Travellers from 15 countries must have Covid-free certificates

A security official directs arriving travellers at Suvarnabhumi airport last Thursday. (Photo: Pornprom Satrabhaya)

The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand now requires foreign air passengers travelling from 15 countries to show Covid-19-free health certificates and Covid-19 insurance before boarding their flights to Thailand.

Note: Latest update of this measure can be found at https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/1882315

This clarifies earlier reports that all passengers boarding at all points would have to present the documents.

Inbound Thai passengers are not required to have the Covid-19-free health certificates but they must have certificates confirming they are fit to fly, as well as letters issued by Thai embassies certifying they are Thai nationals returning to Thailand.

CAAT governor Chula Sukmanop announced the condition, and other requirements, on Wednesday as part of government efforts to contain novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19). The requirements were set to take effect on Sunday.

He said arriving passengers who were in China, Hong Kong, Iran, Italy, Macau or South Korea in the past 14 days will be quarantined. These areas were defined as disease infected zones.

Mr Chula said that when passengers check in, airlines must check whether they had visited Covid-19 epidemic areas in the previous 14 days.

Airlines must require passengers from those infected zones and 11 ongoing local transmission areas to present health certificates issued no more than 72 hours before the flight departs. The certificates must guarantee that the passengers are free of Covid-19.

The 11 ongoing local transmission areas are Britain, Denmark, France, Germany, Japan (specific cities), Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States. The Japanese cities are Aichi, Chiba, Hokkaido, Karagawa, Kyoto, Okinawa, Osaka, Tokyo and Wakayama.

Airlines must also require that passengers from these places to have insurance covering Covid-19 treatment in Thailand, up to at least US$100,000.

Passengers who fail to present the required documents must not be allowed to board their flight to Thailand.

Those who comply and are allowed to board must provide the address of their accommodation in Thailand, either by written forms or by AOT mobile phone app.

CAAT also requires airlines to seat passengers as far as possible from each other, and to disinfect their planes - among other preventive measures.

Mr Chula said Thai disease control officials were authorised to isolate aircraft and quarantine passengers.

Airlines that fail to comply must pay for the subsequent transport, quarantine and treatment of passengers, and the cost of related cases of disease control.