Foreigners will be allowed to enter Thailand after getting approval from a Thai embassy

The Foreign Ministry announced on Friday (May 29) that under phase 3 of the lockdown relaxation, foreigners with work permits or permission from the Labor Ministry or other government agencies will be allowed to enter the country.

“Permission to enter does not cover all groups as we are proceeding step by step,” said deputy spokesman Natapanu Nopakun at a daily briefing on the Covid-19 situation.

The Foreign Ministry has informed Thailand 's foreign chambers of commerce about relaxation. Eligible foreign nationals are invited to apply at their country's Thai embassies. They must have health insurance and a certificate of health. They will also be liable to 14- quarantine upon admission into Thailand at their own expense, either in a state facility or in a private facility.

The contents of the letter sent to all international chambers of commerce in Thailand are as follows:

1. The Royal Thai Government's invocation of the EmergencyDecree on Public Administration in Emergency Situations BE2548 (2005)(No I) dated 25 March BE2563 (2020) to control the outbreak of the coronavirus Disease (Covid-19), closes the entry into the Kingdom of non-Thai nationals, in accordance with the laws on communicable diseases and immigration. However, clause 3 (5) of the Regulation issued under the said emergency Decree, also allows non-Thai nationals who either possess a valid work permit or have already been granted permission from a Thai government agency to work in the Kingdom, to apply for permission to enter the Kingdom.
2. It is, however, requested that only those in urgent need to enter the Kingdom may submit an application for entry. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in consultation with the Board of Investment and theMinistry of Labour, will consider all requests for entry on a case by case basis, taking into account urgency and economic importance, among others.
3. The procedure for non-Thai nationals who wish to submit an application for entry are as follows:
   1. Contact the Royal Thai Embassy or the Royal ThaiConsulate-General in their country of departure to apply for a 'Certificate of entry into the Kingdom of Thailand" at least 10 working days before the date of the intended departure. The applicants must present (1) copy of his work permits or copy of Letter of permission issued by a Thai Government agency(in most cases, by the Ministry of Labour) to work in Thailand;(2) a valid health insurance policy covering all expenditures of medical treatment, including Covid-19 worth at least 100,000 USD.
   2. The Thai Embassy/Consulate-General will forward the application to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bangkok. If the application is approved, the Thai Embassy/Consulate-General will be instructed to issue the "Certificate of Entry into the Kingdom of Thailand" and the appropriate visa to the applicant.
4. At the port of departure/embarkation (eg airline check-in counter), the approved applicant is required to present (I) a "Certificate of entry into the Kingdom of Thailand" issued by the Royal Thai EmbassyConsulate-General; (2) a completed and signed "Declaration Form" obtained from the Embassy/Consulate-General; (3) a Fit to Fly Health Certificate' issued no more than 72 hours before departure; and (4) a health insurance covering all expenditures of medical treatment, including Covid-19, while traveling to Thailand in an amount of at least 100,000 USD.
5. Upon entry into the Kingdom, non-Thai nationals will be subjected to a 14-day state quarantine at a government-designated alternative State Quarantine (ASQ) facility at their own expenses and obliged to comply with the government's disease prevention measures pursuant to clause 11 of the Regulation issued under Section 9 of the said emergency Decree.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs,

Bangkok,

28 May BE2563 (2020).

Source: The Nation Thailand