Thailand-bound passengers from Korea required to undergo fever checks
Passengers and flight attendants wear protective masks due to the coronavirus outbreak on a flight from Bangkok to Phuket, Thailand, March 9, 2020. Reuters
All Thailand-bound air travelers from South Korea will be required to undergo fever checks at local airports, Seoul's transport ministry said Tuesday, in an effort to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus.
The mandatory move, which takes effect starting Wednesday, comes at the request of the Thai government to try to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.
The rule applies to passengers for all air carriers operating flights from South Korea to Thailand regardless of their nationality, the ministry added.
South Korea's two full-service air carriers ― Korean Air Lines Co. and Asiana Airlines Inc. ― currently operate flights between Incheon and Bangkok. Thai Airways International Public Co. provides services on Incheon-Bangkok and Gimhae-Bangkok routes, while Thai AirAsia X Co. also offers flights between Incheon and Bangkok.
The ministry said passengers with body temperatures of 37.5 degrees or higher could be denied when boarding flights to Thailand.
Regardless of the ministry's announcement, Korean Air and Asiana Airlines have been conducting fever checks on passengers for their international flights departing from Incheon International Airport since last week.
After massive COVID-19 infections have been reported here, many countries have been imposing entry restrictions on people from South Korea.
As of Tuesday morning, a total of 109 countries and territories were imposing entry bans or tougher quarantine procedures for people from South Korea over coronavirus concerns. (Yonhap)