An Israeli man who tested positive for COVID-19 has reportedly escaped quarantine at a hotel in the Sukhumvit area, with evidence indicating that he traveled to Pattaya before renting a van bound for Koh Samui.
The man identified by authorities as “Mr Ohad”, arrived in Thailand on December 17 and was placed in quarantine at a hotel in the Sukhumvit area. Results from his RT-PCR test came back positive for COVID-19 but the strain has yet to be determined. The patient then refused treatment before escaping the quarantine facility.
Police have since mobilized a unit to investigate the matter, including determining his escape route. Their findings have so far indicated that Mr Ohad hailed a taxi from his Sukhumvit hotel that then took him to a Pattaya hotel in Chonburi province.
However, the Israeli national refused to provide travel documents and was therefore denied accommodation at the hotel. He is believed to have remained in Pattaya until December 19 before returning to Bangkok, where he then rented a black Toyota Alphard van and headed south.
On December 20, investigators found visual confirmation of Mr Ohad turning up to Chumphon province and then traveling to Koh Samui in Surat Thani province.
Authorities have been coordinating with provincial law enforcement in Surat Thani, including tourist police, to track down the Israeli as soon as possible given the threat he poses as a coronavirus superspreader. (NNT)
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