BANGKOK — Police on Wednesday said they arrested an Israeli tourist who fled a Bangkok Hotel just before his COVID-19 test came out positive.
Police said the tourist arrived last Friday and stayed at a hotel in Sukhumvit area of Bangkok but left the hotel for Pattaya City before the RT-PCR test results was out.
Health minister Anutin Charnvirakul said the Israeli tourist will be given any treatment and care that he required for the sake of humanitarian reasons, but maintained that the man will face legal consequences for his action after he recovers.
“We will pursue the harshest legal action to make an example and deter other people from doing the same,” Anutin told reporters, adding that the Israeli man will likely be deported and blacklisted from ever entering Thailand again.
The tourist was apprehended at a restaurant on Samui Island on Wednesday after an arrest warrant was issued. Police will charge him with violating Communicable Disease Act. He was also taken to a hospital for treatment. Health authorities said the man was found infected with the delta variant.
In a related development, a total of 104 omicron variant of COVID-19 infections has been confirmed so far by the Center for COVID-19 Situation Admistration on Wednesday.
