Research and analysis

Response to recommendations: Thailand competent authority

Published 22 October 2025

Date: 18 October 2024

Recommendation 1

Department for Livestock Development (DLD) to ensure that the operational procedures for sampling of passive and active surveillance routinely include the taking of oropharyngeal swabs in addition to cloacal swabs.

DLD response

Pursuant to ensuring comprehensive sampling protocols, DLD has released a memorandum (outlined in Attachment 1) ensuring the routine collection of oropharyngeal and cloacal swabs via both active and passive surveillance programmes (see the details of surveillance plan on page 15 in Attachment 2_Control Plan of Notifiable Avian Diseases in Thailand 2024).

Concurrently, regular online meetings with relevant regional and provincial competent authorities are conducted monthly to reinforce adherence to these surveillance practices. Moreover, laboratory personnel conduct rigorous verification to ensure all submitted samples adhere to stipulated guidelines.

Great Britain’s response

We understand from Table 2 that oropharyngeal swabs are to be collected when the number of carcasses available is insufficient. Is that correct or is DLD collecting oropharyngeal swabs as a default, in addition to any carcasses? To note, the UK procedures require the collection of oropharyngeal swabs as standard (where possible), regardless of the number of carcasses available.

Recommendation 2

DLD to ensure that adequate contingency arrangements are in place to secure the timely availability of essential disease control materials for when they are required.

DLD response

DLD has established Poultry depopulation manual outlining guidance on depopulation of poultry, cleansing and disinfection procedures in the event of an outbreak on page 10-11 of the manual and the poultry depopulation procedure is also included in Attachment 2_Control Plan of Notifiable Avian Diseases in Thailand 2024 (on page 30).

Additionally, DLD has sourced listed carbon dioxide suppliers for mass poultry euthanasia during emergency outbreak situations (detailed in Table 6 page 31 of Attachment 2 Control Plan of Notifiable Avian Diseases in Thailand 2024). These suppliers can ensure timely delivery of sufficient gas nationwide.

Great Britain’s response

The UK SPS Office acknowledges the response provided. For further clarification, does DLD have a formal contractual agreement with the suppliers in Table 6 for the provision of gas in case of HPAI outbreaks requiring mass depopulation?

Recommendation 3

DLD to ensure that restrictions remain in place in the surveillance zone for at least 30 days following completion of cleansing and disinfection on all infected premises within the zone.

DLD response

Upon occurrence of a disease outbreak, poultry movement restrictions are enforced for a duration of 21 days within the protection zone (PZ) and 30 days within the surveillance zone (SZ) and buffer zone (BZ) following the date of completion of cleansing and disinfection on all premises within the zone (Summarized in Table 5 on page 29 of Attachment 2_Control Plan of Notifiable Avian Diseases in Thailand 2024).

Great Britain’s response

The UK SPS Office acknowledges the change in procedures and has no further comments.

Recommendation 4

DLD to develop and implement official designation procedures for premises or establishments receiving consignments from within or outside of a protection zone or surveillance zone.

DLD response

DLD has designated specific slaughterhouses for export purposes. In the event of an outbreak within a containment area, affected poultry farms are prohibited from transporting poultry to these facilities. This restriction aims to prevent the exportation of potentially contaminated poultry products to Great Britain.

To ensure compliance, all live poultry originating from designated at-risk areas shall be redirected to emergency slaughterhouses (detailed in Annex I on page 33 of Attachment 2_Control Plan of Notifiable Avian Diseases in Thailand 2024).

Great Britain’s response

The UK SPS Office notes the change in procedures for slaughterhouses approved for export to Great Britain and has no further comment.

Recommendation 5

DLD to ensure that international trade restrictions for export to Great Britain in the buffer zone apply for at least the same duration as the restrictions within the surveillance zone.

DLD response

To effectively implement international trade restrictions, no movement of poultry or poultry products is to be permitted within the buffer zone for 30 days from the date of disease confirmation, in line with the 30-day restriction applied to surveillance zone (SZ) (Summarized in Table 5 on page 29 of Attachment 2_Control Plan of Notifiable Avian Diseases in Thailand 2024).

Great Britain’s response

We understand the duration of the buffer zone has now been amended to be in place for at least the duration of the surveillance zone.

The reply mentions the buffer zone being lifted after 30 days from confirmation of disease whereas Table 5 of the Control Plan and the reply to Recommendation 3 state that restrictions are lifted after 30 days from completion of C&D.

