ASEAN

Thailand to consider opening Thai-Malaysia border

THAILAND will consider reopening the Thai-Malaysia border as proposed by parliament members from the southern region.

Its Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA)'s forward command dealing with Covid-19 in the southern region is expected to discuss and make a decision on the matter this week.

According to a Bangkok Post report, deputy government spokeswoman Rachada Dhnadirek said the CCSA previously agreed in principle with the proposal and had instructed its forward command to study the details.

However, after Malaysia detected its first case of the Omicron coronavirus variant in a foreign student who was quarantined after arrival from South Africa, they were now monitoring the situation in Malaysia, she said.

"The forward command will discuss the border reopening proposal and present the matter to the CCSA for consideration at a meeting expected next Monday," Rachada said.

The forward command is formally known as the centre for the integration of the resolution of Covid-19 in southern border provinces.

Rachada said the government intended to reopen the Thai-Malaysian border and the CCSA had earlier met on Nov 26 to assess the Covid-19 situation in five southern provinces of Songkhla, Satun, Narathiwat, Yala and Pattani, with plans to reopen border checkpoints on Dec 16.

Border checkpoints that were initially planned for reopening include Sa Dao border checkpoint in Songkhla, Sungai Kolok checkpoint in Narathiwat, Betong checkpoint in Yala and Wang Prachan checkpoint in Satun, she said.

"However, the CCSA will reach a conclusion on the matter at the meeting next Monday,'' she said.

She added that the Foreign Ministry has informed Malaysian authorities of the move.

The reopening of the border is expected to revive local tourism and boost economic growth in the southern region, she added.

Rachada also said that a Public Health Ministry inspector-general in charge of Songkhla, Satun, Trang, Phatthalung, Pattani, Yala, and Narathiwat has confirmed that the Omicron strain has not been detected in the southern border provinces.

Democrat Party MP for Songkhla, Pol Maj Gen Surin Palare, is among MPs who have called for the Thai-Malaysian border to be reopened.

He said the border had been closed for almost two years now as a result of Covid-19, affecting Thai workers who have been stranded in Malaysia.

This has led to the illegal entry problem and the further spread of Covid-19.

"Reopening the border will help ease the problem and bring back tourists from Malaysia and resuscitate the local economy at the same time,'' Pol Maj Gen Surin said.

Tourism Authority of Thailand governor Yuthasak Supasorn said that there was no signs of tourist arrivals to Thailand slowing down despite the emergence of the Omicron variant.

There have been no reports of foreign tourists cancelling their trips to Thailand so far and the new variant has not affected travel sentiment,'' he said.

The Post report also said that TAT has set a target of attracting about 600,000 foreign tourists during the last two months of this year.

Meanwhile, the Public Health Ministry announced on Monday morning that Thailand logged 4,000 new Covid-19 cases and 22 new fatalities on Sunday.

Since April 1, when the third wave of Covid-19 began, Thailand has recorded 2,116,378 Covid-19 patients, while its total number of cases since the pandemic started early last year stands at 2,145,241.

The five southern provinces were among the 10 most infected provinces.

The death toll stands at 20,872 for the third wave and 20,966 since the beginning of the pandemic.

Its highest daily death toll was 312 recorded on Aug 18 and the highest number of cases was 23,418 on Aug 13.

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