Thai Airways and Thai Air Asia are both taking steps to prevent any possible spread of Novel Coronavirus pneumonia through tourist arrivals from Wuhan, the source of the outbreak. Thai Air Asia, which operates two daily flights to Wuhan from Bangkok and one from Phuket, suspended services yesterday. Meanwhile Malaysia-based Air Asia, has also suspended scheduled flights to and from Kota Kinabalu to Wuhan

A spokesperson for Thai Airways says the national carrier has also adopted preventive measures to maintain confidence among passengers and Thais concerned about the spread of the virus beyond the shores of China. The measures include cabin cleanliness, thermal screening of passengers before boarding, observation of unusual symptoms of passengers while onboard and the use of face masks and gloves by cabin crew. AoT airports in Thailand are also routinely screening passengers as they disembark flights from China.

The Wuhan virus has now spread from China to at least seven countries – Thailand, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam, Singapore and the United States – and that number is expected to rise.

Countries all over the world have intensified efforts to stop the spread of the Wuhan virus, which can be difficult to detect amid fears the virus is mutating.

As the Lunar New Year starts, the virus is now being detected in a number of countries as Chinese tourists travel around the world on their annual holiday.

In Thailand, a popular holiday destination for Chinese tourists, four cases have been confirmed. Thailand has taken high-level measures to monitor and prevent the spread of a new coronavirus, Sukhum Kanchanapimai, the Ministry of Public Health’s permanent secretary, told the Bangkok Post.