No curfew yet, but partial lockdown is here

March 25, 2020 – Thai PBS World

The government has no plans for the time being to impose a curfew to stem the spread of the coronavirus but will stringently enforce restrictions on travel and gatherings as the state of emergency starts taking effect after midnight of Wednesday, Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngarm said this afternoon.

But he did not rule out the possibility of a curfew being declared if the ongoing efforts to fight the deadly virus failed.

Wissanu said initial restrictions issued under the state of emergency decree imposed by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha include a ban on non-Thais travelling into the country.

There are few exceptions for Bangkok-based diplomats who need to return to Thailand from overseas trips and pilots and flight attendants of airlines that still operate. But they all need to have fit-to-fly certificates. The same requirement also applies to Thai citizens wanting to return to Thailand.

“This is not a lockdown of the country as the airports are still open,” he said.

Wissanu said that the stay-at-home directive will also be strictly enforced for three particular groups of people who are considered to be most vulnerable to contracting the virus. They are people who are older than 70, children not older than five, and people with illnesses, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, pneumonia and respiratory problems.

Authorities will also impose stringent measures to discourage people from travelling, especially those travelling between provinces. “They will be subject to tough screening to the point that they may not want to leave home,” he said.

The measures will include requirement for passengers to be seated at a proper distance between them, wearing of face masks, taking of temperature and frequent checks at check-points.

Wissanu said all the measures to be implemented under the state of emergency decree are designed to ensure that people practice social distancing and comply with the stay at home directive.

Bangkok and several other provinces have already ordered all shopping malls, entertainment places and sport venues closed while food-shops and restaurants can only open for take-out and delivery. Wissanu said the state of the emergency decree will give authorities legal enforcement of these directives and more stringent measures would be imposed if necessary.

Violators of the decree are liable to a 2-year imprisonment or a fine of 40,000 baht or both.

Thailand temporarily closes all nine border checkpoints due to Covid-19

23 Mar 2020 By SIRA HABIBU – The Star

Thailand has barred the movement of people at all its nine border checkpoints, including ports effective Sunday (March 22) in a move to contain the spread of Covid-19.

All checkpoints at Malaysia, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar borders are temporarily closed until further notice.

Thai Ambassador to Malaysia Narong Sasitorn has notified the South-East Asian secretariat of the decision made by the Thai authorities to contain the pandemic within its borders.

“During the temporary closure of borders, all foreign and Thai nationals are barred from criss-crossing in and out of Thailand via land and sea,” said a statement issued by South-East Asian’s Thai foreign desk.

Thai nationals and Malaysians are only allowed to return to their respective home countries via flight.

Although Thailand has banned movement of people across borders, it continues to allow transportation of goods across designated checkpoints.

These include Sadao – Bukit Kayu Hitam (Kedah), Sungai Golok-Rantau Panjang (Kelantan), Wang Prachan – Wang Kelian (Perlis), Thammalang Jetty-Kuala Perlis Jetty (Perlis) and Betong – Pengkalan Hulu (Perak).

Thailand has also imposed stringent guidelines for those involved in transporting goods across its borders.

Only one Malaysian driver is allowed in each heavy vehicle except in Satun where a driver can enter with an assistant, and at the Thammalang Jetty-Kuala Perlis Jetty where five crew members are allowed in a boat.

All of them will only be allowed to enter after mandatory health screening at the borders.

Thai has requested Wisma Putra’s Covid-19 taskforce to relate the information to Malaysian Customs and Immigration Departments.

Songkran holidays to be postponed in attempt to ‘limit public movement’

Mar 16. 2020

A meeting of the Covid-19 Administration Centre, chaired by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, approved a motion to postpone the Songkran holidays from April 13-15 to later dates, deputy government spokeswoman Rachada Thanadirek said on her Twitter account today (March 16).

Ratchada said the meeting cited the reason of “increasing social distance” and “minimising public movement both domestically and internationally”. “The compensating holidays will be announced later,” she added. A news source from the centre also revealed that it would by next week present to the Cabinet a motion to have all entertainment venues close at 8pm and all universities close their campuses and provide online classes starting April 1 until the situation improves.

source: The Nation Thailand