The ban on international commercial flights will remain in force while the pandemic situation in Covid-19 continues to be critical in many countries, the Thailand Civil Aviation Authority (CAAT) said on Wednesday.
It is an indefinite ban, said Chula Sukmanop, director of CAAT, and the Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) would monitor the global situation before deciding when to resume the flights.
Mr Chula said the Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking (JSCCIB) had told the government that a large number of foreigners were planning to come to Thailand on business, so officials were checking whether there were sufficient state quarantine (ASQ) facilities available.
More private housing providers have been applying to become ASQ-certified, he said, reaffirming that those who arrive would have to pay their own quarantine expenses.
They would also be required to advance notify Thai officials where they would be staying while in the country and complete the mandatory quarantine period of 14 days.
A number of foreigners seeking medical treatment in Thailand under a special entry program are required to stay in a contract hospital for at least 14 days to ensure that they do not introduce and spread the virus, he said, adding: "From now on, no commercial airlines are allowed to fly to and from Thailand and only a number of foreign businessmen are allowed to enter the count.
These people had booked to come to Thailand along with Thai nationals who were looking to return to the country on repatriation flights, Mr Chula said.
In line with Covid-19 precautionary measures, the maximum number of incoming passengers is limited to 500 per day.
At the moment, no ordinary tourists are allowed to enter, while no travel bubble programs are agreed with other countries just yet, he said.
Meanwhile, Foreign Ministry spokesman Cherdkiat Atthakor said 102 Thai nationals were due to arrive home this morning on a repatriation flight from Uzbekistan 's capital Tashkent, having left Uzbekistan on Wednesday Airways flight HY3609.
All these passengers tested negative for the new coronavirus before being allowed to board the flight for repatriation, he said.
Of those 102 people, 94 are Thai workers who went to work in Uzbekistan under a program of labour-cooperation, seven are spa workers and the other one has lived in Uzbekistan.
All the workers' employers have agreed to pay for their repatriation costs except for two of the spa employees.
Source Bangkok Post
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