The Royal Thai Police and Immigration Bureau have ordered an urgent search for a 31-year-old man from Sierra Leone who lost contact with health officials while being monitored for the Ebola virus.
The search follows a complaint filed with police on Sunday by the Bureau of General Communicable Diseases that Samuel Sesay, who was required to report daily to health authorities, had not made contact.
Pol Lt Col Benjapol Rodsawat, deputy Immigration Police chief in Sa Kaeo province, said customs officials along the Thai-Cambodian border had been given photographs of Mr Sesay.
He reportedly entered Thailand on Nov 13 from Sierra Leone.
According to the petition, health authorities took Mr Sesay for examination at a health centre on Nov 15 and sent him back to his hotel on North Sathon Road in Bangkok.
They requested that he report for examination every day, but he failed to show up.
According to hotel staff, Mr Sesay left the hotel because it was too expensive.
The Public Health Ministry played down fears that Mr Sesay is infected with the virus.
"The man is healthy. He has no fever or other symptoms," said the ministry's deputy permanent secretary Vachira Pengchan.
"He is not considered a suspected case. But under preventative measures, we have to monitor all those who arrive from countries with Ebola outbreaks," he said.
Dr Vachira said the health agency had lodged a complaint about Mr Sasay with police for violating the Infectious Disease Act. The maximum penalty is a 2,000-baht fine.