CCSA may further ease Covid travel restrictions on Friday

The meeting of the CCSA on Friday was confirmed by National Security Council secretary-general General Supoj Malaniyom in his capacity as the director of the CCSA operation division.

Supoj was speaking to reporters before attending the meeting of his division to make preparations for the CCSA meeting.

Supoj said the CCSA would consider the prime minister’s proposal to make it more convenient for foreigners to enter the country.

As for unvaccinated people, the CCSA may reduce the number of quarantine days to make it more convenient for travellers, he said.

“For example, if they can prove they have quarantined themselves before departure, the number of quarantine days upon arrival will be reduced,” Supoj said.

He said the CCSA would also ease Test & Go measures so that foreign tourists, and Thais who return from abroad, could enter the country with much more convenience.

He added that the Covid test on foreign arrivals may change from expensive RT-PCR tests to much-cheaper rapid antigen tests as proposed by the tourism sector.

“The CCSA may even stop testing vaccinated people, but this will be considered on Friday,” Supoj added.

The CCSA operation chief said the Test & Go scheme and Thailand Plus registration system cannot be abolished for now but they may be adjusted according to the current system.

“The Thailand Pass registration may be adjusted based on the safety condition to the level that we can accept while making it the most convenient for tourists,” Supoj said.

He said that if the CCSA approves the new relaxed measures, they will take effect on May 1 unless there are untoward situations that prompt the CCSA to delay the implementation.

Supoj said the measures might be relaxed for both air and land travel.

“For land travel, we’ll try to open all border checkpoints around the country and the Interior Ministry will handle this. This plan will also be considered on Friday and all agencies concerned will discuss measures for the reopening. The measures will be similar to the air travel rules but there will be fewer of them,” Supoj said.

He added that it is expected the CCSA would adjust the Covid zoning of the country by improving the orange or Covid-control zones because the situation in the provinces has improved with cooperation from the people and businesses.

He said the CCSA would also discuss measures for allowing schools to resume onsite teaching to full capacity.

“But the CCSA will have to consider safety measures for the schools first,” Supoj said.

The operation chief said the CCSA still sees the need for people to wear masks in public areas as an effective tool for preventing the virus from spreading. He was commenting on some Bangkok governor candidates’ campaign themes that they would push for Bangkok as a pilot city where people can return to normal life without having to wear masks.

He added that officials have been trying to remind some foreign tourists, who refused to wear face masks in public places.