Diplomatic and economic experts are calling on countries in the region to step up the screening of migrant workers in the future to prevent the transmission of diseases like Covid-19.
Former foreign minister Kasit Piromya on Friday said the government must now increase migrant screening measures after calls for the establishment of a Covid-19 response fund for Asean during a meeting with bloc members last week.
"Thailand must walk the talk. As the premier put forward the idea during the meeting, he should give the seed money to jump-start projects," Mr Kasit told the Bangkok Post. "The bloc can [use the money] to screen the health of migrant workers at checkpoints."
"It can also conduct joint patrols along border areas to prevent viral transmission," he added.
The meeting he was referring to was the Asean Plus Three virtual summit held on April 14. Bloc members, China, Japan and South Korea agreed in principle to set up a joint fund to fight the outbreak.
Mr Kasit said the government should work with the World Health Organization and the International Labour Organization in Bangkok to improve databases and come up with measures for migrant workers in Thailand and abroad.
"Source and destination countries [for migrant workers] should have measures in line with human rights standards," he said.
Suthad Setboonsarng, a member of the Bank of Thailand board and former deputy secretary-general for the Asean Secretariat, yesterday said the bloc should provide financial assistance or food support to foreign workers once Covid-19 is under control.
"Understandably, we are now targeting relief aid mainly for our nationals during the coronavirus outbreak, but there are a large number of migrant workers in Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand," Mr Suthad said.
He said the government should place preemptive measures or else countries reopening borders to migrants would risk more viral transmissions.
"We [transported] beef infected with foot-and-mouth disease across the Myanmar-Thailand border. At the time, cattle were still allowed to enter our country. We managed to curb the disease when we set up checkpoints in Myanmar to vaccinate cows," Mr Suthad said.
"Similarly, foreign investors may have to take joint responsibility in setting up systems to help migrant workers now that the [coronavirus] crisis has proved human security is the basis for our economy in the long run," he added.
He said the post-Covid-19 world will experience a recession, and Asean should draft a roadmap to re-energise economic activity.
"Asean member states may have to sit down and talk about what course of action each industry should take to move forward," Mr Suthad said. "As for Thailand, we should draw our strength from tourism and service businesses and then calibrate them.
"The private sector should put forward proposals to the government and see how it can work with others," he added.
Mr Suthad warned that many countries will be at risk of food insecurity after lockdown measures are lifted.
"It is a secondary effect of the coronavirus outbreak. Due to an economic slump, we will see a large number of impoverished people who suffer from hunger and malnutrition," he said.
According to the response plan Asean members agreed upon in principle, some of the money would be used to procure medical supplies and budgets for cultural activities would be reallocated to the Covid-19 fund.
Meanwhile, the Economic Research Institute for Asean and East Asia warned of the impact of the pandemic on the regional economy in its recently published policy brief.
The institute advised that the bloc should deepen connectivity and open up trade and investment. It also said the bloc should adopt new technology practices, like working from home and shopping online, to reduce energy consumption for a low-carbon future.