Thailand is asking the Lao PDR to have confidence in Thailand’s ability to contain the recent outbreak, assuring that there is no contamination of Thai seafood products.
The Foreign Affairs ministry said Lao’s charge d’affaires in Thailand has agreed to support Thailand in negotiations with the Laotian government over the lifting of the ban on seafood imports from Thailand. The Thai government is trying to assure Laos that Thai seafood is free of the COVID-19 virus, SARS-CoV-2.
On 23rd December, the Laotian government banned on seafood imports from Thailand, citing the COVID-19 outbreak at the seafood market in Samut Sakhon, fearing that the food would be contaminated with the virus. Thai charge d’affaires in Vientiane, Aurawadee Sribhirom, rushed to meet with Laotian Foreign Affair ministry to ensure that Thailand is able to contain the outbreak. The statement said their counterpart had shown confidence in Thailand’s disease control measures.
Just a day later, Laos declared a ban on all seafood imports from any country experiencing an outbreak. However, Laos stated that the ban can be lifted if the exporting country reaches a mutual agreement on safety measures with the Lao PDR.
A statement by the Thai government said that the country has been screening seafood products, and has not found any COVID-19 contamination. The ban by the Lao PDR has affected demand and supply in both countries, so both countries should try to find resolution to the matter.
