Banglamung –
Banglamung officials arrested an employer of migrant workers yesterday, July 3rd, 2021, who allegedly illegally moved eight Covid-19 positive migrant employees into Chonburi, violating current Chonburi provincial orders that ban movement of migrant workers unless they conduct a strict fourteen-day quarantine.
A team of officials led by the Banglamung District Chief Administrative Officer Mr. Phonchai Sangeiad has arrested Ms. Soontree Lakchai, 27, a resident of Udon Thani, and accused her of multiple charges including violations of the Thai emergency decree to control Covid-19, Chonburi communicable disease orders, and other legal charges.
Soontree has allegedly illegally moved multiple Cambodian migrant workers into Chonburi province, despite the current strict rules around inter-provincial travel for migrant workers in Thailand. The strict rules are meant to stop an increasing number of Covid-19 cases in the province, many stemming from factories, markets, and construction sites where many migrant workers live in close quarters with little to no social distancing.
Eight migrant workers in total were confirmed with Covid -19 according to Banglamung Hospital staff. Nine close contacts of the group are currently under a fourteen-day quarantine.
Mr. Phonchai told The Pattaya News reporters, “The arrest came after Ms. Soontree brought eight migrant workers to the Banglamung Hospital for Covid-19 testing.”
“She claimed that these migrant workers lived near another camp in Si Racha which is now a Covid -19 cluster and source of infections,” Phonchai stated.
“All eight migrant workers tested positive with Covid-19. Banglamung medical staffers reported the matter to Ms. Soontree to ask her to come in for further testing and an interview. Ms. Soontree was negative for Covid-19. However, it was found during the interview that these migrant workers were not residents of the camp in question and had only recently come to Chonburi.” Phonchai continued.
“Soontree later admitted that these migrant workers lived in Chachoengsao and not in Si Racha,” Phonchai added.
“It costs 2,500 ฺBaht per migrant worker to test in Chachoengsao, which is not having the level of Covid-19 problems Chonburi has. Therefore, Soontree brought the workers to Banglamung Hospital for testing, violating Covid-19 orders banning the movement of workers between provinces without strict rules and quarantines. Chonburi offers free testing for migrant workers from the province currently as we are attempting to resolve Covid-19 clusters in our area.” Phonchai explained.
The eight migrant workers have been moved to a field hospital for medical treatment and supervision and Ms. Soontree remained in police custody over the weekend, according to Phonchai, facing multiple legal charges.
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