Thai border checkpoint closed after immigration officers down with Covid-19

(Xinhua) – A border checkpoint in southern Thailand has been temporarily closed for a week of sanitisation against the Covid-19 pandemic after two immigration officials have been found infected with it.

Gen Pornpipat Benyasri, chief of the Thai Defense Forces, on Wednesday (April 22) ordered the temporary closure of Sadao checkpoint in Songkhla province until April 29 after the two immigration officials, based at the Thai-Malaysian border checkpoint, have been found infected and about 70 others have been put under a 14-day quarantine.

Sadao checkpoint is one of the five border checkpoints in southern Thailand through which about 8,000 Thai workers are currently allowed to return home from the neighbouring Malaysia.

Due to the temporary closure of Sadao checkpoint, the homecoming workers may use a nearby Padang Besar border checkpoint in Songkhla province, Gen Pornpipat said.

However, no more than 300 to 350 workers are allowed daily to get in through those southern border checkpoints and be quarantined.