Covid-19 News
Thailand Covid-19 news, vaccine updates, travel restrictions, and government policies—stay informed on case numbers, safety measures, and global developments. Get the latest from The Thaiger, your trusted source for Covid-19 updates in Thailand.
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Sponsored How to reduce out-of-pocket medical expenses in Thailand?
Managing medical expenses in Thailand is important as healthcare costs continue to rise. The country’s healthcare system includes both public and private options, but even with the Universal Coverage Scheme (UCS) for citizens, many still face high out-of-pocket medical expenses....
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Pattaya venues “willing to close” if ordered
“If the government ordered us to close entertainment venues, we are willing to cooperate.” Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-Cha said yesterday that, for the time being at least, he is not ordering a shutdown of the country’s massive nightlife industry. But one of Thailand’s main tourist hotspots is bracing for the worst: the Pattaya Entertainment Operators Association conceded yesterday they are…
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Hundreds linked to boxing stadium positive Covid-19 test
TV celebrity and boxing camp manager Matthew Deane, who tested positive for Covid-19 on March 6, was together with many others who were at the Lumpini boxing stadium in Ramintra Bangkok, north east of the city centre. The mayor of the Chachoengsao provincial administration organisation (PAO), Kitti Paopiamsap posted in his Facebook last night at 8.50pm saying that a laboratory…
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Top virologist urges cancellations, “proactive approach”
Thailand’s government should cancel all mass activities, social activities and events that draw crowds, and provide easy public access to Covid-19 coronavirus testing, according to the chief of the Centre of Excellence in Clinical Virology at Chulalongkorn University. Well known virologist Dr. Yong Poovorawan made the proposal on his Facebook page today. Yong says Thailand has been “rehearsing for how…
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60 quarantined as Army Welfare chief tests positive
The director-general of the Army Welfare Department has tested positive for the Covid-19 coronavirus and is being treated in hospital. Sixty people who had close contact with him have been quarantined in their homes, including some of the army’s top brass. An army spokeman made the announcement today. “Sixty people risked infection and home quarantine was ordered for them. They…
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Stormy skies for Boeing as Coronavirus compounds dire situation
As the world’s Covid-19 cases continue to rise, aircraft manufacture Boeing is watching its stocks slide. From around US$384 a share back in September last year to as low as US$154.84 last week. It’s since bounced back to US$170.20, but a long, long way from its peak. Most of the losses kicked in from mid-February when the extent of the…
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Be informed, be aware. Prevention and precautions in a Covid-19 world.
As of this morning the number of cases of the Covid-19 coronavirus has reached 169,552. The number of deaths related to the virus is now 6,516, representing a death rate of around 3.8%, up from 3.4% two weeks ago, and up from the earlier days when it hovered around 2%. But the number of people that have fully recovered has…
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“We’re not going to run out” – Thai Retailer Association
Retailers are insisting that supplies of new stock have been unaffected as local residents, afraid of a Cornonavirus-prompted lockdown, rush to retailers to restock on essential goods – drinking water, rice, canned food, semi-instant noodles, sugar and toilet paper have been found to be in short supply in various department stores, supermarkets and retail stores, as people start hoarding supplies.…
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Thammasat University cancels classes for a week, Thai universities urged to ‘go online’
Thammasat University has cancelled all classes for at least one week, saying in a statement that they plan to resume classes again next week (below). The statement from the university mentioned the Covid-19 world pandemic and said it would co-operate to protect its students. “All classes at Tha Prachan and Rangsit will be cancelled during March 16 –22, 2020. Classes…
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PM: Nightlife stays open for business
Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-cha announced he has rejected, for the time being, the suggestion from Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul to temporarily close the country’s massive nightlife industry. Anutin Charnvirakul said yesterday the suggestion was one of several measures he and the Ministry of Public Health would bring up with the PM tomorrow. But as social media exploded, fiercely…
