All Travellers To Thailand Must Show Health Certificate Before Boarding

By Linda Khoo Hui Li BANGKOK, March 20 (Bernama) -- Starting Sunday (March 22), all travellers to Thailand must show proof of medical certificate and health insurance before boarding their flights to the kingdom, as part of efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19. This latest measure was announced by the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) Friday. Thursday, CAAT said only travellers from six countries and territories classified as ‘disease infected zones’ and 11 countries with ongoing local transmissions need to present such documents before flying to the kingdom. Under this measure, foreign travellers need to show health certificates issued no more than 72 hours before the date of travel to prove that they are free from the virus and health insurance with minimum coverage for COVID-19 of US$100,000. Thais returning home need to show health certificate confirming that the passenger is fit to fly and a letter issued by Royal Thai Embassy, Consulate General or Ministry of Foreign Affairs, CAAT said. “Travellers without the required documents will not be issued boarding pass and denied boarding a plane to Thailand,” it said in a statement. All passengers must provide information on their address in Thailand in T 8 Form or in “AOT Airport of Thailand” application and upon arrival, passengers must show the health certificate, insurance policy, T 8 Form to the communicable disease control official. “Arrivals will be subject to isolation, quarantine, observation or any other measures for the prevention and control of communicable disease,” CAAT said. Meanwhile, Thailand’s Prime Minister General Prayuth Chan o-cha said the measures are to minimise infection in the kingdom. “We are blocking infection from coming into the country. That is why people need medical certificate and health insurance to enter Thailand,” he said, according to Bangkok Post. Thailand has reported 272 COVID-19 cases with one fatality since the outbreak in January. Thailand has recorded a sharp increase in infections this week. Yesterday, Thailand reported 60 new cases, its biggest 24-hour rise. -- BERNAMA