S'porean restaurant owner tests positive in Bangkok

A 36-year-old restaurant owner in Bangkok has become the first Singaporean diagnosed with Covid-19 in Thailand, the health authorities there confirmed yesterday.

The man, who wants to be known only as Jay, owns Hawaiian restaurant Ohana Poke in the Thai capital and has been keeping his staff, patrons and loved ones updated via his restaurant's Facebook page.

He tested positive for the coronavirus on Tuesday, and was among six new cases confirmed by the Thai Health Ministry yesterday.

He said in a Facebook post: "I am alone in a foreign country fighting a virus the world has never seen. It weighs heavy on my (conscience) for causing worry and concern to those around me, and for that I am terribly sorry.

"I cannot apologise enough, and I would wish that I can take that pain and concern from all of those who have been affected by me. For now, I will need to rest and recover so that I can tell my family how much I love them in person once again."

Jay said he had been through "an extremely long day of uncertainty", had suffered from "lack of sleep and (was) feeling dazed from the medication and fever", adding that the process had been "taxing".

On Tuesday and yesterday, Jay put up two posts describing his experience and to allay concerns of those whom he may have had contact with.

He also described his movements since last Friday in the posts, and said he had spoken to Thai government officials to facilitate contact tracing. "I will leave it in their good hands," he said.

Upon testing positive for the virus, Jay said he immediately informed the manager to close the shop, and all restaurant staff have since been sent home by a doctor for 14 days of self-isolation.

"As of posting (time), none of my staff has any symptoms. No fever, no sore throat, no nothing. I last met them on March 6. And it has been five days since they last met me."

He noted that he decided to write the posts "because it is the right thing to do" and the most effective way of answering the many messages he had been bombarded with throughout the day.

"I am also very sorry we couldn't get a more coordinated message out because it has been an extremely long day trying to understand and coordinate everything. If it is required, I will post further updates in an honest and open fashion," he said.

Jay first began suffering chills and a body ache on Sunday morning before developing a fever on Monday. He said he has mostly stayed at home since Sunday and did not use public transport, leaving his home only to buy a thermometer and food.

He last went to his restaurant last Friday and stayed there for two hours, he noted.

Jay also found it necessary to upload a photo of his passport and boarding pass for his flight to Bangkok on Facebook after "rumours" began circulating that he had been to South Korea or that he was Korean.

Some netizens further speculated that he and his wife had just returned to Bangkok from Italy. Addressing these concerns, he said he is unmarried and has been in Bangkok since Feb 2, and so most likely caught the infection in the country.

The Thai Health Ministry said he is being treated at the Bamrasnaradura Infectious Diseases Institute in Nonthaburi province, which is just outside Bangkok.

The Straits Times understands that the Singapore Embassy in Bangkok is in contact with Jay and his next of kin, and that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will provide him with the necessary consular assistance.