Thailand’s government will end most internal lockdown measures on July 1 if a second wave of infection does not occur in June, sources in both the Prime Minister’s Office and the cabinet told Thai Enquirer on Friday.
Thailand is currently on phase three of its lockdown easing plans with most businesses allowed to resume operations with certain caveats including the mandatory use of face masks and temperature checkpoints.
Now, sources tell Thai Enquirer, that all internal lockdown measures will be lifted on businesses and travel inside the country can resume as normal provided there are no new infections.
“The face masks and temperature checks will be in place for a while but we’re ready to lift the lockdown and resume normal operations,” said a senior source in the PMO. “Economic recovery is going to be key for us until the end of the year and the sooner we get there the better.”
The sources said that though the government was prepared to halt incoming travel from abroad for the time being, restrictions on business travellers and permanent residences will also be lifted by July.
“We’re ready to deal with the fallout from lack of tourists. Until a vaccine is discovered we can’t just open the country up to travellers,” a source in the government’s emergency response centre said. “We may allow some travel but arrivals will likely face the 14-day mandatory quarantine.
Repatriation completed
Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs told Thai Enquirer that the repatriation of Thais was almost complete. Once that is done, the ministry will focus its efforts on returning foreign residents.
“Our repatriation missions are on the way towards completion, and then we can accommodate free flow of incoming foreigners currently stranded outside of Thailand,” said Natapanu Nopakun, the Deputy Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “Our decisions are taken under careful consideration and with the ultimate goal of minimizing the risks of new widespread outbreaks as well as preventing the scenario of an overwhelmed public health system.”
According to Natapanu, priority will be given to permanent residents once repatriation is complete.
“We have plans to give priority to permanent residents and those with work permits in Thailand to return to the country as soon as possible once the situation eased further,” he said.
Focus on vaccines
According to the Ministry of Public Health, Thai healthcare resources are currently geared towards the development of a vaccine and containing the disease among those found in state quarantine.
Anutin Charnvirakul, the Minister of Public Health, told reporters that vaccine tests in monkeys and primates were due to start and he hopes to get positive results.
The health minister told Thai Enquirer previously that if the numbers remain as low as they have been, the ministry was equipped to handle the crisis indefinitely.
Anutin also said that once a vaccine was developed he hoped to be able to provide it to not only Thais but export it to ASEAN neighbours.