Can DLD please confirm if the restrictions in the buffer zone will be lifted after at least 30 days from completion of C&D or from the date of confirmation of disease?

Recommendation 6

DLD to apply international trade (buffer zone) restrictions to all administrative units that contain surveillance zone areas to enable these controls to be communicated and implemented effectively.

DLD response

In the event of an outbreak occurring along the provincial border of two or more provinces, Protection zone (PZ) and Surveillance zone (SZ) restrictions will be extended into adjacent province(s). To ensure effective enforcement within the PZ and SZ, the Buffer Zone (BZ) is uniformly applied across all affected administrative units.

The Bureau of Disease Control and Veterinary Services (BDCVS) will serve as the central body, issuing notifications to all affected areas within the containment and buffer zone radius (detailed in page 24 of Attachment 2_Control Plan of Notifiable Avian Diseases in Thailand 2024). Notifications will be disseminated through the E-movement control system, based on the outbreak status in the affected areas (See https://aqi.dld.go.th/webnew/index.php/th/news-menu-2/19-activity-aqi2/154-new-e-movement62).

Great Britain’s response

During the audit, DLD stated that they intended to extend the buffer zone to the entire affected province, as this would facilitate the communication of the restrictions to all staff.

Based on this, all provinces affected by a PZ/SZ should be restricted in relation to exports to Great Britain.
Can DLD please confirm that in the event of a restricted zone crossing a provincial boundary all affected provinces will be restricted?

Recommendation 7

DLD to develop and implement standard official procedures to effectively identify poultry meat or poultry meat products originating from restricted zones to ensure they are not exported to Great Britain.

DLD response

When an area of origin is declared an epidemic zone, local DLD authorities will prohibit movement to poultry slaughterhouses for export.

At each export-designated poultry slaughterhouse, veterinarians assigned by the DLD will verify the origin of the poultry based on movement permit documents and farm animal health report forms (BLSC.001 as detailed in Attachment 3) before allowing entry for slaughter.

Great Britain’s response

The UK SPS Office acknowledges the changes made by DLD and have no further comment.

Recommendation 8

DLD to ensure that the identity of certifying officials involved in the export process is effectively verified before issuing export health certificates.

DLD response

Corrective and Preventive Measures:

1. Review and Strengthen Procedures for Verifying Certifying Officials:

• Conduct a comprehensive review and update of procedures related to the verification of certifying officials’ identities before issuing Export Health Certificates (EHC) to ensure compliance with established regulations.

• Develop and implement clear guidelines that emphasize the importance of verifying the authenticity of submitted documents and the signature of the Vet-in-charge at the export establishment matches the recorded specimen signature on the official list.

• Maintain and regularly update the list of veterinarians and their specimen signatures to ensure that HCU staff have the latest information needed for effective verification.

Ongoing Monitoring and Compliance Checks:

• Establish a regular monitoring process to evaluate the effectiveness of document and signature verification practices and ensure consistent adherence to the guidelines.

• Quickly address and resolve any discrepancies or errors detected in the verification process to maintain the integrity of the export certification system.

Ongoing Monitoring and Compliance Checks:

• Establish a regular monitoring process to evaluate the effectiveness of document and signature verification practices and ensure consistent adherence to the guidelines.

Certification Process for Meat and Meat Products for Export

This process is divided into two main steps: pre-certification and the issuance of the health certificate for export.

1. Pre-Certification

Pre-certification involves the preparation and endorsement of necessary documentation by the official veterinarian (OV) in charge at the exporting establishment. The forms used in this process include the Meat and Meat Products Certificate for Export (BLSC 1).

1.1. Request for Export of Livestock Products

Food Business Operators (FBOs) initiate the process by requesting permission from the OV to export meat and meat products. They then request the issuance of the BLSC 1 forms, along with any related documents, at the OV’s office.
  1.2. Document Review and Additional Information

The OV reviews all submitted documents. If necessary, they may request additional information to ensure all requirements are met. After reviewing and verifying all information, the OV endorses the BLSC 1 forms, completing the pre-certification step.

2. Health Certificate for Export

The health certificate for export is issued based on the endorsed precertification documents, and the Export Health Certificate is issued at the DLD headquarters (Health Certificate Unit: HCU).

Great Britain’s response

The UK SPS Office acknowledges the changes made by DLD and has no further comment.

