Thailand evacuates 138 from virus-hit Wuhan

[webfact]

Thailand evacuates 138 from virus-hit Wuhan

By Panarat Thepgumpanat and Patpicha Tanakasempipat

 

People wearing protective masks are seen in Bangkok, Thailand, February 4, 2020. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha  

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - A plane brought 138 Thais home from China's coronavirus epicentre of Wuhan on Tuesday and they waved from evacuation buses as they headed off to two weeks in quarantine to ensure they are free from the disease.

 

Thailand, which has confirmed more cases of the new coronavirus than any country except China, announced a further six on Tuesday - bringing the total to 25.

 

Six of the evacuees from Wuhan were sent to hospitals with high temperatures after they arrived at the U-Tapao airport aboard a Thai AirAsia evacuation flight, public health minister Anutin Charnvirakul told reporters.

 

"They were checked for symptoms and fever and sanitized when they landed," Anutin said.

 

The others will be quarantined for 14 days in a naval resort in Sattahip, 180 km (112 miles) east of Bangkok, and monitored closely.

 

Pictures released by the Thai navy showed the evacuees wearing masks and waving from the windows of the buses they boarded after getting off the plane. Authorities on the ground wore hazmat suits.

 

Three other Thais were not allowed to leave Wuhan, which has been in lockdown to try to stop the spread of the disease that has killed more than 420 people since it emerged early last month.

 

Thai authorities thanked China for helping the evacuation and said King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida had sent four tonnes of medical supplies to help Chinese authorities.

 

NEW CASES

Four Thais were among the six new cases of coronavirus reported in Thailand earlier on Tuesday.

 

They included a couple who had visited Japan and two drivers who picked up Chinese passengers in Thailand, Suwannachai Wattanayingcharoenchai, director-general of the Department of Disease Control, told reporters.

 

It was not clear whether the couple contracted the virus in Japan or after returning, Suwannachai said.

 

Thailand confirmed its first case of human-to-human transmission on Friday when a taxi driver tested positive.

 

Thailand's coronavirus cases so far include six Thais and 19 Chinese. Seventeen remain in hospital and eight have gone home, according to the health official.

 

South Korea reported a 42-year-old woman has tested positive for coronavirus after visiting Thailand. It was not clear yet where she had contracted the virus.

 

(Reporting by Patpicha Tanakasempipat and Panarat Thepgumpanat; Editing by Matthew Tostevin)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-02-05

Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking Thailand news and visa info

[ukrules]

Within a few weeks they might wish they were back in Wuhan

[AlexRich]

Flying into the new epicentre of the Coronavirus ... out of the frying pan!

[webfact]

Thais evacuated from Wuhan arrive at U-Tapao airport

 

An AirAsia with 138 Thais evacuated from Wuhan touches down at U-Tapao airport in Rayong on Tuesday night. – Photo from Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s Facebook page

 

A chartered flight with 138 Thais evacuated from the Chinese city of Wuhan has landed at U-Tapao international airport in Rayong on Tuesday night. Three others, two students found to have fevers and one who had overstayed his visa in China, had to remain in Wuhan.

 

After the plane landed at 8.38 pm, the evacuees, 15 medics and the crew were whisked by two buses and three vans to the reception area, in the compound of the nearby Royal Thai Navy base, for screening by medical personnel from the Queen Sirikit Hospital and the Navy Medical Service Department.

 

Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and medical personnel in protective suits were on hand to receive the returnees.

 

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/thais-evacuated-from-wuhan-arrive-at-u-tapao-airport/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2020-02-05

Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking Thailand news and visa info

[neeray]

Why Air Asia? Why not Thai Air? (honest question)

[graemeaylward]

3 hours ago, neeray said:

Why Air Asia? Why not Thai Air? (honest question)

Too expensive? ????

[DLock]

4 hours ago, neeray said:

Why Air Asia? Why not Thai Air? (honest question)

 

Good question.

 

Somewhat embarrassing a Malaysian based airline has to rescue Thai's.

 

Then again, foreigners had to rescue the cave boys as well.

 

It's a Thai trait.

[englishoak]

Literally Hundreds of vids are out there showing people dropping dead in China THEY ARE LYING TO YOU and they are deleting posts that reveal the truth.. this virus is far more deadly than they claim..... China is on total lockdown... for a flu less serious than SARS.. are you KIDDING ? its cost Billions every day  and theres no sign of it the pandemic slowing...  

