Field hospital built at Bangkok airport

Health authorities in Thailand raced to set up a large field hospital in a cargo building at one of Bangkok’s airports as the country reported record numbers of coronavirus cases and deaths this week.

Other field hospitals are already in use in the capital after it ran out of hospital facilities for thousands of infected residents.

Workers rushed to finish the 1,800bed hospital at Don Mueang International Airport, where cardboard beds were laid out with mattresses and pillows. It is to be ready for patients in two weeks.

The airport, a domestic and regional hub, has had little use because almost all domestic flights were canceled two weeks ago.

The quick spread of the delta variant also led neighboring Cambodia to seal its border with Thailand on Thursday and order a lockdown and movement restrictions in eight provinces.

Thailand reported 17,669 new cases and 165 deaths on Thursday, its highest number since the pandemic began in early 2020. On Friday another 17,345 cases and 117 deaths were reported.

Bangkok and its surrounding provinces have been in lockdown for more than two weeks, with overnight curfews and access only to supermarkets, pharmacies and essential services such as hospitals.