The reminder for travellers issued by Public Health Minister Anutin explained the requirements of all travellers arriving from the designated “Disease Infected Zones” – China (including Macau and Hong Kong), South Korea, Italy and Iran – as well as travellers from the Ongoing Local Transmission Areas:

France, Spain, the United States of America, Switzerland, Norway, Denmark, Netherlands, Sweden, Great Britain, specific cities in Japan, and Germany in order to enter the country. (See full list of requirements below.)

Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) Director-General Chula Sukmanop yesterday also issued guidelines for airlines to not let people on planes coming to Thailand unless they have medical certificate and US$100k medical insurance.

The People’s Republic of China (including Special Administrative Regions Macau and Hong Kong), Republic of Korea, Republic of Italy, and the Islamic Republic of Iran are defined as the Disease Infected Zones (as of Mar 5.)

1. Before check-in at the airport of origin, travellers must show the documents to the airlines including:

• Health certification describing “No evidence of COVID-19 infection in the previous 48 hours and no signs of sickness in the 14 days prior to the departure date.

• Health insurance (in an amount of US$ 100,000 that should cover all expenditures of medical treatment while travelling abroad.

In an apparent contradiction of the a notice posted by Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) yesterday, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha announced that all air travellers, both Thai and foreign, must now present a health certificate proving they free of the Covid-19 coronavirus, and proof of insurance covering any local treatment for the virus, before being allowed to check in for a flight or journey to Thailand.

The PM did not specify when or how the measure, slammed by many as impractical, will be implemented. Doctors in many countries, including Thailand, generally don’t provide coronavirus tests to those who do not show symptoms. Nor did he specify whether the conditions would apply to travellers entering by land

When asked whether the measure would effectively close Thai borders, Prayut snapped that he did not imply that.

“Why do I have to translate my words into Thai again? I just mentioned that foreigners entering into Thailand must present their health certificates.”