Transport minister Saksayam Chidchob on Wednesday said he tested positive for the coronavirus.
The 58-year-old minister said he was admitted to a hospital in Buriram province this morning after experiencing high fever. He has since been put in isolation and under medical supervision, he said.
Minister Saksayam said he believes he was infected from his staffer who tested positive earlier.
In Bangkok, Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, the Bhumjaithai leader, confirmed that Mr Saksayam had been admitted for treatment at Buriram Hospital.
Mr Anutin said he and Mr Saksayam were in close contact during a religious ceremony to mark the party’s founding anniversary on Tuesday. He said he would work from home and go into isolation for 14 days.
He insisted that he wore a face mask all the time while at the party.
Meanwhile, other cabinet members are also in quarantine as a result of close contact with infected people, as the latest outbreak, centered on nightspots in Bangkok’s Thong Lor area, continues to spread.
