SINGAPORE - The first Singaporean to be diagnosed with Covid-19 in Thailand barely had time to send his family a brief text message before he was whisked to an isolation ward 5m by 5m in size moments after testing positive for the virus on Tuesday (March 10).

The 36-year-old owner of Hawaiian restaurant Ohana Poke in Bangkok, who wanted to be known only as Jay, spoke to The Straits Times on the third day of his quarantine on Thursday.