Further response from Thailand DLD

Date: 3 February 2025

Recommendation	Great Britain’s response	Department for Livestock Development (DLD) response
1. DLD to ensure that the operational procedures for sampling of passive and active surveillance routinely include the taking of oropharyngeal swabs in addition to cloacal swabs.	We understand from Table 2 that oropharyngeal swabs are to be collected when the number of carcasses available is insufficient. Is that correct or is DLD collecting oropharyngeal swabs as a default, in addition to any carcasses? To note, the UK procedures require the collection of oropharyngeal swabs as standard (where possible), regardless of the number of carcasses available.	Regarding the type of samples to be collected from passive surveillance (as shown in Table 2), it is correct that the sample of carcass is the first option to be collected and oropharyngeal swabs are supplementary collected in case the carcass is insufficient. The reason is that we take the advantage of carcass sampling not only for AI and ND diagnosis (from virus isolation and pathogenicity characterization of HPAI by DNA sequencing) but also for differential diagnosis for other poultry diseases. The examination of carcasses helps us identify other diseases that may contribute to poultry mortality, ensuring a more comprehensive understanding of disease dynamics. We agree with the sampling method, which collects oropharyngeal swabs for early detection of HPAI, resulting in a rapid response to potential outbreaks. This is the reason why we have added oropharyngeal swabs in the procedure in both passive and active surveillance as you suggested. However, we strongly believe that with this procedure (carcass plus swabs) results in high sensitivity to detect HPAI and other poultry diseases for passive surveillance.
2. DLD to ensure that adequate contingency arrangements are in place to secure the timely availability of essential disease control materials for when they are required.	The UK SPS Office acknowledges the response provided. For further clarification, does DLD have a formal contractual agreement with the suppliers in Table 6 for the provision of gas in case of HPAI outbreaks requiring mass depopulation?	To clarify, DLD has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the gas suppliers and the Thai Poultry Veterinary Association to guarantee a reliable supply of gas for humane mass poultry depopulation, ensuring prompt responses in the event of HPAI outbreaks.
5. DLD to ensure that international trade restrictions for export to Great Britain in the buffer zone apply for at least the same duration as the restrictions within the surveillance zone.	We understand the duration of the buffer zone has now been amended to be in place for at least the duration of the surveillance zone. The reply mentions the buffer zone being lifted after 30 days from confirmation of disease whereas Table 5 of the Control Plan and the reply to Recommendation 3 state that restrictions are lifted after 30 days from completion of C&D. Can DLD please confirm if the restrictions in the buffer zone will be lifted after at least 30 days from completion of C&D or from the date of confirmation of disease?	We confirm that the restrictions in the buffer zone will be lifted at least 30 days from the completion of cleaning and disinfection (C&D) at the infected premises (IP), in accordance with Table 5 Measures and restrictions of AI and ND within disease control zones for regionalization in Thailand.
6. DLD to apply international trade (buffer zone) restrictions to all administrative units that contain surveillance zone areas to enable these controls to be communicated and implemented effectively.	During the audit, DLD stated that they intended to extend the buffer zone to the entire affected province, as this would facilitate the communication of the restrictions to all staff. Based on this, all provinces affected by a PZ/SZ should be restricted in relation to exports to Great Britain. Can DLD please confirm that in the event of a restricted zone crossing a provincial boundary all affected provinces will be restricted?	In response to the inquiry regarding the extension of the buffer zone across provincial boundaries and its impact on export restrictions to Great Britain, DLD confirms that, under the provisions of the Animal Epidemics Act B.E. 2558 (2015) , if a restricted zone (PZ/SZ) spans across provincial boundaries, all affected provinces will be subjected to the same movement restrictions. This approach ensures clarity and consistency in the enforcement of restrictions, particularly when a restricted zone crosses provincial borders. The Act mandates uniform enforcement to prevent unauthorized movement of animals between provinces. Specifically, according to Section 22 of the Act, the declaration of a temporary epidemic zone (as per Section 20) or an epidemic surveillance zone (as per Section 21) imposes a ban on the movement of animals or animal carcasses. This ban applies to all areas within the declared zones, including any regions that may cross provincial boundaries, and movement is only permitted with prior written authorization from the responsible veterinarian for each movement Thus, if a restricted zone encompasses multiple provinces, movement restrictions will apply across all affected provinces to maintain effective control and prevent the spread of the disease.