Covid-19: Foreigner fined 20K for breaking quarantine - health certificate didn't help him; Thais warned they are next

[webfact 54,731]

Covid-19: Foreigner fined 20K for breaking quarantine - health certificate didn't help him; Thais warned they are next

 

Picture: Daily News

 

The governor of Buriram province in north eastern Thailand announced that a foreign man back visiting his wife from one of the four countries on a risk list has been fined 20,000 baht for not properly quarantining for 14 days. 

 

Even though the foreigner said he stayed in his rental car and had a health certificate from his country that didn't save him.

 

Now the governor and medical staff in the province have warned that Thais back from Bangkok - now considered a risky area itself - face 20,000 baht fines for not going into quarantine. 

 

The foreigner in the Daily News story was not named and his nationality was not given - he was from either Italy, Iran, China or South Korea. 

 

Residents of the Jira Nakhon housing estate had complained about the foreigner breaking quarantine after he arrived to visit his wife. 

 

The foreigner accepted that he had been out but said he had not got out of the car.

 

The "Buriram Healthy Passport" application showed his movements.

 

Governor Thatchakorn Hatthathayakul said he arrived at Suvarnabhumi at 9am on the 19th of March. 

 

He then went to Pattaya for a night where he rented a car. 

 

Next day he left Pattaya at 6 am and drove to Buriram arriving at 1 pm. He stayed at the apartment of his wife. 

 

He went out in the evenings and on the 22nd went out but did not get out of the car. 

 

All this amounted to not following the terms of his quarantine. Even though he had a health certificate from the country where he began his journey that was not sufficient to save him from being fined 20,000 baht. 

 

The governor said he was sorry to foreigners that these had to be his measures in the circumstances; people who own places like hotels who do not report quarantine infractions will be similarly fined. 

 

He went further: Thais returning from Bangkok and surrounding provinces (known as Phuttamonthon) must observe a 14 day quarantine when going to Buriram or they too will be fined 20,000 baht. 

 

Dr Withit Saritdeechaikul who was also present at the meeting at Muang Buriram police station echoed these statements. 

 

He described Bangkok and surrounding areas as a danger area and people returning would be fined 20,000 baht for breaking quarantine under Article 34.

 

He further stressed that health certificates were of no use. 

 

Thaivisa notes that tens of thousands of Thais and migrant workers have been leaving Bangkok - many on crowded buses and trains - after much of the city was effectively locked down. 

 

The crowds have been heading for hometowns in the provinces and borders. 

 

Source: Daily News

 

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2020-03-24

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[Boomer6969 569]

Fair enough.

 

Just wonder, what he's been up to during the night in Pattaya. Imagine he was positive! 20k is very reasonable price for irresponsibility.

Edited March 24 by Boomer6969

[ThreeEyedRaven 7,075]

9 minutes ago, webfact said:

Thais returning from Bangkok and surrounding provinces (known as Phuttamonthon) must observe a 14 day quarantine when going to Buriram or they too will be fined 20,000 baht. 

And the people who have left Bangkok to go home are responsible enough to self quarantine themselves are they? I will believe that they will all get a 20,000 fine, when they go out having fun, rather than 500 and a wai, when I see it.

[unamazedloso 3,899]

punish foriegners first and thais second or maybe....

Anyway, people do the right thing. Just been watching videos of people suffering in hospital. It aint pretty to say the least. Stay safe, be smart, stay at home as much as possible.

[BigBadGeordie 11,730]

I recently returned from a trip to Pattaya to Buriram. I have been under self isolation since 19 March.

Registered on the app and temp checked twice a day.

Bit bored, but when I look at the fantastic job being done by health care workers on the TV and all I have to do is sit on my <deleted> and do nothing, it puts it all into perspective.

[darksidedog 44,089]

41 minutes ago, webfact said:

The "Buriram Healthy Passport" application showed his movements.

And I am sure that every one of the tens of thousands jumping on buses out of Bangkok yesterday were faithfully loaded into this system too, right? It is too much to hope for that none of those leaving were infected and laughable to think that all of them will self quarantine, but I suspect very few fines, if any, will be levied on any of them, especially not 20,000 a hit.

[Moonlover 4,874]

Our Phoo Ya Ban has made it very clear apparently. Anyone returning from the infected areas must go into self isolation.

 

And we won't be needing any officials to police it. She seems to have put the proverbial 'fear of god' into the villagers to ensure compliance. Policing will come from within.

[Liverpoolfan 1,203]

any excuse for a quick palm greaser, eh boys? 

[The Farang 110]

6 minutes ago, Moonlover said:

Our Phoo Ya Ban has made it very clear apparently. Anyone returning from the infected areas must go into self isolation.

 

And we won't be needing any officials to police it. She seems to have put the proverbial 'fear of god' into the villagers to ensure compliance. Policing will come from within.

They get paid to snitch on foreigner's.  What's the number to call again? 1179?

[Matzzon 7,892]

If they really had been looking and registering all Thais that has been coming back to Buriram the last 3 days from Bangkok, they easily would have been having a minimum of 10 to fine. Instead they choose to fine a foreigner. Shameful behaviour. If they said they fined 10 Thais and 1 foreigner, then I wouldn´t say anything, but this is just for show.

Not saying that he was right to go out. He should pay a fine, but so should a guaranteed minimum of 10 Thais in Buriram too. Not a chance they have total control over that. As I say, shameful and racist behaviour.

[KeeTua 126]

"He then went to Pattaya for a night where he rented a car."

 

The 20K fine might be less painful than having to explain to the wife why he spent a night in Pattaya.

[from the home of CC 7,514]

good. The same will happen in Canada shortly also due to morons not caring about anybody but their own selfish interests. Other countries are also hinting at this due to their citizens displaying their sub IQ's also..

[EricTh 1,811]

The risk list is not 4 countries but 8 countries with Korea at the bottom.

 

Switzerland will exceed Korea soon.

 

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/

 

The governor's info is outdated.

Edited March 24 by EricTh

[Ian Nagle 691]

53 minutes ago, Boomer6969 said:

Fair enough.

 

Just wonder, what he's been up to during the night in Pattaya. Imagine he was positive! 20k is very reasonable price for irresponsibility.

What about if you don't have 20k. I can't see many Thais having that kind of money. All things considered feels like a Police shakedown.

[Moonlover 4,874]

1 minute ago, 4MyEgo said:

I have been dreading the Songkran period this year, this one is going to be the one to remember, what those numbers rise, sorry to say.

You won't be remembering this one pal. It's been postponed and I suspect it will probably be cancelled altogether.