The government is getting ready for Thais to return home from neighbouring countries amid the coronavirus pandemic, including thousands from the Malaysian border, starting on Saturday.
At least 8,000 Thais with medical certificates in Malaysia were set to return home via the southern border.
Army units along the borders will work with provincial authorities to deal with Thais who will return from neighbouring countries through a total of 15 border checkpoints nationwide.
The army will facilitate the entry of Thais, check their health, and help take the returnees to quarantine facilities. The army chief had stressed the need to prevent anyone from sneaking into the country illegally.
However in Narathiwat, almost 100 Thai workers stranded in Malaysia have illegally crossed back, saying they would have starved while waiting in the queue for their turn to return home.
The chief of Sungai Kolok district said on Thursday that officials arrested 94 people who crossed the Sungai Kolok River from the Malaysian side.
They were fined 800 baht each and have been placed in local quarantine facilities for 14 days.
The government said that it would allow up to 300 returnees from Malaysia to re-enter Thailand each day.
As of April 9, about 14,000 stranded Thais had registered to return home.
