BANGKOK, March 6 — Thailand said today that there is no compulsory quarantine of visitors from four countries and two territories defined as Disease Infected Zones of Covid-19.

The four countries – China, South Korea, Italy and Iran – and the territories of Macau and Hong Kong were defined as Disease Infected Zones, as published in the Royal Gazette yesterday. However, the Royal Gazette did not mention quarantine measure or punishment.

Thai Public Health Ministry permanent secretary Dr Sukhum Kanchanapimai said passengers from the four countries and the two territories are recommended to stay indoors and report to health authorities daily.

"They are recommended for home quarantine. If they ignore, we will send them to a quarantine centre. It is to ensure the people’s health and safety,” he said at the Covid-19 daily briefing here today.

Sukhum said Thais returning from Daegu and Gyeongsang in South Korea would have to undergo compulsory 14-day quarantine at designated centres.

He also advised Thais returning from Japan, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland and the United States to stay indoors to curb the spread of the virus.

The announcement today has cleared the air on travel restrictions imposed in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak.

On Tuesday, Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul posted on his Facebook that visitors from high-risk Covid-19 countries including China, South Korea and Singapore require 14-day quarantine. However, the post was quickly deleted.

Meanwhile, Thailand today reported one new case of Covid-19, the country’s 48th confirmed case — a British man who was on transit at Hong Kong for seven hours before arriving in Thailand on February 29.

The 43-year-old man developed fever and sought treatment at a private hospital on March 4.

There has been one fatality since the outbreak of Covid-19 in the kingdom in January. Sixteen patients are still undergoing treatment in hospitals.

Meanwhile, Thailand’s Foreign Ministry said there are about 209,000 Thai workers, including about 152, 400 illegal ones, in South Korea.

As of March 1, it said, 5,386 Thai illegal workers wished to return home while 4,727 have already returned.

Thailand is bracing for the return of thousands of Thai workers including "Phi Noi” (Little Ghosts), a term referring to Thai illegal workers in South Korea, following the Covid-19 outbreak.

The authorities have prepared facilities for the 14-day quarantine of thousands of Thai workers who will gradually return from the province of Gyeongsang and the city of Daegu, South Korea. — Bernama