BANGKOK (July 31): Thailand has managed to keep its sterling record of zero local transmissions for 67 days, as it gets ready to open up its doors to more foreigners from tomorrow.

The six new COVID-19 cases reported over the last 24 hours involve Thai nationals who had returned from abroad recently, taking the infection tally now to 3,310.

Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) spokesman Thaweesilp Wissanuyothin said of the six males, five were students of whom four returned from Egypt on July 22 while another, also from Egypt, arrived in the kingdom yesterday.

He said the sixth, a 52-year-old Thai cruise chef, was tested positive when he returned from the Netherlands.

“Since the outbreak in January, Thailand has recorded 3,310 COVID-19 cases with 58 fatalities. To date, 3,125 have recovered and discharged from hospitals while another 127 remain warded,” he said at a COVID-19 daily briefing here today.

Starting tomorrow, Thailand will open its doors to more foreigners including migrant workers from neighbouring countries, especially from Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam, in the infrastructure sector and food industry.

Besides that, medical tourists, foreigners participating in international conferences and trade fairs, and foreign film production crew and Thailand Elite cardholders (those with long-term residence visas and multiple-entry residence visas) will be among those allowed to the enter the country.

Thaweesilp said all foreigners entering  the kingdom must undergo the mandatory 14-day quarantine at State facilities.

“For migrant workers, employers must prepare quarantine facilities at the workplace. When the facilities are ready, employers may start  bringing in the migrant workers,” he said.