Thailand’s Ministry of Labour has expressed concern that the whereabouts of 1,181 Thai workers, who returned from South Korea between February 24^th and March 1^st, are currently not known and the ministry is seeking help from the Immigration Bureau to find them.

These workers returned in groups of up to 400 a week and are not among the 5,000 who have registered their desire to return to Thailand with South Korean immigration officials.  They returned to Thailand before the Public Health Ministry rolled out more stringent screening on March 1^st.

Labour department deputy permanent secretary Mrs. Thienrat Nawamawat told the media today that 5,248 Thai workers returned from South Korea between December and the end of February, adding that, of that number, the whereabouts of 1,181 are not currently known.

According to the Immigration Bureau, eight Thais, who returned on March 2^nd, were isolated for further health checks, before entering 14 days of home quarantine, and two were sent to a hospital for further laboratory tests and observation.