COVID-19: Thailand Bans Foreign Travellers From Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal

BANGKOK, May 11 (Bernama) -- After the entry ban on foreign nationals traveling from India, Thailand Monday extended the ban on three other nations in the Indian sub-continent - Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal, - starting Monday in its bid to prevent the spread of the Indian COVID-19 variant. Earlier Monday Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) confirmed reports that travellers from Pakistan into Thailand had been infected by Indian COVID-19 variant. Thailand ‘s Foreign Ministry spokesman Tanee Sangrat said CCSA meeting therefore requested the ministry to temporarily suspend the issuance of Certificate of Entry (CoE) to all foreigners traveling from countries which have widespread transmissions of the said variant. “We will comply with CCSA’s recommendations… I would like to reiterate that the measure is only temporary as the Thai government is trying its best to prevent the emergence and spread of a new variant in the country. “This measure will be applied only temporarily to all foreign nationals departing from the above-mentioned three countries. “However, Thai nationals, diplomats on mission in Thailand and their families and permanent residents traveling from these countries are still able to return to Thailand if they so wish,” he said in a statement. Since May 1, the Thai foreign ministry has also suspended its issuance of CoEs to foreign nationals wishing to travel from India to Thailand. Thailand detected its first case of Indian COVID-19 variant, involving a Thai mother and son returning from Pakistan. --BERNAMA