BANGKOK (Xinhua) — The Thai Chamber of Commerce Thursday said in a press briefing that it has sent a letter urging the Thai government to allow foreign business people to enter into Thailand, despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
“We must find a way to reboot the Thai economy,” said Kalin Sarasin, president of the Thai Chamber of Commerce. “This can be done if the government puts in place strict measures, such as ensuring every foreign visitor is tested for the virus 48 hours before landing on Thai soil.”
“They can be tested again upon arrival and required to go into self-quarantine for 14 days,” he said. “These foreign arrivals can also be prohibited from using public transport.”
Kalin, who also oversees the Board of Trade, says he expects business people from China, Japan, South Korea and China’s Taiwan to be given an opportunity to enter Thailand first.
Thailand on Thursday saw zero new case of COVID-19 infection and zero death. Total number of cases remained at 3,125.
Of those, 2,987 patients have recovered, 80 remain in hospital and 58 people have died.
All Train Services Resume
The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) on Thursday allowed all train services on all routes to resume service, following a temporary suspension due to the COVID-19 outbreak for nearly three months.
The resumption of train services is part of the third phase of easing coronavirus pandemic restrictions in the country, beginning on June 1, the SRT said in a press release on Thursday.
The SRT said that it expects passengers to flock to train stations, mostly for the inter-provincial train services as the weekend approaches.
Railway officials have enforced health screening rules and contact tracing tools in compliance with a COVID-19 taskforce guideline both on the trains and inside the stations.
Passengers are required to check-in and check-out when using the train services.
Social-distancing measures have been applied as precautionary steps to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Ministry of Public Health on Thursday also said it is waiting for Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and all ministers to approve lifting the night curfew but maintaining the State of Emergency.
The ministry also said the government is likely to allow most businesses to resume, except entertainment venues and wet massage parlours
