IPOH: Eight Thai nationals stranded in Malaysia following the closure of the country’s border crossings since March 23 have been allowed to return home via the border gate at Bukit Berapit Immigration, Customs and Quarantine Complex in Pengkalan Hulu, today.
Perak police chief Datuk Razarudin Husain said all of them, comprising two men and six women, aged between 25 and 45 years, arrived at the border crossing at Betong, Yala in Southern Thailand at 10am this morning.
“Today eight people were allowed to return home while 12 others were not allowed, because they had no medical screening documents.
“Besides, Thai children who want to go home must also be accompanied by their parents,” he told Bernama, here today.
He said individuals seeking to return to Thailand should obtain a health certificate from any health clinic and travel certificate from the embassy or consulate office.
Razarudin said the Perak police had worked closely with the Malaysian Consulate General in Songkhla, for the return of the people of their respective countries and the process would be carried out in stages until April 30, taking into account social distancing and other aspects of security.
Meanwhile, in Perlis, 23 Thai nationals who had worked in Malaysia and who had not been able to go back home, were allowed to return via the Wang Kelian border gate today.
Padang Besar district acting police chief DSP Shahrim Azhar said the return of Thai nationals via the Wang Kelian border gate went smoothly.
“Thai authorities started opening the border gate from 10am to 1pm and only those registered with the Thai Embassy in Malaysia and working in Perlis and Langkawi were allowed to return,” he told reporters at the Wang Kelian immigration post today.
A check by Bernama found the Thais arriving at the Wang Kelian Immigration Post at about 9.30am.
Perlis Secretary of State Azman Mohd Yusof said the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma) yesterday approved the application to make Hotel Putra Brasmana in Kuala Perlis, the quarantine station for Malaysians returning home.
Azman, who is also chairman of the state Disaster Management Committee, said only Malaysians who were certified by Health Ministry medical staff and who had no Covid-19 symptoms would be housed at the hotel.
In the meantime, in Kota Bharu, as of this afternoon 32 Thais have crossed the border at Rantau Panjang to return to their country.
“The number of people returning home is limited to 100 individuals per day, and they will be quaratined 14 days after entering Thailand,” said Kelantan Immigration Department director Azhar Abdul Hamid when contacted today.
Yesterday, Bernama reported that four Thailand-Malaysia border gates were reopened and it was expected that more than 8,000 Thais stranded in Malaysia would return in stages starting today.
Local media reported that more than 14,000 Thais were still stranded in Malaysia following the Movement Control Order. - Bernama
