BANGKOK, 27 March 2020: Thailand has eased a health certificate rule for transit passengers who need to connect with flights to a third country at Bangkok’s aviation gateway.
According to a Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand, transit passengers need only show a “fit-to-fly” certificate from a doctor that does not include a lab test, but the dispensation runs out at 23:59 on 31 March.
In a travel update released Friday, the Tourism Authority of Thailand quotes the latest CAAT notification that allows non-Thai passengers to transit through Thailand to connect with an international flight to a third country. The transit period must not exceed 24 hours and passengers will be isolated in a zone of the airside transit lounge.
Transit passengers need only provide a fit to fly health certificate issued by a valid hospital or clinic when checking-in at the airport and also when passing transit formalities once they arrive at Suvarnabhumi airport in Bangkok. They should have insurance cover to be on the safe side.
In the latest travel advisory 26 March, CAAT also explained other rules on entering Thailand linked to aviation.
Passengers or persons shall be permitted to enter Thailand through international airports only if they fall under one of the following categories:
(a) Being in the situation or a person exempted by the Prime Minister or Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, under certain conditions and prescribed time period.
(b) Carriers of necessary cargoes must promptly exit after the mission is completed.
(c) Pilot-in-command and crew members of the flight entering Thailand with a clear schedule to depart.
(d) Persons at a diplomatic or consular mission, or under an international organisation, representatives of the government performing their duties in Thailand, or other persons or international agencies that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs gives permission, and their families. In this case, a certificate of entry to the Kingdom issued by Ministry of Foreign Affairs is required.
(e) Non-Thai nationals with a work permit or who have been granted permission from Thai government agencies to work in Thailand.
(f) Thai nationals with a certificate of entry to the Kingdom issued by the Royal Thai Embassy or Royal Thai Consulate in their country of residence certifying that they are Thais returning to Thailand, and have a ‘fit to fly’ health certificate.
2. Persons in Item 1 (d) and (e) must have a “fit to fly health certificate issued no more than 72 hours before travelling.
3. Passengers permitted to enter Thailand shall strictly comply with disease prevention measures imposed by the government.
4. Immigration officers have the power to deny the entry of Non-Thai nationals who have been tested positive for Covid- 19, or who are under suspicion of being infected or refuse to undergo testing.
All previous Notifications of CAAT are null and void.
(Source: TAT)
TTR Weekly bases its Covid-19 reports on official documents issued by
the Thai government’s public relations department, the Ministry of
Public Health, TAT and the CAAT.
