The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand has banned all international flights from Thursday evening until Monday at 5 pm, to help fight against the spread of coronavirus.
The new orders also say that all international arrivals before Thursday’s cutoff must submit themselves to a 14-day quarantine.
The sudden announcement meant many Thais were left stranded in transit or were unable to take scheduled flights home, including students studying abroad.
The announcement also caught returning Thais by surprise, many of whom did not anticipate spending two weeks in quarantine.
Negotiations between arriving passengers and authorities at Suvarnabhumi became chaotic and several dozen passengers ‘escaped’ from the airport without submitting to quarantine.
The Prayut government has said that Thais living abroad have a legal right to return home but should consider prolonging their overseas stay to help stop the spread of coronavirus.
