Buriram, Thailand-
The Facebook page for Buriram province announced yesterday, April 6th, 2021, that new measures were being made for visitors planning to come to the province from five high-risk areas for Covid-19, including Bangkok.
The new measures mean one needs to do either fourteen-day quarantine or take a rapid Covid-19 test at a local hospital at their expense if they have come from the following provinces: Bangkok, Pathum Thani, Nonthaburi, Samut Prakan, and Nakhon Pathom.
If one is coming to Buriram from a state quarantine in these areas and have their proper paperwork these measures do not apply.
This follows an escalating number of Covid-19 infections primarily in Bangkok traced from entertainment venues.
It is unclear how Buriram intends to enforce this but is likely to use checkpoints and village health volunteers to identify out-of-town visitors.
The Thai Government’s Covid-19 decision making panel is expected to make further decisions possibly as early as today on changing zone province restrictions and colors in response to the entertainment venue clusters.
This decision comes only days before Songkran and many people who were likely expected to return home for the holiday. The Pattaya News notes that some were confused by this announcement as the Public Health Minister had said to the press early in the day yesterday that there would be no travel restrictions. However, this statement referred to national level restrictions as governors of provinces have the freedom to enact their own stricter rules if they wish.
The statement in Thai is below. The order takes effect immediately until further notice.