Thailand mandates 21-day Ebola quarantine for DRC and Uganda arrivals
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Tourists walk past souvenir shops outside the Grand Palace in Bangkok on May 20, 2026. Photograph: (Credit: AFP)
Thailand introduces a mandatory 21-day quarantine at Suvarnabhumi Airport for travellers from DRC and Uganda following a surging Ebola outbreak, state officials confirm.
Thailand Imposes 21-Day Ebola Quarantine for Travellers from DRC, Uganda
Thailand has imposed a mandatory 21-day quarantine on all travellers arriving from or transiting through the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) or Uganda, amid a surging Ebola outbreak in both countries. The eastern DRC remains the epicentre of the crisis. Since Kinshasa declared an outbreak on May 15, the DRC's health ministry has recorded 867 suspected cases and 204 deaths. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has separately logged 10 confirmed Ebola deaths and 220 suspected deaths in the country, along with roughly 900 suspected cases. The UN agency has warned that the true scale of the outbreak is likely far wider, as experts believe the virus had been spreading undetected for some time before it was officially declared.
The crisis has also crossed into neighbouring Uganda, where one person has died and six more have been confirmed infected. In response, Thailand's public health ministry announced on Tuesday that travellers from or transiting through either country, regardless of whether they are showing symptoms, must undergo a minimum 21-day quarantine. Those displaying symptoms of Ebola infection will be required to isolate at a designated state hospital, while asymptomatic travellers will be directed to a separate, unspecified quarantine facility.
Senior public health ministry official Somlerk Jeungsmarn noted that Thailand has not yet reported any Ebola-affected travellers. However, he said the quarantine measures were necessary given the risks posed by global population movement. Ebola is a deadly viral disease transmitted through direct contact with bodily fluids. It can trigger severe internal bleeding and organ failure, and has historically carried high fatality rates in affected regions.
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The WHO has already declared the DRC outbreak an international health alert, reflecting growing concern about the potential for the virus to spread beyond Central Africa. Thailand's swift quarantine measures signal heightened vigilance among governments worldwide as health authorities work to contain the outbreak before it gains further ground.
