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.
-
Sponsored 9 most common health issues covered by insurance for expats in Thailand
Thailand is a popular destination for expats due to its affordable lifestyle and excellent healthcare system. However, settling in a new country often brings health concerns. To ensure you’re covered for the most common medical needs, understanding what expat health...
-
Covid-19 patients found on Bangkok streets waiting for treatment after cases spike
Today, Thailand’s CCSA reported new Covid-19 infections over the past 24 hours have reached 21,232 with 39 Covid-related deaths. Thai media and volunteer groups are also reporting that the availability of beds is “at a crisis point”. Photos of patients being left to wait for treatment on the street or on temple grounds are also being shared around social media.…
-
Mor Prom’s chatbot gives you free Covid-19 advice and online diagnosis
A chatbot has been added to the Covid-19 application, Mor Prom. The update allows users to examine information about their Covid-19 symptoms, and it’s about 85% accurate according to an assistant to the public health minister. “The Mor Prom chatbot is not a medical diagnosis but it helps those who are infected with Covid-19 if they should seek urgent treatment.” Users…
-
Officials to review Test & Go requirements at CCSA meeting today
The government’s Covid-19 task force meets today to review the country’s entry requirements, with a decision expected on whether to ditch the day 5 PCR test. Under Thailand’s Test & Go entry scheme, overseas arrivals are required to take 2 PCR tests, despite already having a negative test result prior to departure from their home country. The first test is…
-
Removal of Covid-19 from universal coverage scheme to be delayed indefinitely
A controversial decision to remove Covid-19 from the treatments covered under the Universal Coverage for Emergency Patients scheme is set to be delayed indefinitely. The delay comes as Covid infections continue to rise nationwide. According to a Bangkok Post report, Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul confirmed the delay after yesterday’s Cabinet meeting. “The government and Public Health Ministry want to…
-
Public Health Ministry assures government will continue to cover covid treatment costs — for critical cases
Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul assured Thai citizens that their Covid-related costs will continue to be covered after planned changes to the Universal Coverage for Emergency Patients scheme — or UCEP — takes effect in March. He also dispelled rumours that the existing scheme would be abandoned altogether, reaffirming that citizens infected with…
-
Monks host funeral for scarecrow named ‘Covid’ to ward off disease
Well, anything is worth a try at this stage! Monks at a temple in the central Thai province of Suphan Buri have hosted the funeral for a scarecrow, which was named “Mr. Covid Omicron”. Thai locals believed this ceremony could help ward off evil, which is Covid-19 in this case. Residents were scared and worried about the spread of Covid-19…
-
Tuesday Covid Update: 18,363 new infections, provincial totals
35 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 22,691 with 993 of those fatalities since the start of this year. The CCSA has recorded 18,363 new Covid infections and 15,651 recoveries. There are now 169,074 people in Thailand currently being treated for Covid-19. Out of the new cases recorded today, 31…
-
Health minister tries to allay fears over changes to universal health care scheme
Thailand’s Public Health Minister says the Universal Coverage for Emergency Patients scheme is not being done away with, he’s merely making some changes. According to a Bangkok Post report, Anutin Charnvirakul says he approved some amendments to the scheme on February 18, which are aimed at streamlining the UCEP scheme and improving how the budget is management. “We have to…
-
Monday Covid Update: 18,883 new cases; provincial totals
32 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 22,656 with 958 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 18,883 new Covid-19 cases and 14,914 recoveries. There are now 166,397 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…
-
Provincial governors ordered to ramp up disease controls as Covid cases surge
Bangkok has ordered all provinces to ramp up their Covid-19 prevention measures as infections continue to surge across the kingdom. The Bangkok Post reports that Sutthipong Chucharoen, a senior official at the Interior Ministry, has instructed all provinces to up their game when it comes to curbing the spread of the virus. Sutthipong says all officials, from village heads to…
-
Hospitals warned against rejecting patients before changes to UCEP scheme take effect
The government has warned private hospitals not to reject Covid-19 patients before planned changes to the Universal Coverage for Emergency Patients scheme come into effect. Under the UCEP scheme, patients can be treated at any hospital for the first 3 days, after which they are transferred to the hospital where their state welfare or insurance scheme is registered. However, from…
-
Thailand’s daily Covid cases could hit 100,000, according to leading virologist
One of Thailand’s most respected experts in virology says daily new infections in the country could reach 100,000. Dr. Yong Poovorawan from the Centre of Excellence in Clinical Virology at Chulalongkorn University says the rapid spread of the Omicron sub-variant, BA.2, has taken daily infections to 15,000 in Singapore, where the population is a tenth that of Thailand. If the…
-
BA.2, Covid-19 “stealth” subvariant of Omicron spiking in Thailand
The so-called “stealth” subvariant of Omicron, BA.2, has now surged to make up 18.5% of new Covid-19 cases in Thailand. A top and vocal Thai virologist says that although the symptoms of BA.2 are no more severe than BA.1, it spreads faster. The Public Health Ministry says BA.2 is called a stealth variant because PCR tests don’t always detect it.…
-
Thai tourism industry demands Covid restrictions to be lifted, PM urges caution
The Thai Prayut Chan-o-cha is calling on all 77 provincial governments to do everything they can to reduce the spread of the latest Covid surge in Thailand. There has been more than 18,000 new infections over the past 2 days. Today, Thailand logged 18,953 official new cases with numerous additional un-official cases which have been registered from ATK tests. So…
-
DDC says Covid-19 vaccine side effects, allergic reactions rare
A director from Thailand’s Department of Disease Control says there have been very few cases reported of side effects from Covid-19 vaccines. The director told the Bangkok Post out of the 120 million vaccine doses given so far, only 79 people have had allergic reactions. 43 were from Sinovac, 22 from AstraZeneca, 11 from Pfizer, and three from Sinopharm. Out…