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Huge jump as Thailand confirms 32 new coronavirus cases
Thailand today confirmed 32 new cases of the Covid-19 coronavirus. The announcement was made at an afternoon press conference with the Department of Disease Control, and confirmed by The Ministry of Public Health. The list of new infections is varied, and includes nine from a boxing gym, three more who had contact with a cluster that had a party with…
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83 students returning from Italy quarantined
83 Thai students arriving on a Thai Airways flight from Italy were taken from U-Tapao International Airport to Sattahip naval base in Chon Buri this morning for Covid-19 coronavirus screening. Six students had fevers and were separated and taken to nearby hospitals for tests and a 14 day mandatory quarantine. The other 77 were taken to guesthouses within the naval…
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Coronavirus UPDATE: Fortress Australia, Europe new ‘epicentre’
As of lunchtime today, there are 156,766 cases of the Covid-19 coronavirus in the world. There have been 5,839 deaths and 75,937 patients who have now recovered. Italy now has more active cases than China, and new Chinese cases have drastically reduced over the past two weeks. The countries with more than 1,000 confirmed cases below… INFOGRAPHIC: worldometers.info In other…
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Government tries, fails to clarify visa-on-arrival confusion
After days of rumours, assertions and flip-flops, Thailand’s Foreign Ministry in a press briefing yesterday provided some much-needed clarity regarding visa-on-arrival (VOA) status for 18 countries and visa exemption for three countries with high infection rates of the Covid-19 coronavirus: they are cancelled. Cherdkiat Atthakor, director-general and spokesman of the Foreign Ministry’s Information Department says the cancellations are in place…
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US and China compete to control the narrative on the origins of Covid-19
With the two year trade war between the economic super-powers still being sorted out, the Chinese and US governments have entered into a tit-for-tat exchange of blame for the origins of the Covid-19 virus this week. Conspiracy theories have been fired back and forth between officials in the two countries. Washington has described the coronavirus outbreak as the “Wuhan Virus”.…
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Manila goes on lockdown
“It’s a lockdown It’s just a matter of protecting and defending you from Covid-19. That’s about it.” Some 12 million people in the Philippine capital of Manila are now in near total lockdown after a Thursday order from the nation’s president Rodrigo Duterte banning domestic travel and an announcement earlier today of a nighttime curfew in the capital. The president…
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Health minister to “suggest” closing bars, nightclubs
Thailand’s gaffe-prone public health minister and deputy PM Anutin Charnvirakul is back at it, telling a press conference this afternoon that the Public Health Ministry will “suggest additional precautions” to the government and Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on Monday, including the temporary closure of bars and entertainment venues, including nightclubs, concerts, live music venues and other venues where people congregate.…
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Body of Chinese man lies untouched for hours over coronavirus fears
A Chinese man who fell to his death from a Bangok hotel room yesterday was left lying untouched for more than six hours, as responders feared contracting the Covid-19 coronavirus from the body. Police, who were notified at about 12;30pm, say the 39 year old Chinese national was staying in a room on the sixth floor of the hotel, which…
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Seven new confirmed coronavirus cases in Thailand include popular actor
The Public Health Ministry confirmed 7 new cases of the Covid-19 coronavirus today, raising the number of infections in Thailand to 82 since the virus struck in January. Of those, 35 have recovered and been sent home, while 46 remain under medical care. One man died from complications arising from the illness. Sukhum Karnchanapimai, the ministry’s permanent secretary, said that…
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240 Thais return home after ‘naval quarantine’
240 “phee noi” (little ghosts), Thais who have thus far returned from South Korea, have been allowed to return to their homes after they tested negative for the Covid-19 coronavirus. A spokesman for the Royal Thai Navy made the announcement yesterday. “We prepared 16 buses to take them to their homes and we have coordinated with Public Health offices in…
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Doctors warn Thailand unprepared for Stage 3 virus outbreak
The Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak is still only at the second stage in Thailand, permanent secretary for public health Sukhum Kanchanapimai said yesterday, meaning the spread is still limited and mostly confined to overseas returnees, foreigners from affected countries and those in close contact with either group. But an association of doctors is warning that the nation might not be equipped…
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Europe is the new epicentre of Covid-19 coronavirus – WHO
The World Health Organisation has now put Europe as its current “epicentre” for the global coronavirus pandemic, warning that it was impossible to know when the pandemic would peak. In the past 24 hours there has been a swift rise in new cases and deaths, compared to past months, primarily in Europe, as well as Iran and the US. WHO…
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Monkeys plunder town hall building in South, apparently searching for food
Days after a pitched battle between rival monkey gangs rocked Lop Buri in central Thailand, dozens, perhaps hundreds of monkeys have ransacked an old town hall building in the southern province of Prachuap Khiri Khan, forcing staff to flee. It’s believed in both instances that the drop in tourism caused by the Covid-19 coronavirus, combined with dry weather and drought,…
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Amazon cafe suspends ‘bring your own cup’ campaign
Thai coffee shop chain ‘Amazon’ announced today the suspension of their promotional campaign called “Café Amazon for Earth” which was aiming to reduce plastic waste by allowing customers to bring their personal cup when buying a beverage and receive a discount of 5 baht. The company says the decision to end the promotion was made to increase customers’ awareness to…
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Thailand’s virus testing goes to the next level
There are currently 35 labs in Thailand that can test up to 200 specimens daily, and 20 more are expected to open soon. But there’s now a “superlab” that can perform 4000 tests per day. The facility, unveiled today by the Public Health Ministry’s Department of Medical Sciences, will use the Rapid Polymerase Chain reaction method of testing. A department…
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Covid-19 reaching ‘stage 3’ in Thailand
Yesterday The public Health Ministry insisted that the country was yet to enter Stage 3 of the covid-19 coronavirus outbreak. Despite the discovery of a new cluster of infections, the number of cases still remains at 70. (Update: 5 new cases were announced on Friday morning) The permanent secretary for public health, Dr Sukhum Kanchannaphimai reports some cases can be…
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Thousands laid off, millions of baht lost as Chiang Mai elephant camps close
Elephant businesses in Chiang Mai and elsewhere in Northern Thailand are being wiped out in their dozens by the Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak. Most have closed their doors and laid off thousands of staff. Those that remain open are haemorrhaging money. According to Boonthachai Lert, chairman of Mae Taeng Elephant Camp and a spokesperson for the industry, 85 of Chiang Mai’s…
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“Little ghosts” going home
Some of the Thai nationals dubbed “phee noi” (little ghosts), who recently returned from South Korea and were quarantined at a naval base in Chon Buri’s Sattahip district are today being sent to their hometowns. Public Health Ministry and Royal Thai Navy officials agreed this week that many of the migrant workers can be released. All are suspected of being…
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Thailand confirms five new coronavirus cases
The Public Health Ministry confirmed five new Covid-19 coronavirus cases this morning in its daily press briefing. The new cases take the total number of infections in the country to 75 since January. 34 patients have recovered and been discharged from hospital. Meanwhile, worried citizens continue to have difficulty buying face masks and hand sanitiser due to short supply and…
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Thai health minister has a slash at ‘dirty farang’
Many farang dress dirty and don’t shower. As hosts we have to be very careful.” Thailand’s Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul is at it again making public disparaging and xenophobic comments about ‘white’ foreigners (farang). This time he’s warned his fellow Thais about the foreigners fleeing their own countries for the ‘safe haven’ of Thailand. “Today I visited Chiang Mai…
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China says US military may have brought virus to China
In an escalating war of words with Washington, China’s Foreign Ministry suggested yesterday that the US military might have brought the Covid-19 coronavirus to the Chinese city of Wuhan, long considered the source of the outbreak. China has taken great offence at comments by US officials accusing it of being slow to react to the virus, first detected in Wuhan…
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