A group of 202 Thais stranded overseas amid the Covid-19 pandemic returned to Thailand on Friday and another 192 will fly in on Saturday, according to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA).
Of the 202 returnees, 31 arrived back from Japan, and 171, including monks, nuns and Thai pilgrims, came home from India, said Taweesilp Visanuyothin, spokesman of the CCSA.
On Saturday, 21 Thais, mostly students, stranded in Iran will arrive back while another 171 will return from India, Dr Taweesilp said.
He also said that there are parents who have children studying in South America and are concerned about when they will be able to return home.
Regarding this matter, he said that embassies and consulates are working hard to keep in regular contact with those students as currently, several countries in South America have closed their airports and banned commercial flights due to the crisis.
Thai authorities will bring them back home immediately after they reopen airports and airspace, he said, adding that state quarantine facilities are already in place to accommodate them upon their return.
Meanwhile, Defence Ministry spokesman Kongcheep Tantravanich said that two chartered Thai AirAsia flights were being used to fly the returnees from India back home.
The first group arrived at Don Mueang international airport from Gaya, India, at 3.10pm on Friday, and the second is expected to land at the airport at the same time on Saturday.
Lt Gen Kongcheep said that the returnees would be screened and taken to quarantine facilities prepared by the government.
