Twitter user faces charges from immigration police for false post

Make sure what you post on social media is true. Charges could be pressed for false information. A Twitter user is being sued by Immigration Police for a post allegedly claiming some foreigners could enter the country without a 14 day quarantine.

The Twitter user made a post saying he was recently at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport and he noticed that 80% of the passengers were foreign medical tourists. He says they were allowed to enter without a quarantine. The Nation Thailand did not say what charges the user faces. False online posts are typically said to be a violation of the Computer Crime Act.

A 14 day quarantine is mandatory for anyone entering Thailand to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The quarantine is mandatory for medical tourists and many go into isolation at their specified hospitals, according to deputy chief of the 2nd Immigration Police Division Chuengron Rimphadee.

“All travellers also have to inform immigration officials of their travel history and present a fit-to-fly document from the Thai embassy in their respective country upon arrival.”

Immigration Police Chief Sompong Chingduang says the information could potentially affect the operation of the department. Chuengron adds that the Twitter user may have posted the information without understanding immigration procedures, but the misinformation can have a serious impact.

“Messages like this can cause panic and affect people’s confidence in public health and immigration systems, therefore suing this person is necessary.”

Chuengron adds that the claim saying 80% of passengers are foreign medical tourists is wrong. He says only 12,000 foreigners have entered Thailand since July 1 and only 367 of them have been medical tourists. He says foreigners have only made up 24% of the arrivals.

“On September 10, our records show that 690 Thais and 479 foreigners entered the country, and only 10 said they were here for medical treatment.”

SOURCE: Nation Thailand

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