Passengers of the Dutch cruise ship Westerdam are not allowed to land in Thailand, the Thai Health Minister said on Facebook on Tuesday. There are 1,455 passengers on board the ship, including 91 Dutchmen.
This for fear of the spread of the new corona virus. The ship registered in Rotterdam would arrive in Thailand on Thursday, after which all passengers would be transported to the airport in Bangkok, where they could continue their journey themselves.
“I gave the order that nobody is allowed to disembark,” the Thai minister said.
The ship was told last weekend that it was welcome in the Thai port of Laem Chabang. However, the Westerdam first had to prove that nobody on the ship was infected with the new corona virus. The cruise boat has medical specialists on board for this. They were in contact with the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) and the Dutch Ministry of Health.
It was ultimately found that no passenger was infected with the virus.
Why the Thai minister has suddenly changed his mind is unclear. The ship has been sailing in the South China Sea for days, looking for a place to moor. Earlier, Japan and the Philippines already refused the ship access.
NU.nl has contacted the Holland America Line (HAL) for more information about what exactly will happen to the ship.
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