Thailand to require all travellers to obtain health certificate for entry from Mar 22

Thai soldiers take the temperatures of arriving passengers to check for symptoms of COVID-19 at Phuket International Airport. (Mladen ANTONOV/AFP)

On Mar 19, the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) issued guidelines for air operators that provide services to passengers travelling to the country. From Mar 22, foreign nationals wishing to visit Thailand will have to present a health certificate at the time of check-in to prove they pose no risk of COVID-19 infection.

“The health certificate must be issued no more than 72 hours prior to the date of travel,” CAAT said in an announcement.

Foreign passengers will also need health insurance that provides at least US$100,000 worth of medical coverage of COVID-19 in Thailand, it added.

As for Thai travellers, they will need a health certificate confirming they are fit to fly, and a letter issued by the Thai Embassy, Thai Consular Office or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to certify they are Thai nationals returning home.

“If the passengers are unable to present the required documentation,” CAAT added, “the air operator shall not issue a boarding pass and the boarding shall be denied.”

The announcement came after the biggest daily increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in Thailand. On Mar 19, the Public Health Ministry reported 60 new cases, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 272.

Come Mar 22, passengers travelling to Thailand will be subject to isolation, quarantine, observation, or any other measures designed to prevent and control the disease, according to CAAT.

The decision will be made by disease control officials at the international communicable disease control checkpoint.

After boarding pass issuance, passengers will also need to declare where they will be accommodated in Thailand. They can also enter their information in a mobile application called AOT Airport of Thailand, CAAT said.