Prime Minister Prayt Chan-o-cha on Tuesday rejected a proposal to completely seal off five provinces to stop the spread of Covid-19 disease, amid a surge in new cases.
Prayut said that the government had no plan to lock down Samut Sakhon and four eastern provinces, Chon Buri, Rayong, Chanthaburi and Trat.
Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam also rejected the proposal, including a travel ban.
Mr Wissanu said authorities in the five provinces were already applying strict measures to control the outbreak, but residents in the five provinces could still move around.
Samut Sakhon, Chon Buri, Rayong and Chanthaburi were declared red zones, each with more than 50 patients.
Trat is zoned yellow, with fewer than 50 cases, but authorities there are also enforcing strict health measures.
The five provinces have set up roadside checkpoints, screening the health of travellers entering their areas. Chon Buri alone has 47 checkpoints to screen motorists arriving in the province and in Pattaya.
