An incident occurred near the road-side Covid-19 checkpoint in Mae Ai district on the 9th June.
Officials were alerted to a woman in distress who was said to have fainted by the side of the road 500 metres from the checkpoint. They immediately gathered water and supplies and went to find her sitting by the side of the road surrounded by some passersby.
She told officials that she was from Roi Et and was married to a man from Mae Sai. They had been to Chiang Mai to visit some relatives and were driving home via Mae Ai where another relative was in hospital, when they had an argument. In anger, she said, her husband kicked her out of the car and left her with no telephone or money. She fainted because she was three months pregnant.
Officials were very concerned for her health but were confused as to why she refused to take off her helmet or open her shirt for medics to do a checkup. She received water, food and kindness as she cried saying that she didn’t remember anyone’s phone number and didn’t know what to do next.
However, another official, who had just arrived at the scene, upon hearing her story, immediately called foul.
He said that the 25 year old woman had told him the exact same story previously and out of sympathy he had gathered 1,500 baht from colleagues and friends to give her.
The woman then became hysterical and ran off.