The Public Health Ministry has said the mask-wearing requirement may be eased only in some areas.
The Public Health Ministry's Dr Kiattiphum Wongrajit on Wednesday said the Covid-19 situation has improved so the pandemic may be downgraded to an endemic disease.
The ministry then must step up measures to ensure people can live with Covid-19 safely, he added.
The lifting of the mask requirement is one option but the ministry does not plan to do so entirely yet, Dr Kiattiphum said. Indoor and outdoor masking will be eased in certain areas with lower infection rates and well-prepared treatment systems and where most locals are fully vaccinated.
The mask regulations may be adjusted around mid-June, Dr Kiattiphum said.
However, the high-risk group -- people aged 60 years and above, those with underlying diseases and pregnant women -- may be required to put on masks in certain areas for their own safety, as well as people in crowded areas, he added.
The Department of Disease Control said the relaxing of face mask measures may start in 31 provinces which he said includes 14 provinces designated as green zones plus 17 provinces in blue zones including Bangkok, Chon Buri, Chiang Mai and Phuket.
Another condition is that 60% of the population in the provinces should have three Covid-19 vaccines.
