Thailand to tighten border controls after detecting South African COVID-19 variant

[webfact]

REUTERS FILE PHOTO for reference only

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thai border controls will tighten after the discovery of three local cases of the South African COVID-19 variant stemming from illegal border crossings, authorities said on Sunday, as the country grapples to contain its worst coronavirus outbreak yet.

 

The first local case of the South African variant,known as B.1.351, was detected on May 4 in a 32-year-old Thai man after he was visited by family who entered Thailand from Malaysia through an informal border crossing, the director-general of the disease control department said.

 

Movement of people has been restricted in the affected district and only two other cases of the South African variant, out of 81 cases, have been detected there since the start of May, Opas Karnkawinpong said.

 

"The South African variant discovered is similar to those found in Malaysia," Opas said.

 

While there are concerns the variant may threaten the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines, Opas said mass inoculations will still be effective in reducing the severity and rate of fatality from the disease.

 

The Thai government said it will increase manpower, checkpoints and electric surveillance along all land borders and order officials to be tougher on the trafficking of illegal migrants.

 

Authorities in Bangkok have also prohibited movement of labourers at construction workers' camps after 11 camps were among 30 active clusters in the Thai capital.

 

The government COVID-19 task force has asked construction companies to take care of their workers by providing food and provisions during this period.

 

There are around 409 workers camps around Bangkok where city authorities say 62,169 workers live, about half who are migrant labourers.

 

Movement restrictions have also been imposed on markets and call centres around Bangkok.

 

Thailand on Sunday reported 3,382 new coronavirus cases and 17 new deaths, bringing the total to 129,500 cases and 776 fatalities since the pandemic started last year.

 

(Reporting by Panu Wongcha-um; Editing by Lincoln Feast.)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2021-05-24

 

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[sammieuk1]

Border force will claim total success in closing the South African border tomorrow ???? 

[Bundooman]

The headline screams - 'Thailand to tighten border controls after detecting South African COVID-19 variant'

 

You would think that after the returning prostitutes saga last year, the saga of 'unwanted' immigrants from Myanmar and Laos, etc., and the current surge of Covid  from the Songkran free-for-all, that all border controls have been and presumably are, tightened already.

 

Would you not?

[1duckyboy]

Typical reactive rather than proactive response. Foresight isn't a trait of the generals.

[mrfill]

Good idea to wait 3 weeks before doing anything eh? What could possibly go wrong?

[blazes]

3 hours ago, sammieuk1 said:

Border force will claim total success in closing the South African border tomorrow ???? 

 

Border farce more like.  Machine guns keeping down the virus.  What your government does for you...

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Thai border controls will tighten after the discovery of three local cases of the South African COVID-19 variant stemming from illegal border crossings, authorities said on Sunday, as the country grapples to contain its worst coronavirus outbreak yet.

Ohhhh those leaky borders... trying to plug a hole that's been widened over the decades is not going to be easy.

[hotchilli]

3 minutes ago, blazes said:

 

Border farce more like.  Machine guns keeping down the virus.  What your government does for you...

More guns than vaccines that's all they got, what do you expect from a military leader.

[djayz]

Did I not read the exact same article just a few months ago? 

Déjà vu. 

[bluesofa]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Thai border controls will tighten after the discovery of three local cases of the South African COVID-19 variant stemming from illegal border crossings, authorities said on Sunday,

After the numerous times we have heard 'border controls will tighten', there must by now be enough police and military to be able to lay them head-to-toe to seal the border.

Until of course, one or fifty of them simultaneously have a 'micro-sleep', allowing in more illegal immigrants.

 

4 hours ago, webfact said:

The Thai government said it will increase manpower, checkpoints and electric surveillance along all land borders and order officials to be tougher on the trafficking of illegal migrants.

'increase manpower'  - is that without recruiting new staff?

To my mind that must mean they have thousands already being paid to do nothing, if they can manage to transfer them with apparently no knock-on effects.

[ThailandRyan]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Thai border controls will tighten after the discovery of three local cases of the South African COVID-19 variant stemming from illegal border crossings

Wait, didn't they already tighten the borders after the New years debacle? Didn't Prawit order cameras installed? Then again after Songkran and the Indian variant arriving didn't they strengthen the borders again?  At this point the length of the borders surrounding the country must be case hardened concrete structures with a moat surrounding the country so that no one may enter, much like a castle.  Wait, oh yes there has been a siege already on the borders and the barriers have been over run through normal walk way trails used for 100's of years.  Maybe if you held your township officials responsible for what enters into their towns along the borders you might get some cooperation at securing them.  Alas more talk and inaction, much like my own country.

[Nanaplaza666]

3 minutes ago, bluesofa said:

After the numerous times we have heard 'border controls will tighten', there must by now be enough police and military to be able to lay them head-to-toe to seal the border.

Until of course, one or fifty of them simultaneously have a 'micro-sleep', allowing in more illegal immigrants.

 

'increase manpower'  - is that without recruiting new staff?

To my mind that must mean they have thousands already being paid to do nothing, if they can manage to transfer them with apparently no knock-on effects.

You mean the paid by big construction companies 'micro-sleeps' they take . 

[Nanaplaza666]

4 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

Wait, didn't they already tighten the borders after the New years debacle? Didn't Prawit order cameras installed? Then again after Songkran and the Indian variant arriving didn't they strengthen the borders again?  At this point the length of the borders surrounding the country must be case hardened concrete structures with a moat surrounding the country so that no one may enter, much like a castle.  Wait, oh yes there has been a siege already on the borders and the barriers have been over run through normal walk way trails used for 100's of years.  Maybe if you held your township officials responsible for what enters into their towns along the borders you might get some cooperation at securing them.  Alas more talk and inaction, much like my own country.

