Authorities are searching for about 80 Thais who arrived, in a group of 200 on four flights, at Suvarnabhumi international airport yesterday after returning from working illegally in South Korea. They managed to escape from a restricted area as they were about to be escorted to Sattahip naval base for COVID-19 screening prior to being quarantined.

Deputy Public Health Minister Sathit Pitutaecha did not give details of how the returnees managed to escape, but he said today that he had instructed the Disease Control Department director-general Dr. Suwanchai Wattanayingcharoenchai to find the names and addresses of the escapees from the list of all the returnees yesterday and to try to locate them, so they can enter their mandatory 14-day quarantine period.

He said that all the escapees will face tough legal action in accordance with the Disease Control Act.

Airports of Thailand director Sutherrawat Suwanrat said today that there were 104 passengers, including 88 Thais, on the first flight from South Korea yesterday. 15 were found to have high fevers and were immediately sent for further tests to determine whether they are infected with COVID-19.  66 others were described as at high risk.

He said that the high-risk Thai passengers were sent to Sattahip naval base for screening and the remaining Thais were sent to the airport’s fire-fighting station to be taken to their home provinces for quarantine at designated facilities.