Three-phase measures for travel from Nipah virus risk areas
Thailand rolls out three-phase Nipah measures for airlines and airports, including T.8 health forms, dedicated screening areas, and PCR requirements for patient transfers
- Measures before and during travel: Passengers from risk areas must complete the T.8 health declaration form, and those with fever must present a medical certificate. Crew members must wear protective equipment.
- Measures on arrival in Thailand: Passengers must submit the T.8 form at the international disease control checkpoint. Dedicated parking bays and screening areas are set, with aircraft sanitation checks and disinfection for flights from outbreak areas.
- Measures for cross-border patient transfers: Patients transferred from India and Bangladesh for treatment in Thailand must have a negative Nipah PCR test result from the originating hospital before travel.
Dr Rome Buathong, Director of the Division of International Communicable Disease Control Points and Quarantine, said the Department of Disease Control has set measures for airlines and airports serving flights from outbreak areas, divided into three phases:
Measures before and during travel
- Cabin crew and staff working in outbreak areas must wear protective equipment as recommended by the Department of Disease Control.
- If a passenger from a risk area is found to have a high fever or respiratory symptoms during check-in or boarding, the passenger must present a fit-to-fly medical certificate.
- During the flight, if a passenger becomes ill, the passenger must remain in their assigned seat and not change seats, and the flight crew must notify the cockpit immediately so the destination international disease control checkpoint can be coordinated in advance.
- Airlines must distribute the T.8 health declaration form to all passengers from outbreak areas and ensure it is fully completed before landing in Thailand.
Measures upon arrival in Thailand
- Passengers must submit the T.8 health declaration form to disease control officers at the international communicable disease control checkpoint before passing immigration.
- Aircraft sanitation inspections will be conducted for every flight from outbreak areas. If a suspected case is found, the aircraft must be disinfected before operating its next flight.
- Dedicated parking bays will be assigned for aircraft arriving from Nipah outbreak areas, along with designated screening areas, isolation rooms, patient transfer routes, and baggage handling procedures.
- Airlines must submit the Passenger Manifest and General Declaration Form to the international disease control checkpoint.
Measures for cross-border patient transfers
- Any patients being transferred across borders from India and Bangladesh—countries reporting Nipah virus cases—who intend to seek treatment in Thailand must undergo Nipah virus testing using a PCR (genetic material) test at the originating hospital before entry, every time. The receiving hospital must coordinate closely with the international disease control checkpoint.
The measures take effect from 00:01 on January 26, 2026, under the Communicable Diseases Act B.E. 2558 (2015). Anyone who violates or fails to comply with the orders of communicable disease control officers may face a fine of up to THB 20,000.
For more information, the public may call the Department of Disease Control hotline 1422.
Separately, Public Health Minister Pattana Promphat said on January 27, 2026, that the Prime Minister had emphasised stricter Nipah screening. The Public Health Ministry set up airport screening teams from Saturday. The Department of Disease Control, working with airports, has screened passengers arriving from Kolkata, West Bengal, India. Around 1,700 passengers have been screened so far, with no cases detected. The ministry currently sees nearly 700 arrivals per day across three airports.
