Israeli who fled hotel quarantine in Bangkok with Omicron faces more police charges after release from hospital

[webfact]

Picture: Channel 7

 

Channel 7 national Thai TV news reported that the Israeli national Ohad B. who fled hotel quarantine in Bangkok will find himself in even more trouble after release from hospital quarantine.

 

The Israeli has tested negative three times now in Koh Samui and will be spending four more days in a field hospital after release from a mainstream hospital.

 

But that is not the end of his woes.

 

He will be prosecuted for violating Covid-19 laws in Surat Thani and face charges under Article 9 lodged by the Thong Lo police in bangkok, the area from which he fled.

 

Contacts of the man - a driver and three Israeli friends - have tested negative but face two more tests to get the all clear.

 

A manhunt was sparked when the tourist left his hotel and went to Pattaya then Koh Samui in the south of Thailand. 

 

The tourist is now in official police custody.

 

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[SAFETY FIRST]

23 minutes ago, webfact said:

Israeli who fled hotel quarantine in Bangkok with Omicron faces more police charges after release from hospital

Throw the book at him 

 

Deportation 

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Hm... he almost immediately tested negative, and everyone he came in contact with is also negative.   Sounds more like a botched first test than anything else.

[ezzra]

What Omicron? the man was tested several times and was found not infected, No Omicron.. so Ok, the man did wrong, fine and deport him but enough with this witch hunt as if he's an arch-criminal just to satisfy local consumption for some kind of vengeance,, I know that some members will not agree here but enough IS enough...

[khunPer]

In my modest opinion he deserves to be punished, he broke pandemic emergency rules, deportation and entry ban would be fair.

[The Hammer2021]

I remember last year when some hi so thais tried to do a runner from the the airport. They got short shrift and were rounded up sharpish with threats of big fines to force  them into quarantine.

[smedly]

18 minutes ago, ezzra said:

What Omicron? the man was tested several times and was found not infected, No Omicron.. so Ok, the man did wrong, fine and deport him but enough with this witch hunt as if he's an arch-criminal just to satisfy local consumption for some kind of vengeance,, I know that some members will not agree here but enough IS enough...

I agree but he's still an idiot

[ezzra]

31 minutes ago, smedly said:

I agree but he's still an idiot

Yes he's, so treat him like the idiot he is, but don't treat an idiot like a criminal...

[richard_smith237]

50 minutes ago, khunPer said:

In my modest opinion he deserves to be punished, he broke pandemic emergency rules, deportation and entry ban would be fair.

Did he escape or run ???

 

He spent more than 24 hrs at his test & go hotel & left with his luggage from the front door & took a taxi. 
 

He’d pre-paid his hotel etc… 

 

So did he ‘escape’ or was he simply of the belief that he’d complied with regulations ???

 

This could very easily have been due to miscommunication from the hotel i.e. “ you can leave after your PCR test”…

 

In the UK (hospitals) we are only contacted if the test result is positive. It’s entirely feasible that he figured ‘no news is good news’ & he was free to go.

 

His initial PCR result was also clearly a false positive - this is an issue which also needs to be addressed.  

[khunPer]

1 hour ago, richard_smith237 said:

Did he escape or run ???

 

He spent more than 24 hrs at his test & go hotel & left with his luggage from the front door & took a taxi. 
 

He’d pre-paid his hotel etc… 

 

So did he ‘escape’ or was he simply of the belief that he’d complied with regulations ???

 

This could very easily have been due to miscommunication from the hotel i.e. “ you can leave after your PCR test”…

 

In the UK (hospitals) we are only contacted if the test result is positive. It’s entirely feasible that he figured ‘no news is good news’ & he was free to go.

 

His initial PCR result was also clearly a false positive - this is an issue which also needs to be addressed.  

This is the news story...

 

After a national manhunt was launched to track him down, a 29 year old Israeli tourist who escaped his arrival hotel before his positive Covid-19 test results came back has turned himself in on the island of Koh Samui. The man had landed in Bangkok December 17 and had left before his test results arrived confirming that he had the virus.

[ ... ]

The man apparently arrived in Thailand early on December 17 and at 2 pm he broke isolation and paid a taxi 2,500 baht to drive him to Pattaya where he tried to check into a hotel but was turned away without a passport. Police had been hunting him in Pattaya before at 10:30 pm on the 18th his phone signal went dead, implying he turned off his phone, possibly to avoid being found.

 

He returned to Bangkok on December 19 before booking a van to the south, where the Israeli man was caught on camera in Chumphon on Monday morning before arriving on Koh Samui that afternoon. Police believe that the Israeli man was being helped by Thai people to sneak out of isolation and avoid being recaptured.

 

Source, Thai PBS HERE.

[richard_smith237]

6 minutes ago, khunPer said:

This is the news story...

