Thailand on Thursday announced 22 more confirmed A/H1N1 flu patients, bringing the country's total cases to 38, according to Thai Public Health Minister Witthaya Kaewparadai.

Of the total 22 new confirmed cases, some 17 are staff in charge of discotheque service of a hotel in resort town Pattaya ina central province of Chonburi, he said.

They have been advised to suspend all social activities, remain at home, and wear facial masks to prevent the disease from spreading, Witthaya said.

The ministry's medical team investigated the hotel staff after two Taiwanese tourists claimed that they were earlier infected with the A/H1N1 virus while traveling in Pattaya.

Meanwhile, the five remainders of the total 22 new confirmed cases are the patients, who earlier were closely monitored by medical teams, he said.

Among these five patients, the first one is a 20-year-old man, British, who on June 9 arrived at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok and planned to depart for Cambodia, however, he was found of having high body temperature, Witthaya said.

The British started coughing on June 7, hence, he has been admitted to a Bangkok hospital, the Thai minister said.

The second patient is a 23-year-old Thai man, who on June 8 developed the flu symptoms after returning from Singapore, said Witthaya, adding that he has remained at a hospital.

The third case is a 27-year-old Thai woman, who has developed the flu symptoms from June 7 after returning from the United States, he said.

The fourth patient is also a Thai, who has no overseas trip history, but is sick after this patient went to pick up a son, who returned from the United States on June 4, Witthaya said.

The fourth case started developing the flu symptoms on June 6 and has been admitted to a hospital since June 8, he said.

The fifth case is a Thai mother of the country's 16th confirmedA/H1N1 flu patient announced on Wednesday, said Witthaya.

The mother has no history of traveling to any affected area, but she was closely monitored after her son was infected with the A/H1N1 virus, he said.

The mother has not developed any flu symptom, but laboratory tests have shown she is infected with the A/H1N1 virus, said the Thai minister.

Her son, an 11-year-old school boy, who is the country's 16th case -- having developed the flu symptoms since June 6, has no overseas trip history.

(Xinhua News Agency June 11, 2009)