Bangkok –
An Israeli man who tested positive for the Covid-19 delta variant has reportedly turned himself in to the police after escaping from a quarantine hotel in Bangkok to the southern provinces of Surat Thani.
Police Major General Jirasan Kaewsaengek, the deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, revealed to the Associated Press today, December 22nd, that the patient had reportedly escaped quarantine at a hotel in the Sukhumvit area and traveled first to Pattaya before renting a van heading to Koh Samui in Surat Thani.
The man, who was only identified by authorities as “Mr. Ohad”, reportedly arrived in Thailand on December 17th under the “Test&Go” scheme and disappeared from his quarantine hotel while waiting for an RT-PCR test result which later proved positive with the Delta variant.
The expanding investigation exposed that Mr. Ohad called a taxi from his Sukhumvit hotel to a Pattaya hotel in Chonburi. He was believed to stay in Pattaya until December 19th before returning to Bangkok and continuing his escape by renting a black van and heading south.
On December 20th, it was revealed that Mr. Ohad had visited Chumphon before then traveling to Koh Samui in Surat Thani. Authorities immediately coordinated with provincial police officials and tourist police in Surat Thani to track down the foreign patient.
As of today, it was reported by local media that Mr. Ohad had contacted the Israeli embassy and agreed to turn himself in to the police officers in Koh Samui. He was initially taken to a local hospital for isolation and another RT-PCR test before being questioned by the authorities. He is initially charged for violating the Communicable Disease Act, under the Emergency Decree, which could mean substantial fines and/or prison time.
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