A woman with a fever was handcuffed to a train window after allegedly refusing to wear a face mask and spitting at other passengers.
Mukda Juengthanasomboon, 53, boarded the carriage in Nakhon Ratchasima, northeastern Thailand on Friday (April 3) morning while appearing to be sick. She was travelling to Khon Kaen province where she is a resident.
However, she became angry when staff ordered here to wear a face mask in line with emergency laws to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
The woman reportedly walked throughout the train car while spitting on other people, which immediately sparked fear and caused the passengers to flee the train.
Frantic passengers reported the woman and police summoned medical workers in protective gear to help to control her but she also spat at them as they entered the car.
Footage shows how they handcuffed her to the metal bars of the train window then pinned her to the ground and tied her to a stretched. She was eventually dragged out of the carriage and rushed to a nearby hospital to get checked for possible COVID-19 infection.
Nong Sun railway station chief officer Ake Yungponkwan said they were informed by the hospital that the woman had symptoms of COVID-19 and a temperature of 37.9 C.
He said: "The hospital told us that she is now in under observation as her body temperature result shows that she has a fever and is in risk of being infected.
"The train car was immediately disinfected to prevent any spread of COVID-19."
The woman was taken to the public health office in Non Soong district, Nakhon Ratchasima, before being quarantined for 14 days. Officials did not reveal whether she had the coronavirus.
Riding trains or subway metros without a protective face mask is currently illegal under emergency measures brought in last month to stop the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.
Last week a passenger was found dead onboard a train having collapsed with coronavirus and spitting at a fellow traveller.
Anan Sahoh, 56, (CORR) was found dead slumped in a carriage on Tuesday (March 31) afternoon after taking a train from Bangkok to Narathiwat in the south of Thailand the day before.
He later tested positive for Covid-19 and officials disinfected the carriage and ordered anyone onboard to quarantine for 14 days.
CCTV also showed that before boarding the train he had deliberately spat at another passenger who was queuing to buy a ticket.