 

Go and do some digging on the net PLEASE its MUCH worse than they are reporting and trying to hide it.... people are literally being locked and barricaded into their apartments and  dead bodies are piled up in ambulances and in corridors... Wuhan has run out of testing kits.... All tech companies have shut down in China until further notice and counties are evacuating people out ASAP and shutting down embassies and consuls... China has pumped 2.5 TRILLION into its markets in an attempt to stop a crash. 

 

look on twitter, go on other forums, get prepared and do it NOW its worse than anyone can imagine...pets in china are being thrown out of apartment windows out of fear of animals carrying the virus.. people are literally dropping dead in the street... HUNDREDS of vids are out there that PROVES this... do a simple search and look for yourselves

 

Tell your friends and family and prepare, Thailand according to data has less cases than Japan ?  LIES.

[Olmate]

And the overstayer remains! That will teach him!

[Tayaout]

Why quarantine them if they don't quarantine travelers from China? 

[buick]

5 hours ago, neeray said:

Why Air Asia? Why not Thai Air? (honest question)

 

thai air asia is majority owned by thais.  obviously it isn't the national airline but it is likely considered the #2.  here is a wiki link, it looks like king power group took a big position in the company a few years ago.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thai_AirAsia

 

and i think they make money while thai airways does not.

[Burma Bill]

5 hours ago, neeray said:

Why Air Asia? Why not Thai Air? (honest question)

Well, Air Asia is a budget airline - much cheaper charter rates than THAI!!

[Searat7]

20 minutes ago, buick said:

 

thai air asia is majority owned by thais.  obviously it isn't the national airline but it is likely considered the #2.  here is a wiki link, it looks like king power group took a big position in the company a few years ago.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thai_AirAsia

 

and i think they make money while thai airways does not.

I don’t believe THAI has small planes any more...they were mostly transferred to THAI Smile. 

[DLock]

50 minutes ago, englishoak said:

Literally Hundreds of vids are out there showing people dropping dead in China THEY ARE LYING TO YOU and they are deleting posts that reveal the truth.. this virus is far more deadly than they claim..... China is on total lockdown... for a flu less serious than SARS.. are you KIDDING ? its cost Billions every day  and theres no sign of it the pandemic slowing...  

 

Go and do some digging on the net PLEASE its MUCH worse than they are reporting and trying to hide it.... people are literally being locked and barricaded into their apartments and  dead bodies are piled up in ambulances and in corridors... Wuhan has run out of testing kits.... All tech companies have shut down in China until further notice and counties are evacuating people out ASAP and shutting down embassies and consuls... China has pumped 2.5 TRILLION into its markets in an attempt to stop a crash. 

 

look on twitter, go on other forums, get prepared and do it NOW its worse than anyone can imagine...pets in china are being thrown out of apartment windows out of fear of animals carrying the virus.. people are literally dropping dead in the street... HUNDREDS of vids are out there that PROVES this... do a simple search and look for yourselves

 

Tell your friends and family and prepare, Thailand according to data has less cases than Japan ?  LIES.

 

For a Virus less serious than SARS, it has already killed more people in China than SARS ever did...and in a very short time.

 

Rationalists are hiding behind the SARS mortality rate of 9.6%, but SARS only infected 8098 people in total. Corona is at 24,500 today and growing exponentially, and it has only just started. 2% of a watermelon is bigger than 9% of a grape....not that I believe mortality will be just 2%...

 

Of those 24,500, to date only 907 have recovered, meaning that it's impossible to determine mortality rates of a completed virus (SARS) and one that is just started and 95% of people that contracted it have not died or recovered yet.

 

 

[englishoak]

O

10 minutes ago, DLock said:

 

Of those 24,500, to date only 907 have recovered

 

 

They also have no  clue about ongoing complications or permanent damage nor if its able to resurface later and reinfect etc..  I notice none have been actually "cured" just recovered, the terms medically mean very different things. They know very little for certain yet. 

 

I do not believe the numbers from Thailand anymore than i do those from China.

 

 

Edited February 5, 2020 by englishoak

[Gee Ku]

The figures of deaths on the chart is mostly wrong.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Glad the Thai govt finally brought their citizens home... AFTER many other countries, including ones far less connected to China, had already managed to do the same...   Better late than never, as they say.

 

In the end, at least Thailand didnt pull a Cambodian Hun Sen, in telling his citizens there that they needed to stay put in China and help the Chinese fight the virus (whatever that means...)  

 

Edited February 5, 2020 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[Cake Monster]

7 hours ago, Olmate said:

And the overstayer remains! That will teach him!

Ironic