General Natapol Nakpanich, the deputy army chief and deputy head of an ad hoc committee on the relaxation of COVID-19 control measures, said the extension of the state of emergency would rarely impact society because people could continue with their normal life and rallies or anti-government protests could be organized.

The Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) needed the executive decree on public administration in emergency situations because the disease control act could not be applied in some situations while the decree could be exercised to integrate efforts by various governmental organizations to swiftly respond to COVID-related situations, he said.

According to M.Natapol the decree is needed to ensure people arriving from other countries are quarantined and to quickly mobilise organisations to respond to any fresh Covid-19 outbreak.

“The panel of CCSA recommends the decree be imposed for another month. It will propose this to CCSA,” Gen Natapol said, referring to his ad hoc committee. The state of emergency was earlier set to be valid until the end of this month.