 

After a national manhunt was launched to track him down, a 29 year old Israeli tourist who escaped his arrival hotel before his positive Covid-19 test results came back has turned himself in on the island of Koh Samui. The man had landed in Bangkok December 17 and had left before his test results arrived confirming that he had the virus.

[ ... ]

The man apparently arrived in Thailand early on December 17 and at 2 pm he broke isolation and paid a taxi 2,500 baht to drive him to Pattaya where he tried to check into a hotel but was turned away without a passport. Police had been hunting him in Pattaya before at 10:30 pm on the 18th his phone signal went dead, implying he turned off his phone, possibly to avoid being found.

 

He returned to Bangkok on December 19 before booking a van to the south, where the Israeli man was caught on camera in Chumphon on Monday morning before arriving on Koh Samui that afternoon. Police believe that the Israeli man was being helped by Thai people to sneak out of isolation and avoid being recaptured.

 

Source, Thai PBS HERE.

I'm very aware of the ‘news story’ - there is a very apparent degree of artistic licence and exaggeration in what has been reported. 

 

The Bangkok Post reported that Baruch [The Israeli tourist] Quarantined for more than 24 hours in his ’Test & Go’ hotel and left at approximately 2pm the day after his arrival. 

 

 

Perhaps the Bangkok Post story is wrong... there seems to be a range of facts selectively being reported, these ‘facts’ seem to contradict each other. 

 

IF it is true that he ’escaped’ his quarantine on the same day he arrived, then of course he has been extremely negligent of his quarantine requirements and should face severe penalties. 

 

However, which story is true ? he ‘escaped’ shortly after arrival, or quarantined in Test & Go for more than 24 hrs ??

 

 

 

 

 

[khunPer]

11 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

I'm very aware of the ‘news story’ - there is a very apparent degree of artistic licence and exaggeration in what has been reported. 

 

The Bangkok Post reported that Baruch [The Israeli tourist] Quarantined for more than 24 hours in his ’Test & Go’ hotel and left at approximately 2pm the day after his arrival. 

 

 

Perhaps the Bangkok Post story is wrong... there seems to be a range of facts selectively being reported, these ‘facts’ seem to contradict each other. 

 

IF it is true that he ’escaped’ his quarantine on the same day he arrived, then of course he has been extremely negligent of his quarantine requirements and should face severe penalties. 

 

However, which story is true ? he ‘escaped’ shortly after arrival, or quarantined in Test & Go for more than 24 hrs ??

The case is that his Covid-test was positive - false or not, we don't know, and it doesn't matter as long as it showed "positive" - and the newspaper that cannot be mentioned in this forum also wrote "Covid-infected tourist".

 

He furthermore seemed to have left without his passport - "...paid a taxi 2,500 baht to drive him to Pattaya where he tried to check into a hotel but was turned away without a passport..." - so he must have known that something was not right.

[tonray]

24 minutes ago, khunPer said:

The case is that his Covid-test was positive - false or not, we don't know, and it doesn't matter as long as it showed "positive" - and the newspaper that cannot be mentioned in this forum also wrote "Covid-infected tourist".

 

He furthermore seemed to have left without his passport - "...paid a taxi 2,500 baht to drive him to Pattaya where he tried to check into a hotel but was turned away without a passport..." - so he must have known that something was not right.

I woukd check Interpol for outstanding warrants.  Seems kike he was hiding from something if he was willing to run without his passport.  Either that or he has the hots for a ladyboy and just couldn't wait. 

[IAMHERE]

I say his hospital bill for an unnecessary quarantine is enough of a severe penalty. The state wants to try him and place the validity of RT-PCR test on trial then great. Be careful what you wish for; could very  well end up being nobody believes in the test any longer. 

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

He will be prosecuted for violating Covid-19 laws in Surat Thani and face charges under Article 9 lodged by the Thong Lo police in bangkok, the area from which he fled.

I hope he packed a paddle?

[richard_smith237]

1 hour ago, khunPer said:

The case is that his Covid-test was positive - false or not, we don't know, and it doesn't matter as long as it showed "positive" - and the newspaper that cannot be mentioned in this forum also wrote "Covid-infected tourist".

 

He furthermore seemed to have left without his passport - "...paid a taxi 2,500 baht to drive him to Pattaya where he tried to check into a hotel but was turned away without a passport..." - so he must have known that something was not right.

(I’m not defending the guy - but there is a lot of inconsistency and a lot of the story seems emotional and click-baity’ rather than factual)

 

It's not mentioned that he ‘left without his passport’ (where did he leave it ?).

It has been reported that he tried to check in to a hotel in Pattaya ‘without his passport’ - which is different from leaving without it. 

 

Again, not defending the guy, but in the past in my younger (cheaper days) hotels have asked to ‘keep my passport’ - I’ve always refused.  Of course. this may not be the case in this story.