-
Thai officials talk of replacing second PCR test for Test & Go entry with ATK
Day 5 requirements of Thailand’s Test & Go entry scheme has been discouraging some potential tourists from travelling to Thailand. Not only is a second RT-PCT test needed on the fifth day of their stay (the first test on arrival), but travellers are required to book a night at a hotel approved by the Safety and Health Administration while the…
-
Thai officials say to “look out for” illegal migrant workers amidst Covid-19 surge
This morning, a government spokesman said people in border provinces have been told to “look out for” illegal migrant workers as governors prepare for an increase in Covid-19 infections. He also said people should report “suspicious looking strangers” to authorities. He said police and labour officials have been told to check and make sure factories aren’t hiring illegal migrants, and…
-
Anutin says government needs to balance public health needs with economic recovery
Thailand’s Public Health Minister says the country needs to balance economic recovery with the need to protect public health. Anutin Charnvirakul was addressing a Bangkok Post conference yesterday when he said striking the right balance is a priority for the government. Covid-19 infection numbers are currently soaring as a result of the highly-contagious Omicron variant, but Anutin expects the infection…
-
Tourism operators submit letter to PM calling for all entry restrictions to be lifted
A number of groups representing tourism operators in the south and east of the country, as well as the Thai Hotels Association, are calling for all entry restrictions to be lifted from next month. The Bangkok Post reports that the groups have written an open letter to PM Prayut Chan-o-cha and other government officials, calling for the country to be…
-
Thailand’s hotel operators call for PCR testing on arrival to be dropped
The Thai Hotels Association says the government must drop the PCR testing requirement for foreign visitors if there’s going to be any hope of salvaging the country’s tourism industry. THA president Marisa Sukosol Nunbhakdi says demand for the revamped Test & Go scheme is lower now than when it was first launched in November, due to high season coming to…
-
Thai respiratory specialist calls for total overhaul of how government handles Covid
A highly-respected specialist in respiratory illnesses says the Thai government needs to completely change tack in the way it’s dealing with Covid-19. Posting on his Facebook page, Dr Manoon Leechawengongs from Bangkok’s Vichaiyut Hospital has called for an overhaul in how new infections are dealt with and wants expensive PCR tests ditched altogether. The prominent medic says that as it…
-
It’s official: Vietnam will reopen to tourists on March 15
In a move made three months earlier than planned, Vietnam will completely reopen to tourists starting March 15. Visitors to the country will still have to quarantine for 24 hours, and test negative for Covid-19 before departure and upon arrival. The Vietnamese government said in a statement that the reopening is part of its new response to controlling Covid-19, which…
-
Bangkok officials set up another 1,000 isolation beds amid surge in infections
As Covid-19 infection numbers surge in Bangkok, officials have set up another 1,000 beds in isolation facilities across the capital. According to a Bangkok Post report, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has instructed all 50 district offices to create more community isolation facilities. Bangkok governor Aswin Kwanmuang says the additional isolation facilities will help ease the burden on hospitals and the…
-
The tale of two Covids – the world diverges
OPINION There are two Covid conversations going on at the same time, depending where you live in the world. In one Covid universe, countries are lowering restrictions, reopening borders, letting their citizens walk around with out face masks and, generally, get on with things. In the parallel Covid universe, countries are gingerly re-opening their borders but still with restrictions, expensive…
-
Tuesday Covid Update: 14,373 new cases; provincial totals
27 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 22,489 with 791 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 14,373 new Covid-19 cases and 11,551 recoveries. There are now 132,728 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…
-
Top paediatrician says 2 doses of mRNA vaccine enough to protect children
One of Thailand’s top paediatricians says there’s no need to give children a cocktail of an inactivated vaccine dose and an mRNA dose. Instead, Somsak Lolekha from the Paediatric Society of Thailand says 2 doses of an mRNA vaccine are enough to protect children from becoming severely ill with Covid-19. He adds that booster doses are not necessary for most…
-
Anutin says removal of Covid-19 from emergency treatment list to go ahead
Despite calls to delay removing Covid-19 treatment from the Universal Coverage for Emergency Patients scheme, Thailand’s health minister is pushing ahead. According to a Bangkok Post report, Anutin Charnvirakul says the move will go ahead as planned as it’s part of the government’s policy to downgrade the virus. He was responding to calls from a number of quarters, including his…
-
Covid-19 infections will soon begin to level off and drop for most of the country – CCSA
The government’s Covid-19 task force expects overall case numbers to level off and start dropping soon, but 10 provinces could still see rising numbers. Yesterday, Thailand reported 14,900 new infections and 26 Covid deaths, compared to 15,882 cases and 25 deaths the day before. Bangkok reported 2,892 and 10 deaths, with daily infections doubling during the first 6 weeks of…
-
Monday Covid Update: 14,900 new cases; provincial totals
26 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 22,462 with 764 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 14,900 new Covid-19 cases and 9,810 recoveries. There are now 129,933 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…
-
Thai-Malaysia border to re-open from next month
The Thai government says it will re-open the country’s border with Malaysia from next month, in an effort to kickstart the recovery of tourism and the economy in the southern provinces. According to a Bangkok Post report, spokeswoman Rachada Dhnadirek says PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has ordered the CCSA to work with the tourism and sports emergency operation centre on Covid-19…
Don't forget to check out some other things to do in Thailand - get help starting a business or finding a job in Thailand, buy Thailand property, rent a yacht or book a medical procedure worldwide.