Trump for prime minister ???? we would have had a wall their instead of paid by construction companies soldiers . 

[itsari]

1 hour ago, Bundooman said:

The headline screams - 'Thailand to tighten border controls after detecting South African COVID-19 variant'

 

You would think that after the returning prostitutes saga last year, the saga of 'unwanted' immigrants from Myanmar and Laos, etc., and the current surge of Covid  from the Songkran free-for-all, that all border controls have been and presumably are, tightened already.

 

Would you not?

Unwanted ? Illegal immigrants is more the truth . Tightening borders of course is possible but in reality futile . Coupled with financial gain from border authorities and Thai companies the corona virus will continue to be imported.

[Ketyo]

The borders are closed already.

 

I honestly don't know whether the PM is more scared of Myanmars, Malaysians, Laoses, Cambodians or Farangs. The problem with having an army general for PM is that his brain is trained to think that all foreigners are dangerous.  

[elgenon]

Special anti-Covid guns! I like it.

 

I wonder why Thailand is the only country with dogs who can sniff out Covid.

 

Ahhem, the virus can mutant into the same variant in Thailand.

 

 

[bluesofa]

18 minutes ago, Nanaplaza666 said:

Trump for prime minister ???? we would have had a wall their instead of paid by construction companies soldiers . 

Well perhaps we would have had had a Wall's Cornetto.

 

[cclub75]

I believe it's time to do more... spraying.

 

At the borders. Forest, trees, plants, ground...

 

To kill the virus.

 

More seriously... there is a "weak spot" in all the borders saga.... The ASQ system (controled quarantine for any people coming by air travel).

 

If the Covid situation within Thailand is getting out of hand (from a thai point of view)... don't you think politicians would not make the calculus :

-few people concerned

-most of them foreigners

-so big political and face gain to put this system on hold

 

We saw this temptation... when they lowered the quarantine duration from 14 days to 10 days... before to put it back very quickly at 14 days because of the new "wave" !

 

Let's not forget : this system was created (last year) when Thailand had very few cases... Today the situation is totally different. The fear is greater...

 

[bstafford214]

58 minutes ago, mrfill said:

Good idea to wait 3 weeks before doing anything eh? What could possibly go wrong?

That is nothing compared to my town near Nakhon Si Thamarrat. There is a medium sized Tesco Store that found 4 infected staff working in our store here. They did nothing for 2 weeks and then suddenly they forced the store closed and set up testing in the parking lot for staff and some customers. Tesco said they would be closed for 2 days for testing. What about cleaning, are they cleaning inside? We had been in the store during the first days of discovery and went to get tested. They told us they are full now, assuming no more tests available. We asked when we can come back to test, they said "I don't know", very useless and frustrating. They told us to go home and quarantine, so I can assume  you can't get tested here unless you are dying. We told the health official there my wife had a fever, but not good enough, they said go home and quarantine. I would probably die before they did anything. Hate this <deleted> government, never do anything until it is too late and you are dead.

[Rampant Rabbit]

1 hour ago, 1duckyboy said:

Typical reactive rather than proactive response. Foresight isn't a trait of the generals.

Or Thais per se

[Rampant Rabbit]

7 minutes ago, bstafford214 said:

That is nothing compared to my town near Nakhon Si Thamarrat. There is a medium sized Tesco Store that found 4 infected staff working in our store here. They did nothing for 2 weeks and then suddenly they forced the store closed and set up testing in the parking lot for staff and some customers. Tesco said they would be closed for 2 days for testing. What about cleaning, are they cleaning inside? We had been in the store during the first days of discovery and went to get tested. They told us they are full now, assuming no more tests available. We asked when we can come back to test, they said "I don't know", very useless and frustrating. They told us to go home and quarantine, so I can assume  you can't get tested here unless you are dying. We told the health official there my wife had a fever, but not good enough, they said go home and quarantine. I would probably die before they did anything. Hate this <deleted> government, never do anything until it is too late and you are dead.

Stop spreading the truth of  how it's  brushed under the carpet and always  has been along with almost everything else unless they need to "show" and example of how well they do in everything.

[hioctane]

24 minutes ago, Ketyo said:

The borders are closed already.

 

I honestly don't know whether the PM is more scared of Myanmars, Malaysians, Laoses, Cambodians or Farangs. The problem with having an army general for PM is that his brain is trained to think that all foreigners are dangerous.  

 

They are referring to illegal crossings which is next to impossible to stop. Land crossings are always full of holes.

[maddermax]

What is an 'informal' border crossing?!!

[Derek B]

55 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Ohhhh those leaky borders... trying to plug a hole that's been widened over the decades is not going to be easy.

"Where there is a will - there is a way"

[Mywayboy]

4 hours ago, sammieuk1 said:

Border force will claim total success in closing the South African border tomorrow ???? 

They need to enforce a 5 Klm radius trave zone for the population. 

Except essential services & work related travel.

It worked in Australia 

[hotchilli]

1 minute ago, Derek B said:

"Where there is a will - there is a way"

The will is weak... money to be made.

[chrwhiteis]

One of the very few genuinely funny posts. 

[madmen]

5 minutes ago, maddermax said:

What is an 'informal' border crossing?!!

Done in shorts and flip flops 

[Derek B]

OMG.............no camo masks.......................deary me whatever next?

[A Los for words]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thai border controls will tighten after the discovery of three local cases of the South African COVID-19 variant stemming from illegal border crossings, authorities said on Sunday, as the country grapples to contain its worst coronavirus outbreak yet.

The correct words are 'be considered', not 'tighten'.