 

Depending on the 'Lens of judgement’  we view this story through there is scope for out right criminals behaviour or an extremely naive mistake...  

 

 

Im this story it doesn’t take much to turn a silly but innocent mistake into crime of the century....  

 

CCTV from the hotel he left would shine light on his behaviour. 

Was he in Quarantine for 24+ hrs (as the BKK post reported)

What is his side of the story ? (did someone at the hotel tell him he could leave, and they then back peddled and lied later?)... 

 

 

Again... not trying to defend the guy - but someone is about to be hung drawn and quartered, by both social media, most on this forum and the Thai legal system and it may be down to simple miss-communication. 

 

 

--------

 

Example: Today, vaccinated. After the nurse injected me she said, OK, finished. 

OK, I can go home !!!!.... 

But really, I know thats not the case, they need to ‘give me a vaccine certificate’ and make me wait for 15 mins under observation.. no one told me that though. 

 

Thai’s are very vague and imprecise with their communication...  how many times have we asked for something and been told ‘please wait’...  well, wait how long, 2 mins, 30 mins, 2 hours etc...  

 

The guy was either extremely naive or deliberately broke his quarantine agreement....  reading all the various news articles and stories on this has not convinced me that this is more than just naive stupidity. 

 

It would be good to hear the Israeli tourists side of the story. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Paradise Pete]

4 hours ago, ezzra said:

What Omicron? the man was tested several times and was found not infected, No Omicron.. so Ok, the man did wrong, fine and deport him but enough with this witch hunt as if he's an arch-criminal just to satisfy local consumption for some kind of vengeance,, I know that some members will not agree here but enough IS enough...

They want to strongly discourage fleeing quarantine?

[richard_smith237]

1 hour ago, tonray said:

I woukd check Interpol for outstanding warrants.  Seems kike he was hiding from something if he was willing to run without his passport.  Either that or he has the hots for a ladyboy and just couldn't wait. 

This is what happens when facts are poorly reported... 

 

Now we have that he was 'hiding something and was willing to run without his passport’ - which is not reported anywhere. 

And then you’ve added your ‘ladyboy’ fantasy to add some zest.

 

 

[vandeventer]

4 hours ago, ezzra said:

What Omicron? the man was tested several times and was found not infected, No Omicron.. so Ok, the man did wrong, fine and deport him but enough with this witch hunt as if he's an arch-criminal just to satisfy local consumption for some kind of vengeance,, I know that some members will not agree here but enough IS enough...

If everyone was tested for Omicron half the country would be in jail!!!

[Tracyb]

4 hours ago, ezzra said:

What Omicron? the man was tested several times and was found not infected, No Omicron.. so Ok, the man did wrong, fine and deport him but enough with this witch hunt as if he's an arch-criminal just to satisfy local consumption for some kind of vengeance,, I know that some members will not agree here but enough IS enough...

Agreed.  RTP better employed at bringing guys who drag and kill police officers with their speeding cars on Sukhumvit to justice.

[ukrules]

I want to see cctv of this man 'escaping the hotel'.

 

[Nickelbeer]

And the persecution of Jews continues. Let him go home.

[Mac Mickmanus]

2 minutes ago, Nickelbeer said:

And the persecution of Jews continues. Let him go home.

Are you being serious or sarcastic ?

 

[Nickelbeer]

Just now, Mac Mickmanus said:

Are you being serious or sarcastic ?

 

I am being deadly serious, Judging by your response, we know where YOU stand. Another antisemite.

 

[Nickelbeer]

2 hours ago, tonray said:

I woukd check Interpol for outstanding warrants.  Seems kike he was hiding from something if he was willing to run without his passport.  Either that or he has the hots for a ladyboy and just couldn't wait. 

Your use of the term "kike" tells us all about how you think.

[chickenslegs]

4 minutes ago, Nickelbeer said:

Your use of the term "kike" tells us all about how you think.

K and L are next to each other on the keyboard. Kooks like a simple typo to me.

[Nickelbeer]

Hoping that an Israeli extraction squad will spring him.  The world is tired of anti Jewish Asians and everyone knows that Thailand is the arch-antisemite regime in southeast Asia.

[Jingthing]

1 minute ago, Nickelbeer said:

Hoping that an Israeli extraction squad will spring him.  The world is tired of anti Jewish Asians and everyone knows that Thailand is the arch-antisemite regime in southeast Asia.

I think you're being sarcastic but that distinction would be for Malaysia.

[Nickelbeer]

1 hour ago, Paradise Pete said:

They want to strongly discourage fleeing quarantine?

They NEED to strongly discourage killing their economy.

[Jingthing]

Scapegoats for the pain of the pandemic are useful for Thailand or anywhere.