Foreigners visiting Thailand must present health cert, Covid-19 insurance coverage

CORONAVIRUS | Foreigners from 17 countries and territories to Thailand need to present health certificates and insurance policies with medical coverage of Covid-19 in the kingdom.

For Thais returning home, they must present their health certificates certifying they are fit to fly and a letter issued by the Thai Embassy, consulate general or Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

This is the latest guideline for air operators issued by the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) to contain the Covid-19 outbreak in the kingdom.

The Public Health Ministry has defined China, Hong Kong, Macau, South Korea, Iran and Italy as Covid-19 disease infected zones, while countries with ongoing local transmission are France, Spain, the US, Switzerland, Norway, Denmark, Netherlands, Sweden, Great Britain, Germany and Japan (Hokkaido, Tokyo, Aichi, Wakayama, Kanagawa, Chiba, Okinawa, Kyoto and Osaka). Malaysia is not on the list.

Director-general of CAAT, Chula Sukmanop said foreign passengers must present the health certificate which has been issued 72 hours before the travel date, to prove they are free from the virus.

“Airlines must check on the passengers’ insurance policy that shows the minimum medical coverage for Covid-19 in Thailand, in an amount not less than USD$100,000,” he said in a statement in Bangkok today.

Chula said if passengers with travel history to the disease infected zones or ongoing local transmission areas fail to present the required documents, the boarding pass shall not be issued and boarding shall be denied.

He added that passengers with travel history to these listed countries in the last two weeks must undergo a 14-day quarantine.

He said passengers must provide information on their address in Thailand in Form T 8 per the Communicable Diseases Act B.E. 2558 (2015) and submit to the communicable disease control officials at the international communicable disease control checkpoint at the airport of disembarkation.

He added that passengers may also enter their information in the “Airport of Thailand” application.

“Air operators should apply protective measures on board the aircraft including arranging seats to passengers with the greatest possible distance apart from each other when issuing boarding passes. Dedicated space in the passenger cabin should be allocated to monitor passengers with fever, cough or illness if necessary,” he said.

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

“Airlines shall be responsible for the expenses and treatment costs incurred for flying in passengers who will undergo quarantine or hospitalisation,” he said.

To date, Thailand has reported 272 Covid-19 cases with one fatality. 

— Bernama