Thailand
Thailand: FTI supports shorter tourist quarantine
The Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) plans to support a proposal to reduce the mandatory quarantine period for foreign tourists from 14 to 10 days during the Centre for Economic Situation Administration’s (CESA) meeting this week.
This measure would improve business activities, said Supant Mongkolsuthree, the FTI’s chairman.
“New ideas are needed to push the economy forward as the world will likely be dealing with the pandemic for years,” he said.
CESA is scheduled to discuss the proposal this week after cancelling its meeting last Friday.
“The proposal will be discussed this week and the FTI hopes CESA will agree with it,” said Mr Supant.
Late last week, the Public Health Emergency Operation Centre approved the proposal to reduce the mandatory quarantine period for tourists under the special tourist visa (STV) from 14 to 10 days.
Permanent secretary for public health Kiattiphum Wongrajit stressed the measure should only be applied to visitors from countries with low risk of transmission.
If visitors are from countries assessed to have higher risk than Thailand, they will still be subject to the 14-day quarantine period.
According to Dr Kiattiphum, testing for the virus is conducted on the first, second, third, seventh, eighth, ninth and 11th days after arrival.
Any infection is usually detected during the first 10 days, he said.
The FTI believes this relaxed measure is viable because it has confidence in the government’s ability to control transmissions.
The federation said many foreign businessmen also want to travel to Thailand.
WHA Corporation, Thailand’s biggest developer of built-to-suit logistics facilities, said last month it wants the government to relax the quarantine period for foreign business visitors, as they complained it is too long.
“The government should consider a balance between the economy and health security,” said Mr Supant.
Source: https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/2017051/fti-supports-shorter-tourist-quarantine