A 43-year-old Malaysian man living in Thailand was arrested after he locked his Thai wife and two sons (aged 5 and 7) at home for almost a week due to a phobia of Covid-19.
According to Astro Awani, the man from Kuala Lumpur currently lives in Hatyai, Songkhla, Southern Thailand.
Hatyai Police Chief Pol. Col. Akrawut Taneerat said the man has been living there with his family since the pandemic broke out in March 2020.
Fearing that his family would get infected with Covid-19, he locked his wife and two kids for almost a week in the two-storey shophouse they currently live in.
“The man did not allow his wife and two children out of the house and started locking all the doors so they were not infected with Covid-19,” Akrawut Taneerat said.
“His wife was worried about something bad happening, so she lodged a police report today and hoped the police could help.”
BERNAMA reported that the man was later arrested by police and is currently in police custody at the Hatyai Police Station.
The man is reported to suffer from mental disorders and is expected to be taken to see a psychiatrist on 16 August.
“Thai police will conduct further investigations including the record of his entry into Thailand,” Akrawut Taneerat said.
Thailand recorded 22,086 new Covid-19 cases as of 15 August and 217 deaths bringing the death toll to 7,343.
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