To all diplomatic missions, consular representatives and international organizations,




As Bangkok is a densely-populated city and is the country’s economic, transportation and tourism hub, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has issued an important announcement today, to implement more stringent measures in compliance with the Communicable Diseases Act 2015 (B.E. 2558). These measures aim to encourage social distancing, so that the risk of further transmission of the COVID-19 disease in certain high-risk locations is reduced.



By virtue of Section 35(1) of Communicable Diseases Act 2015 (B.E. 2558), the Governor of Bangkok has therefore approved new temporary closures in the following establishments:

- restaurants (except takeout and restaurants serving food for hotel guests)

- shopping malls (except supermarket zones, drugstores or zones selling necessary items and food shops)

- markets and weekend markets (except sales of fresh and dried foods and and cooked meals for takeout, animal feed, drugstores and other necessary items)

- beauty salons, tattoo salons

- skate and rollerblade venues or other similar services

- amusement parks, bowling lanes, gaming and internet shops

- golf courses or golf driving ranges

- swimming pools or similar service venues

- cockfighting venues

- Buddha amulet stalls

- exhibition and convention centres

- educational institutions at all levels including tuition schools

- weight-control services and cosmetic clinics

- health spas, animal spas, massage parlours, herbal treatment centres,

- cinemas, theatres

- entertainment places, boxing stadiums and boxing schools, sports stadiums and horse racetracks.



The temporary measure will be effective as of Sunday 22 March until 12 April 2020.

Provinces in the vicinity of Bangkok have also issued similar measures.



We ask for your kind cooperation to comply with these important measures which serve to ensure the well-being of all residents in Bangkok and its vicinity.



We also wish to remind that violations of the temporary closure order are liable to a sentence of up to one year and/or a fine of up to 100,000 baht.


Remarks: the Thai version as attached.

Best regards,

****************



News Division,

Department of Information

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand