The head of a panel under the Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) said that long-term foreign residents and foreigners with permanent residences in Thailand stranded overseas will receive priority when looking to return to Thailand under strict disease control measures.
Deputy army chief Natthapon Nakpanich, chairman of the CCSA panel on lightening Covid-19 restrictions, said the panel will recommend the CCSA allowing these two groups of foreigners back to Thailand because they have high purchasing power.
They will still be subject to a 14-day quarantine upon arrival, Gen Natthapon said, adding that about 100 of them are ready to return to Thailand and willing to follow the measures to control the disease.
However, the CCSA will need to be careful to allow those returning back into the country from countries with high infections, Gen Natthapon said.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Health Anutin Charnvirakul on Thursday ensured that the returns screening system was effective.
Before boarding a flight, they will undergo a medical examination and will be re-checked upon arrival, before being placed in state quarantine facilities, the Minister said.
He has, however, raised concerns about migrant workers from neighbouring countries who have illegally entered Thailand without having to go through disease control procedures.
It has been urged that the public keep an eye out and alert authorities about illegal migrants, Mr Anutin said.
He added that the ministry had been working with other agencies to deploy medical staff and provide medical supplies, protective gear and treatments to deal with any potential second wave of local transmissions.
According to the Thai Embassy's Facebook account in Washington, the Government has given the green light to the embassy and three consulates in the US to send another 2,150 Thais stranded in the US on 17 separate flights back to Thailand next month.
Chansin Treenuchagron, acting president of Thai Airways International Plc, said the company will arrange specially chartered flights that fly directly from Denmark, Germany, the UK, South Korea, Japan and Hong Kong to Phuket as part of efforts to support the government's policy
of boosting domestic tourism after Covid-19 eases.
Flights are expected to start in November, Mr Chansin said, adding that the company will operate two flights a month on each route and increase flights if demands rise.
Thailand and Singapore discussed the possibility of reopening business travel as the two are working towards a green lane travel procedure which is safe for all.
Source Bangkok Post
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