The country is in no rush to open up travel bubbles as more thought is needed into putting the concept into practice, said the head of security for the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA).
The bubbles, where travel is permitted between any two countries where Covid-19 has been brought under control, needs more thought before overseas visitors are allowed back in, said Defence Forces chief Pornpipat Benyasri.
He said issues which must be addressed before travel bubbles are given a go-ahead without the mandatory 14-day quarantine include public health regulations and pandemic-related legal requirements of the countries involved.
"There's no rush [to engage in the travel bubbles]. The priority is creating and maintaining health safety," Gen Pornpipat said.
A CCSA working group looking into the easing of Covid-19 restrictions is considering the gradual re-opening of borders to foreign visitors.
The group was told some foreign nationals have been granted permission to re-enter Thailand since the end of April. They are business people holding a work permit, teachers and students, skilled workers and technicians.
They were quarantined for 14 days upon arrival, which they had to pay for.
The CCSA asked the Tourism Authority of Thailand to study the possible downsides of the travel bubbles, including a new wave of Covid-19 triggered by the border reopening and the economic costs which the government must face if the outbreak recurs.
The Department of Health Service Support said medical tourism could be incorporated in the terms of bubble arrangements.
