Nearly 300 Thais returning from overseas are now being held in a navy quarantine facility after more than half fled the airport to evade a lockdown.
Chaos erupted at Suvarnabhumi International Airport late April 3 as two flights from Japan and the U.S. landed and army soldiers proved incapable of handling the angry crowd. In the face of screaming passengers demanding they be allowed to go home and not into a 14-day Covid-19 quarantine, security personnel folded like a deck of cards, allowing many to simply walk out.
The army has launched an investigation into the security lapse.
The government put out word the next day at the 159 people who fled the airport had to turn themselves in by 6 p.m. April 4 or face prosecution. All but 24 have.
They were taken to the Navy Hotel on the Sattahip Naval Base where they joined the 108 others who went to voluntarily quarantine from the airport. One had a fever and was taken to a local hospital for coronavirus testing.
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