PHUKET: Officials at Phuket International Airport and other Thai airports with international arrivals began scanning aircraft passengers for signs of the Mers virus last night.
Interest mostly centres on flights from South Korea where an outbreak - said to be now under control - has recently killed nine people.
Checks are being carried out on two flights daily from South Korea and three from the Middle East, before passengers reach Immigration.
The checks began on Phuket, in Bangkok and elsewhere in Thailand last night around the same time as authorities at Changi airport in Singapore began similar precautions.
''Public Health doctors and nurses are using heat-resolution scanners to carry out checks,'' Phuket Airport Director Monruedee Ketpan told Phuketwan today.
''The checks are being made on all flights from Korea or with South Korean connections.''
The airport has experienced scares involving swine flu and Sars and reacted in a similar fashion to prevent the spread of contamination.
Even more recently, Ebola created considerable alarm.
The Mers outbreak in South Korea is at this stage considered unlikely to prevent people deciding to fly and therefore unlikely to impact on tourism.
South Korea has been struck by the largest outbreak of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome outside Saudi Arabia, where the virus was discovered.
As well as the nine fatalities so far, another 13 have contracted the virus, bringing the number of confirmed cases to 108.
More than 2800 people remain quarantined, either at home or in health facilities. More than 2000 schools in South Korea remain closed.
Interest mostly centres on flights from South Korea where an outbreak - said to be now under control - has recently killed nine people.
Checks are being carried out on two flights daily from South Korea and three from the Middle East, before passengers reach Immigration.
The checks began on Phuket, in Bangkok and elsewhere in Thailand last night around the same time as authorities at Changi airport in Singapore began similar precautions.
''Public Health doctors and nurses are using heat-resolution scanners to carry out checks,'' Phuket Airport Director Monruedee Ketpan told Phuketwan today.
''The checks are being made on all flights from Korea or with South Korean connections.''
The airport has experienced scares involving swine flu and Sars and reacted in a similar fashion to prevent the spread of contamination.
Even more recently, Ebola created considerable alarm.
The Mers outbreak in South Korea is at this stage considered unlikely to prevent people deciding to fly and therefore unlikely to impact on tourism.
South Korea has been struck by the largest outbreak of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome outside Saudi Arabia, where the virus was discovered.
As well as the nine fatalities so far, another 13 have contracted the virus, bringing the number of confirmed cases to 108.
More than 2800 people remain quarantined, either at home or in health facilities. More than 2000 schools in South Korea remain closed.
