(CNN) – In an effort to turn the tide of the coronavirus, Thailand has banned food, drink and printed material other than safety information cards on board domestic flights. The airlines will have to follow the regulations or could potentially be penalized by their regulator, the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand.
This is the second time such a move has been made. Thailand previously banned in-flight food and drink on April 26, 2020, but then the ban was lifted on August 31.
Chula Sukmanop, Director General of Thailand’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAAT), confirmed the measure to CNN.
“The cleaning time after each domestic flight stopover is extremely short as operators do the fastest possible turnaround rate and I think operators are unlikely to be able to thoroughly clean all of these items. -Board would create more risk of virus exposure,” he said.
That doesn’t mean that in-flight passengers have to find a way to pass the time without reading material. They are allowed to bring their own magazines or newspapers on board, but they will likely be asked to bring those items with them when they get off the plane. The CAA prohibition applies to anything distributed on board, such as menus, duty-free catalogs (no problem for domestic travel) or onboard magazines.
The consumption of food or drink is also prohibited on domestic flights, even if passengers bring it on board, as masks must be worn at all times.
According to a release from the CAAT, cabin crew are allowed to dispense water if passengers request it, which can happen in situations where, for example, someone needs water to take medicine.
Domestic air travel in Thailand is currently around 40% of the usual capacity.
The ruling took effect on December 31.