Krabi deputy governor concerned Phuket has “spread coronavirus to his province”

As thousands of non-residents left Phuket over the weekend, one of the local officials was swift to express his feelings about Phuket’s departees to his province. Somkuan Khan-ngern, deputy governor of Krabi province, reported: “they had spread coronavirus to his province.”

He later retracted the comment and excused the media that his remarks were “a thoughtless allegation made during the inspection of the screening checkpoint in Ao Nang.” He said he had no intention of offending Phuket’s people.

The deputy governor also reportedly refused to allow the people of Phuket entry into Krabi.

The administration of the Province of Phuket has allowed thousands of migrant workers and non-resident Thais to return from their home provinces.

They were stranded at Phuket, mostly without jobs, after the governor of Phuket sealed off the island’s land, sea and air borders in early April. Around 40,000 people, about 10% of the population of the island, have already registered.

All who wish to leave must apply to the provincial administration for “Fit to Travel” permits, which must be presented to officers in the Tha Chatchai checkpoint on arrivals, on their transit checkpoints and at their destinations.

Since Phuket has the second-highest number of infections, people who leave the island are subjected to 14 days of quarantine on arrival.

SOURCE: Thai PBS World

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