(Bloomberg) -- Thai Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul apologized after saying that foreigners should be “kicked out of Thailand” for refusing to wear face masks.
Anutin made his initial remarks to reporters during his morning visit to Bangkok's central shopping district to distribute masks to people in the area. Some tourists refused to accept the surgical masks, prompting his comments.
He later apologized on his Facebook page for “losing it.”
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Tourism comprises about one fifth of the Thai economy, and has faced a slowdown after the novel coronavirus prompted an 80% drop in Chinese visitors, the largest market.
There have been at least 25 confirmed cases in Thailand of patients being infected with the virus.
To contact the reporter on this story: Siraphob Thanthong-Knight in Bangkok at rthanthongkn@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Lee Miller at lmiller@bloomberg.net, Siraj Datoo
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