Ohad Baruch, the Israeli tourist who violated Thai law and the emergency decree by fleeing his SHA+ hotel to Pattaya and Koh Samui while waiting for RT-PCR tests, has received a small fine and will face deportation. The punishment for violating the emergency decree is up to 40,000 baht and 2 years in prison, but today the Bangkok South Municipal Court decided not to give a sentence that would be a warning and deterrent for others, and instead fined him just 2,000 baht for his indiscretion that led to a national manhunt.
Officials had also spoken of charging the Israeli on an additional count of a foreign national who fails to stay where he was permitted in the country, which is standard Thai law and not part of the Covid-19 Emergency Decree and carries a fine of 5,000 baht.
In what has become routine for all violators of the toothless Emergency Decree, authorities have dismissed…
