Thailand recorded five new COVID-19 cases today, among Thai and foreign arrivals from abroad in state quarantine, including an Uzbek player for the Buriram United soccer team.

According to the CCSA, three new infections are Thai. They include two Thai students, aged 24 and 34, who arrived in Thailand on September 6th from India and entered state quarantine in Chon Buri province. Both tested positive for COVID-19 three days after arrival. The third is an air stewardess working in United Arab Emirates. She arrived in Thailand on September 9th and tested positive the same day.

The fourth case is a 9-year old Japanese student, who arrived in Thailand from Japan on September 4th and entered alternative state quarantine in Bangkok on the same day. He was diagnosed as infected on September 9th.

The fifth is an Uzbek footballer, who arrived in Thailand from Uzbekistan on August 13th.  He was found to be infected on September 10th, after he completed his 14-day mandatory quarantine in Bangkok.

Cumulative infections in Thailand, to date, are 3,466, with 3,312 recoveries and 58 deaths.  96 others are still being treated in hospital.

Meanwhile, Pol Lt-Gen Sompong Chingduang, Commissioner of the Immigration Police, took a helicopter trip today (Saturday), to survey the Thai-Myanmar border, in the southern province of Ranong, before meeting with officials to discuss the problem of illegal border crossing by people from Myanmar, with the emphasis on human trafficking gangs, which smuggle people into Thailand for profit.

Officials were also warned that they would be dealt withseverely if they are found to be involved in human trafficking activities.

Thai public health officials predict that the COVID-19 pandemic, which is still spreading in Myanmar, may reach the Thai border in two weeks, prompting security forces to seal the border and increase foot patrols, especially at natural border crossings known to be used by Myanmar people to slip into Thailand.

Meanwhile, the Thai Embassy in Kuala Lumpur has been notified by the Malaysian government that the border checkpoint, opposite Sadao district of Songkhla province, isclosed from today (Saturday) until September 25th as part of the lockdown measures to contain the spread of COVID-19.

Thai people in Malaysia have been advised to use border checkpoints in Betong or Su-ngai Kolok districts to reenterThailand.