Safety measures to follow while using Thailand’s public transport

After a two-month-long hiatus, Thailand has resumed its business and operations for locals and tourists. To prevent the re-emergence of the COVID-19 virus, several precautionary measures have been adopted for locals and tourists.

The opening of businesses, malls, food stalls, and restaurants has seen a significant number of people use the local public transport for commuting. To get a glimpse of the same, Mark Wien’s set out on a tour in Bangkok to understand what the new normal looks like. He was overwhelmed to see that the government has been taking all the necessary measures for hygiene and social distancing in public transport.

Some measures taken by the government on the BTS or Skytrain are :

• Passengers need to sanitize their hands with an alcohol gel and get their temperatures checked the moment they check-in and check-out.
• The platforms have yellow stickers to guide the passengers on where they should stand while waiting in queues. An arm’s length distance is supposed to be maintained to ensure safe social distancing.
• Passengers are required to wear masks at all times.
• On the BTS, every alternate seat carries a bold sticker that says ‘Do not sit for social distancing’.

Mark also suggested that people should stand while travelling in the BTS and avoid touching as few things as possible for added safety.

He also traveled in a shuttle boat from the Sathorn Pier across the Chao Phraya River to get to the pier of the ICON SIAM shopping mall. On entering the shuttle boat service, the following are the guidelines mandatory for passengers:-

• Alcohol Gel provided.
• Measure body temperature at the pier.
• Wear a mask at all times.
• The Shuttle boat is disinfected every 30 minutes.
• Avoid sitting on the blocked chairs.

According to Mark, the response of the Thai Government and citizens towards the pandemic was very quick. This responsiveness resulted in quick implementation of the rules in public places. The enforcement of strict guidelines has managed to control COVID-19 cases in Thailand. Thus, we’ve reached the stage where the measures taken by the government have made travel safe and convenient for locals and tourists.

Needless to say, the battle with Corona Virus was a tough one. However, we’ve been able to come out of it and open the portals of this beautiful land for everyone to experience and witness again. It’s important, we reiterate and follow all the aforementioned guidelines to save ourselves from the horrors of COVID-19.

Let’s put our masks on, sanitize, and dive right in to experience the serenity of Thailand!