BANGKOK — The government will impose further restrictions on inbound flights into the country to limit the number of coronavirus infections, a spokesman said Thursday.
Taweesin Visanuyothin, spokesman of the government’s COVID-19 response center, said Thais living abroad who wish to return home should defer their trips until after April 15. The decision was made after it emerged that some Thais took anti-fever medicines to mask their high temperatures before boarding flights to Thailand, he said.
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Taweesin also noted a high number of returnees from overseas being infected in recent weeks. As of Thursday, 15 people died of the coronavirus in Thailand so far, and 1,875 people have been infected.
“We need to reduce and slow down the number of people entering Thailand,” the spokesman said. “It may be slightly inconvenient but it’s done so that we can reduce the number of those that need to be quarantined.”
According to official statistics, Thais returning from Italy, the United Kingdom, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Cambodia are among the infected. A businessman also died earlier this week after flying back from London.
The spokesman warned that if some Thais still insist on returning to Thailand, they may face a government quarantine instead of self-isolation at home.
