CCSA names groups that can return

CCSA names groups that can return

US diplomats, their family members and three Thai returnees head for buses to take them to quarantine facilities after they arrived on a Hawaiian Airlines charter flight from Los Angeles via Incheon airport near Seoul on Sunday. (Photo by Wichan Charoenkiatpakul)
US diplomats, their family members and three Thai returnees head for buses to take them to quarantine facilities after they arrived on a Hawaiian Airlines charter flight from Los Angeles via Incheon airport near Seoul on Sunday. (Photo by Wichan Charoenkiatpakul)

Long-term foreign residents and foreigners with permanent residences in Thailand stranded overseas will receive priority when seeking to return to Thailand, under strict disease control measures, the head of a panel under the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) said.

Deputy army chief Natthapon Nakpanich, chairman of the CCSA's panel on the easing of Covid-19 restrictions, said the panel will recommend the CCSA allow these two groups of foreigners back into Thailand as they have high purchasing power.

Upon arrival, they will still be subject to a 14-day-quarantine, Gen Natthapon said, adding that about 100 of them are ready to return to Thailand and willing to follow the disease control measures.

However, the CCSA will have to be careful in allowing those returning from countries with high infections back into the country, Gen Natthapon said.

Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul on Thursdayassured the screening system for returnees is efficient.

They will undergo medical examination before boarding a flight and will be re-checked upon arrival before being placed in state quarantine facilities, the minister said.

However, he has raised concern about migrant workers from neighbouring countries who have entered Thailand illegally without going through disease control procedures.

The public has been urged to keep an eye out and alert authorities about illegal migrants, Mr Anutin said.

He added that the ministry has been working with other agencies in terms of deploying medical personnel and providing medical supplies, protective gear and treatments to deal with any potential second wave of local transmissions.

According to the Facebook account of the Thai embassy in Washington, the embassy and three consulates in the US have been given the green light by the government to send another 2,150 Thais stranded in the US in 17 separate flights back to Thailand next month.

Chansin Treenuchagron, acting president of Thai Airways International Plc, said the company will arrange special chartered flights which will fly directly from Denmark, Germany, the UK, South Korea, Japan and Hong Kong to Phuket as part of efforts to support the government's policy to boost domestic tourism after Covid-19 eases.

Flights are expected to begin in November, Mr Chansin said, adding that the company will operate two flights monthly on each route and will increase flights if demands increase.

Thailand and Singapore have discussed the possibility of reopening travel for businesses as the two work towards a green lane travel procedure that's safe for all.

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