PATTAYA, Thailand – Suvarnabhumi Airport has launched specialized health screening for passengers arriving from India to monitor for the Nipah virus, airport officials announced on Sunday.
The measures, which began at 4:00 a.m. on Jan. 25, are being conducted in coordination between Airports of Thailand PCL (AOT) and the Ministry of Public Health’s International Communicable Disease Control and Quarantine office.
Kittipong Kittikachorn, General Manager of Suvarnabhumi Airport, stated that the screening is a proactive public health measure specifically targeting inbound flights from Kolkata. The airport has designated specialized screening zones equipped with thermal scanners and essential medical facilities to support health officials in maintaining international safety standards.
Beyond thermal imaging at arrival gates, passengers are being issued “Health Beware Cards” detailing symptoms and contact information for reporting illness. Furthermore, airport authorities are collaborating with the Immigration Bureau to scrutinize the travel histories of individuals who have been in surveillance areas within the last 14 to 21 days.
On the first day of implementation, 332 passengers from two flights—IndiGo 6E1911 and Thai Airways TG314—underwent screening. Officials confirmed that no travelers met the criteria for “Patients Under Investigation” (PUI). However, contingency plans remain in place to immediately transfer any passenger displaying symptoms such as high fever or respiratory distress to a network hospital for treatment. (TNA)
