The source of the deadly virus, which has so far killed 219 people worldwide, was detected at a poultry farm near the city of Nakhon Sawan, about 240 km (150 miles) north of the capital, Bangkok. Over 4,000 chickens have died and over 10,000 have been culled so far at the farm since the start of the year.
Thailand is the 11th country to register bird flu cases this month, along with Dominica, Israel, Benin, Vietnam, China, Myanmar, Portugal, India, Bangladesh, and the U.K.
The last outbreak of bird flu in Thailand was reported in March 2007 in the southwest of the country, near the border with Laos. According to the World Health Organization, of the 25 cases of bird flu registered in the country so far, 17 have been lethal.
Although no cases of human-to-human transmission of H5N1 have been reported, scientists fear the virus could mutate into a strain that could pass easily between people, causing a global pandemic.
