New regulations for ships from high-risk nations
Ships from countries with a high risk of Covid-19 – South Korea, China (including Macao and Hong Kong), Italy and Iran – have been instructed to follow new Marine Department regulations if the vessels intend to enter Thai territorial waters, the department said on Monday (March 9).
The regulations, signed by director-general Witthaya Thamuang, are:
1) At least 24 hours before entering, ship operators or representatives must submit a maritime declaration of health, a list of the last 10 cities the ship has stopped in, a list of the crew and passengers and their temperature reading in the last seven days.
2) The ship must provide regular physical examination of its crews and passengers throughout the journey. If any suspect Covid-19 cases are found, the patients must be quarantined and their symptoms closely monitored or, if possible, the patients must be sent to the nearest medical facility. If the ship operator finds any crew or passengers suspected to have contracted Covid-19, the ship cannot enter port gates and should instead drop anchor at a disease prevention and screening area.
3) All ship owners, operators and staff must follow the regulations on disease control and prevention as specified by the Navigation in Thai Waters Act BE 2456 and its amendments. Any violation of these regulations is punishable by a fine of Bt1,000 to Bt10,000.