150 Thai nationals seek to return home as Covid-19 infections rise in Tachilek
As many as 150 Thais who work or live in Myanmar’s Tachilek district have asked for permission to return to Thailand via Chiang Rai, Dr Opas Karnkawinpong, director-general of the Department of Disease Control, told the press on Thursday.
In addition, more than a million health volunteers will be deployed to knock on doors to see if anyone has sneaked across the border from Myanmar.
Maj-General Narit Thawornwong, commander of the Pha Muang Force, said on Wednesday that he had met with relevant agencies to come up with a plan to block crossings via the second Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge in Chiang Rai’s Mae Sai district. Agencies at the meeting have also agreed to deploy more troops and at least 80 officials to intercept illegal border crossings.
As of press time, 15 new Covid-19 infections had been detected in Tachilek, bringing the total number of cases to 64.
The local border committee was told by the manager of the 1G1 hotel-cum-entertainment complex that up to 180 Thai nationals work there. Many of the Thai women who sneaked back into Thailand and were found to be infected with Covid-19 worked at the 1G1.
