Northern Thailand

Northern Thailand Provinces Start Imposing Covid-19 Travel Restrictions

Published

3 years ago

April 14, 2021

Northern Thailand Provinces Start Imposing Covid-19 Travel Restrictions

Northern Thailand provinces imposing self-quarantine or covid-19 travel restrictions on travellers to fight the recent Covid-19 outbreak has spread quickly throughout northern Thailand.

Phichit and Lampang were the latest northern Thailand provinces to join other provinces imposing a variety of covid-19 restrictions on people entering their provinces.

A source from Thailand’s Interior Ministry told CTN News that the longer list underscores the seriousness of the third wave of the covid-19 coronavirus. The new wave originated in nightlife venues in Bangkok and has spread to 74 provinces as of Tuesday.

Health inspectors believe the new and more contagious UK strain of Covid-19 imported from Cambodia. (The trafficking of migrants as workers in Thailand is still a big cash cow for Thai people willing to take the risk.)

Confusion for travellers

Meanwhile, the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration gives the provincial communicable disease committee led by the governor in each province a free hand in imposing restrictions on people entering, as long as the measures are within the CCSA guidelines.

Measures imposed on visitors vary from one province to another, causing the kind of confusion reflected in questions posted on the ministry’s website.

Northern Thailand’s Lampang province, for example, orders visitors from Bangkok, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Samut Prakan, Nakhon Pathom and Chiang Mai to immediately report to local health authorities or officials but will not require them to observe quarantine for two weeks if a test is negative.

Lampang governor Narongsak Osottanakorn said in the announcement that Chiang Mai had been added to the provincial list due to a high rise of infections. While Phichit province orders visitors from 61 provinces to contact local officials after they cross the provincial boundary.

According to the Bangkok Post in the deep south Songkhla, requires 14-day quarantine from visitors from only three districts in Bangkok — Bang Khae, Klong Toey and Wattana — and four other provinces: Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Nakhon Pathom and Samut Prakan.

Visitors are advised to check updated information at moicovid.com as the rules are different in each province.

No English for foreign expats

Unfortunately there is no English-language version for expats in Thailand and the provincial announcements are posted as .pdf files, further making it impossible to use translation software. However PDF to MS Word software is available online and once converted to MS word users can copy and paste the information into google translator.

Visitors to the website posted multiple questions, mostly on whether they needed to be quarantined.

“Do I have to be quarantined for 14 days again when I go to those 42 provinces, if I have completed ASQ in a hotel?” one asked, referring to the alternative state quarantine hotel scheme for new arrivals in Thailand.

“Will I be required to quarantine in Udon Thani if I live in Loei and have to catch a flight to Phuket at Udon airport?” another asked.

Provinces that impose self-quarantine or other requirements on travellers: