HAT YAI: Thai Lion Air, a low-cost airline, has announced the suspension of five flights between Hat Yai international airport in Songkhla and Chengdu, the capital of southwestern China's Sichuan province, as a precaution against the spread of the coronavirus.
Affected are three in-bound flights - SL8725 (Chengdu-Hat Yai) on Jan 31, Feb 5 and Feb 10, and two out-bound flights - SL8724 (Hat Yai-Chengdu) on Feb 4 and Feb 5.
As a result, there will be no flights between risk areas in China and Hat Yai from Jan 31-Feb 10.
Jirawat Nawang, a Chinese-speaking guide, said he and his colleagues who direct physical contact with tourists from China are taking steps to protect themselves from the virus.
After each tour they have a medical checkup to make sure they are not infected before going home, he said.
Chinese-speaking guides mostly work in Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket. Every day they meet new tourists at the airport and accompany them on their tours, making them vulnerable to infection, he said.
