A total of 385 Thais who were stranded abroad by the Covid-19 lockdown returned home on Tuesday on four flights - from Italy, Malaysia, Japan and Taiwan.
The first 37 arrived on Thai Airways International Flight TG8083 from Rome, Italy, landing at Suvarnabhumi airport at 7.20am. They were taken by buses to Le Bali Hotel in Pattaya, Chon Buri, and Mövenpick Hotel on Witthayu road in Bangkok for compulsory 14-day quarantine.
Thai Smiles Airways Flight WE8140 landed at Suvarnabhumi airport from Malaysia at 1.35pm with 148 Thais and one Malaysian diplomat. One of the Thai returnees was found to be a patient under investigation (PUI) and was admitted to a hospital. The Malaysian diplomat was met by embassy staff and taken to arranged quarantine.
The remaining Thais were taken by buses to Le Bali Hotel and Beverly Hotel in Pattaya, Chon Buri, H2DO Hotel in Samut Prakan, and Mövenpick Hotel on Witthayu road and Qiu Hotel in Sukhumvit Soi 79 in Bangkok for quarantine. (continues below)
An official in full protective gear prepares to disinfect the luggage of a person returning to Thailand on a special Thai Airways flight from Italy, at Suvarnabhumi airport. (Photo: Varuth Hirunyatheb).
Japan Airlines Flight JL031 arrived at 3.35pm with 35 Thais on board. Most of them had worked in Japan and the others were students. They were taken for quarantine at Le Bali Hotel in Pattaya, Chon Buri, and Mövenpick Hotel in Bangkok.
The other 165 Thais arrived on Thai Smiles Airways Flight WE8095 from Taipei, Taiwan, at 4.20pm. Fourteen were found to be PUIs and admitted to a hospital for examination. One was detained under a court warrant.
The rest were taken to The Bazaar Hotel in Bangkok and a hotel in Samut Prakan for quarantine.
