A group of 60 Thais — 27 men and 33 women — who returned from South Korea on Saturday night have been lodged at a naval reception facility in Sattahip district of Chon Buri for a 14-day quarantine as a measure to stem the coronavirus spread.
Up to 80 other Thais who arrived at Suvarnabhumi airport on a flight from South Korea on Saturday were being sought by authorities to join the quarantine.
After an initial screening at the airport, 59 workers boarded three buses to the facility in Sattahip district of Chon Buri and arrived there between 1.15am and 2.30am to being their quarantine. Another woman took a taxi from the airport to join the group later.
The facility was used to quarantine 137 Thais who returned from China's Wuhan last month, and is guarded around the clock by naval personnel.
The Royal Thai Navy has prepared six buildings at the reception centre to accommodate up to 780 returnees.
VADM Thanee Kaewkao, chief of the Naval Civil Affairs Department, said on Sunday the same quarantine process applied to the Thais from the Chinese city will be used for the new group. It will meet the standard set by the Public Health Ministry, he said.
Authorities are trying to locate between 70 and 80 other Thai nationals who arrived on the same flight from South Korea to transport them to the quarantine centre, according to Deputy Minister of Public Health, Satit Pitutecha.
He urged them to report to the public health offices closest to their homes within three days -- and warned them of punishment if they failed to comply with the virus control measures.
"If they do not cooperate, we have no choice but to strictly enforce the laws," the deputy minister said.
They face fines of up to 200,000 baht, up to one year in jail, or both.
It was not immediately known why there were allowed to enter the country unhindered.
