Chinese tourists wearing face masks watch a traditional dance at the Erawan Shrine on Monday. (AFP photo)
Foreign tourists whose travel plans are disrupted by the coronavirus outbreak will not be fined if they overstay in Thailand, the Immigration Bureau said on Monday.
Deputy bureau spokesman Choengron Rimphadi said tourists caught up in the problems caused by the epidemic and actions taken to contain it will not have to pay the usual fine.
The Airport Operations Centre at Suvarnabhumi airport to help outbound tourists affected by the coronavirus. (Photo by Wassayos Ngamkham)
At Suvarnabhumi, the Airport Operations Centre will help tourists stranded at the airport due to the deadly virus. The contact number is 02-132-9950, Pol Col Choengron said.
Suvarnabhumi is the main gateway for tourists entering the country.
China has sealed off Wuhan and about a dozen more cities in Hubei province in a bid to contain the viral outbreak. Flights in and out of the city have been grounded.
Bejing also extended the Chinese New Year holiday from Jan 30 to Feb 2 to limit travel and stop the spread of the virus.
Pol Col Choengron said passengers affected by the virus have contacted their airlines for a refund or to reschedule their itinerary and stay longer in Thailand. Others wanted to reroute their return trips to other airports close to Wuhan, he said.
The confirmed death toll from the coronavirus outbreak rose to 81 on Monday, with thousands more infected.
The new coronavirus claims more lives in China, as global efforts continue to contain the outbreak. (Reuters video)
