Port authorities are threatening to shut down a wharf in Ranong that allowed a fishing trawler crew from Myanmar to come ashore during a stopover, despite a ban that was put in place to prevent the spread of Covid-19 in Thailand from neighbouring Myanmar.
During a random inspection of local wharves on Sunday, a team from Ranong's port security centre, which is under the Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Centre (Thai-MECC), encountered several fishing trawler crew members from Myanmar onshore, who fled into their boats as soon as they were approached, said port security centre chief, Nat Charatsakun, yesterday.
Capt Nat said the wharf's operator was given a formal warning and ordered to abide by the ban, or risk having the wharf shut down.
"If an outbreak is traced back to a wharf, its operator will be held responsible for failing to follow Covid-19 prevention guidelines, as outlined by the written agreement with Thai-MECC," he said.
The number of confirmed Covid-19 infections in Myanmar has surged from about 400 cases on Aug 20, to 16,503 cases as of yesterday, raising concerns about a possible contagion in provinces along the Thai-Myanmar border.
The northern province of Mae Hong Son yesterday announced the suspension of trade activities at three border areas over concerns about the deteriorating situation in Myanmar, according to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration's (CCSA) Facebook page.
Trade activities at Ban Huay Ton Nun village in Khun Yuam district, Ban Mae Sam Laep village in Sop Moei and Ban Huay Phueng village in Muang district are suspended until further notice, the announcement said.
Meanwhile, Lt Gen Kriangkrai Sirak, chief of the 4th Army in the South, said security forces have been stationed along the Thai-Malaysian border to deter illegal border crossings.
Between five to ten Malaysian nationals had been detained while attempting to sneak into Thailand in past crackdowns, he said.
The illegal migrants were all sent to a local health facility for Covid-19 screening and quarantine, he said, before adding that they now face legal action for illegal entry.
The number of new Covid-19 infections in Malaysia rose by 293 cases yesterday, with new clusters reported in Kedah and Sabah.
The total number of Covid-19 infections in Malaysia was 12,381.