EU official tested negative for Covid-19; Foreign Ministry to review rules for diplomats

[webfact]

EU official tested negative for Covid-19; Foreign Ministry to review rules for diplomats

By The Nation

 

Cherdkiat Atthakor, Foreign Ministry spokesman

 

The EU diplomat who had gone abroad and returned to Thailand on Thursday afternoon had tested negative for Covid-19, Thai Foreign Ministry spokesman Cherdkiat Atthakor said on Friday (July 17).

 

A controversy was stirred on Thursday after the juristic person of the condo where she stayed refused to let her in, as she had not been quarantined.

 

Laying out the timeline of events, the spokesman said that the diplomat had returned from Frankfurt, Germany, on Thursday at 2 pm and was given the RT-PCR virus test at Suvarnabhumi Airport. The diplomat waited at the airport until the result was revealed to be negative. After the result was known, she travelled in her personal car to the condominium.

 

Cherdkiat added that there was a partition between the car driver and passenger to prevent any chance of transmission.

 

However, the juristic person of the condominium refused to allow her as she had not been quarantined. The Thai Foreign Ministry was contacted and the diplomat was transferred to an alternative state quarantine hotel on Thursday night.

 

He emphasised that ambassadors or diplomats were not VIPs, but they had some immunity according to the Vienna Convention.

 

However, the diplomats still have to follow the rules in each country.

 

The ministry said it would review on Friday afternoon the rules to accommodate ambassadors and diplomats under the strict virus preventive measures, to ensure the health security of Thai people.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30391495

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-07-17

 

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[JusticeGB]

A diplomat doesn't have covid19 immunity! Interesting law about diplomatic immunity between the airport and diplomatic premises. I doubt if the condo is registered as diplomatic premises. Certainly the common parts of the condo block wouldn't be diplomatic premises. If a car with diplomatic plates was used to pick up the passengers it could have driven them to the Embassy. But the Embassy said they were European Ambassadors and I doubt that the EU has an Embassy in Bangkok. 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Looks like they've now closed the diplomats loophole regarding mandatory quarantine:
 

Quote

 

Dr. Taweesin said that the CCSA subcommittee, headed by the secretary-general of the National Security Council, has decided that, from now on, all foreign diplomats and their families entering Thailand will be subjected to 14-day quarantine at state facilities, without exemption.

 

 

Good move... The self important VIPs ought to have to play by the same rules as the rest of us ordinary folks... except they can probably afford the top-end most expensive alternate quarantine hotels at taxpayer expense.... 

 

Or maybe the various diplomatic missions will cut down on their in country staff and/or international travel. At least for many of them, it's not like they're doing a whole lot for their own citizens living here.

 

[klauskunkel]

Interesting how condo staff enforces government's covid rules better than authorities...

[fvw53]

18 hours ago, JusticeGB said:

A diplomat doesn't have covid19 immunity! Interesting law about diplomatic immunity between the airport and diplomatic premises. I doubt if the condo is registered as diplomatic premises. Certainly the common parts of the condo block wouldn't be diplomatic premises. If a car with diplomatic plates was used to pick up the passengers it could have driven them to the Embassy. But the Embassy said they were European Ambassadors and I doubt that the EU has an Embassy in Bangkok. 

The representative office of the EU in Bangkok is called a "Delegation" and not an Embassy but as a matter of courtesy EU officials are given the same status as career diplomats.

I know the last (1961) version of the  Convention of Vienna on diplomatic relations between independent countries but this Treaty does not address the issue of what happens during pandemics.