BANGKOK – The Minister of Public Health will be proposing temporary suspension of the Visa on Arrival facility for Chinese visitors, in order to limit the number of incoming Chinese nationals during the novel coronavirus outbreak in China.
The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Health Anutin Charnvirakul has confirmed the Thai government is ready to mobilize aircraft and medical teams to evacuate Thai nationals from Wuhan, pending approval from the Chinese authorities. He said, currently, no Thai person in Wuhan is reported to be infected with coronavirus or showing symptoms.
The Health Minister will convene a meeting tomorrow with the National Committee for Emerging Infectious Disease Preparedness, Prevention and Response, during which the committee will discuss proposals to temporarily suspend Visa on Arrival issuance for Chinese nationals, and an additional requirement for a medical certificate for visa applications at the Royal Thai Embassy in China. These efforts are aimed at limiting the number of Chinese visitors in Thailand during coronavirus outbreak, protecting the health of Thai people.
He has asked the general public to refer to official information and announcements from related agencies, and refrain from forwarding or sharing fake news. He said now is the time to be clear with the general public to create trust and prevent panic.
Regarding the case of a taxi driver though to be infected with coronavirus, the Minister of Public Health said his condition is still under investigation, and the Department of Disease Control’s director general will give more details in due course.
He then clarified that the number of Chinese visitors in Thailand is still in the tens of thousands, and has decreased by 80 percent, and is not as many as 2 million as claimed in some reports.
 |
 |
 |
