Thai returnees head home through Sadao checkpoint
A total of 119 Thai citizens returned home from Malaysia through Sadao immigration checkpoint on Monday, the province’s public relations office announced yesterday.
The checkpoint was reopened on Monday for Thai citizens after Malaysia recently announced a deadline requiring foreigners without valid visas to leave the country by today.
Sadao district chief Surin Suriyawong said he was informed that 300 Thais had registered with the Thai consulate in Penang, Malaysia, to return.
The 119 who crossed back on Monday included five monks and one nun. Mr Surin expected the remaining 181 to return yesterday or later today.
Authorities have prepared seven quarantine venues, which could take up to 500 people, he said.
Combined civilian-police-military patrols were operating along the border with Malaysia to prevent illegal crossings. Illegal border crossers would also have to undergo health screening and 14-day quarantine, Mr Surin said.
On Monday, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha ordered security agencies to repatriate Thais stranded in Malaysia due to the Covid-19 situation there.
Deputy government spokeswoman Rachada Dhnadirek earlier said Gen
Prayut was monitoring the Covid-19 situation in the South and had ordered local government agencies to help Thai returnees from Malaysia in adherence with strict Covid-19 screening measures.
All returnees were first screened for Covid-19 by the Malaysian public health authorities — those with a fever were immediately taken by ambulance to hospital while those without symptoms were driven to state quarantine facilities.
The government yesterday reported 1,443 new cases of the novel coronavirus, raising the total number of confirmed infections since the start of the pandemic to 45,185. Four new deaths — three Thais and an elderly Indian citizen — were reported, raising the toll to 108.
Taweesilp Visanuyothin, spokesman for the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA), said all of the deceased had underlying health conditions which worsened their chances of surviving the infection.