comply with when reintroducing flights. This includes requiring passengers to observe strict social distancing at check-in counters and wearing a face mask at all times even during the flight. Carry-on baggage will be restricted to one small personal bag such as laptop bag or handbag weighing no more than 5kg.
Suvarnabhumi Airport will reopen doors also on 1 May after a temporary closure.
Sutheerawat Suwannawat, director of the airport, said that the airport will be able to support all flights as before, with the additional of preventive measures. The airport will conduct screening for anyone who enters and staff must wear face masks and increase the frequency of sanitisation.
Tourism Authority of Thailand’s (TAT) said that a vaccine for Covid-19 is needed to help reverse the plunge in tourism, which is set to drop by 60% to 16 million this year and almost halving foreign tourism income.