Authorities in Thailand reported that the Israeli-born tourist who was the subject of a manhunt in the country because he had skipped isolation due to testing positive for the omicron variant of COVID-19 has been arrested on the island of Koh Samui in the south of the country.

The tourist, a 29-year-old man from Israel, will be charged with violating quarantine regulations. In addition, he is to be deported and banned from entering Thailand for life, although this will be after he is released from hospital detention. This is what the Thai authorities handling the case have announced.

An Israeli tourist was arrested in Thailand after sparking a nationwide manhunt by breaking out of COVID-19 quarantine.#COVID19 | #coronavirus https://t.co/i26OafGjgz

— The Jerusalem Post (@Jerusalem_Post) December 24, 2021

Supakit Sirilak, director general of the Department of Medical Sciences, explained last Thursday, 23 December, that the tourist allegedly left the quarantine he was undergoing in a Bangkok hotel. This reportedly happened before the man had known the result of his COVID test.

The tourist, whose name has not been disclosed, was arrested on Koh Samui after he escaped from quarantine at a Bangkok hotel.

-Thailand News (TN)