Thailand to monitor COVID-19 in eight localities

Deputy chief of the Health Ministry’s Department of Disease Control Sophon Iamsirithaworn said surveillance will be carried out in high-risk groups. The ministry has identified provinces where an outbreak is possible - all are tourist destinations or are dense with migrant workers.

These eight provinces will serve as lookouts for the first signs of a possible outbreak. The ministry will also keep an eye on the variants. The information will be updated on a weekly basis because the situation is stable, he said.

Meanwhile, Yong Poovorawan, chief of the Chulalongkorn University's Centre of Excellence in Clinical Virology, said COVID-19 is now a common seasonal respiratory illness.

COVID-19 is more likely to spread during the rainy season, or around June to September and it is likely to spread again but at a lower rate during January to March, he added.

The Thai Cabinet has approved a 45-day stay for tourists entitled to visa exemptions and 30 days for those eligible for the Visa on Arrival programme in order to help boost the tourism sector during the travel season.

The Thai government previously visioned collecting a 300-baht entry fee from each foreign traveler who visits Thailand early this year.