Thailand’s health ministry plans to submit a proposal to get rid of body temperature scanners, also known as thermoscans, at the country’s airports and other public places. According to a Bangkok Post report, the ministry will submit its proposal to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration.
Dr Rungrueng Kitphati, who heads up a ministry committee that monitors Thailand’s Covid- 19 situation, says the proposal will call for the thermoscan infrared cameras to no longer be used to check passengers’ temperatures. The devices were installed at the country’s airports to screen arriving passengers for the Covid-19 virus. He added that as most Covid infections nowadays are asymptomatic, the devices are not as effective.
The proposal comes as the number of new infections and fatality rate in Thailand drops sharply. Yesterday, the kingdom reported its lowest number of new Covid cases in 13 months and the lowest number of deaths since February.
According to Rungrueng, more people in Thailand are availing of booster vaccine doses and the pandemic is now coming to an end and will soon be declared an endemic disease.
Temperature checks at just every doorway in Thailand, including on Phuket, has been a constant for the past 2 years since they were introduced in April 2020. In the early days fever was thought to be an accurate indicator for coronavirus symptoms.
Read about possible visa-fee waiver coming for Phuket travellers HERE.
SOURCE: Bangkok Post
