CCSA criticises newspaper’s ‘hunt for Africans’ story, clarifies efforts to track travellers

Yesterday’s top headline on the frontpage of the Bangkok Post, “Govt hunts for African visitors,” which contact those who are considered at risk of the Omicron variant, drew criticism from readers as well as the government’s Covid-19 task force. The CCSA made a statement today clarifying its efforts to contact travellers who entered Thailand within the past two weeks from any of the eight African countries classified by the Thai government as a high risk for the Omicron variant.

At today’s CCSA press briefing, a spokesperson for the English-language summary said…

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“A particular newspaper ran an article yesterday that mentioned that the government is, and I quote, “hunting for African visitors,” unquote, in Thailand. Let me state clearly and unequivocally that this headline does not in any way reflect the government’s policy and/or approach nor does it categorise any of the procedures the government has put in place thus far.”

Thai authorities have been reportedly trying to reach out to travellers who entered the country from one of the high risk African countries and ask them to undergo another PCR Covid-19 test. The spokesperson says related authorities have been trying to reach out, through text messages and other channels, to all the travellers from high risk areas, “regardless of nationality.”