Covid-19 infected Thai actress Ploy criticised for Koh Pha Ngan holiday

Covid-19 infected Thai actress Ploy Chermarn Boonyasak has drawn a formal complaint from Koh Pha Ngan’s district chief officer after a careless holiday. The Pha Ngan chief officer met with the police superintendent yesterday to file the complaint after Ploy spent 2 weeks on Koh Samui and Koh Pha Ngan, on holiday from Bangkok.

She did not self-quarantine, as is required from people from high-risk red zones like Bangkok in order to be permitted to enter the Surat Thani province. She and was often seen maskless around the tropical resort islands while out and about sightseeing and while dining out in various restaurants.

Ploy arrived on Koh Pha Ngan on April 26, and, without adhering to the mandatory 2-week self-isolation period, toured the island and neighbouring Koh Samui island. The famous actress tested positive for Covid-19 after her trip when she arrived back in Bangkok and took to her Instagram account to announce it to her fans. She then shared her timeline with the locations she visited during her holiday on Koh Phangan and Koh Samui and the approximate times she was there to help with contact tracing.

According to the Pha Ngan district chief officer, many people who were identified to have eaten at the same restaurants as Ploy have now been tested for Covid-19 with no positive infections diagnosed as of now.

Ploy issued an apology via her social media accounts, saying the Koh Pha Ngan trip was careless. She did stress however that she had been cautious before and during the trip, stated that she experienced no symptoms at any time during her holiday and that she had taken a Covid-19 test before travelling, the results of which were negative.

“I’m really sorry. It was my fault that I decided to travel during the time that it’s not recommended. I admit that I let my guard down.”

Her timeline via Instagram…

• 11/04 1st Covid examination
• 12/04 result found Negative (no infection)
• 13-20 / 04 confined to home
• 20/04 2nd Covid examination
• 21/04 Negative result (no infection)
• 24/04 Third covid examination
• 25/04 Negative (no infection)
  • Travelled to Samui by Bangkok airway, flight PG 129 (Suvarnabhumi)
  • accommodation at Absolute Sanctuary
  • 16.00 – 17.00 overlap stone.
  • 18.00 -20.00 Visited a friend at Thunya Samui
  • 21.00-21.45 Dinner at Sala Samui Chaweng Beach
• 26/04 Travelled to Koh Phangan by boat at Maenam Pier at 9.00
  • stayed at Baan Malali, lunch at Koh Raham restaurant, returned to hotel.
  • 15.00 Went to Chalokla Pier.
  • 18.30-21.00 Met friends
• 27/04 Stayed in hotel until 14.00 ate at Ban Bunphom and returned to the hotel.
• 28 / 04- 01/05 Stayed at Baan Malali throughout the period of 13.00 moving. [sic]
• 01/05 checked-in Le Divine Comedie
• 02/05 Met a friend at the beach next to the accommodation.
• 03/05 Went out for lunch at a friend’s house. And returned to accommodation.
• 04-05 / 05 Stayed in and rested and didn’t go out.
• 06/05 Went out to buy food at Harbor House and buy fruit from the shop next door and came back to the restaurant.
• 07/05 Didn’t go anywhere.
• 08/05 Traveled back to Bangkok
  • Took a boat back from Phangan to Samui
  • Bangkok airway flight PG 124 at 9.30
  • 13.00 checked for COVID again
• 09/05 Found the infection and continued treatment at the Hospitel.

SOURCE: Thai PBS World