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 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...
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Molnupiravir, the Covid-19 pill, to be developed in Thailand
The Government Pharmaceutical Organisation is planning to partner with Chulabhorn Research Institute to develop a domestic version of Molnupiravir, the Covid-19 antiviral pill. The announcement was made by Minister of Public Health Anutin Charnvirakul in response to the rising Omicron variant outbreak proliferating across Thailand, sending daily infection rates soaring again. Molnupiravir was developed in the US by a joint…
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Phuket has surging Covid-19, but 95% of infections are mild
Phuket is experiencing a surge in new Covid-19 infections, with daily figures skyrocketing to some of the highest levels since the pandemic began. But, the Deputy Director of Vachira Phuket Hospital says that there is a silver lining, because about 95% of new cases are experiencing either mild symptoms or no symptoms at all. The Deputy Director said yesterday that…
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First Pfizer vaccine batch for children arriving by early February
Expect a delivery of Pfizer vaccines in late January or early February at the latest says the Department of Disease Control. The newest batch of the Covid-19 vaccine is intended to begin vaccinating children in Thailand between the ages of 5 and 11 years old. The previous campaign to vaccinate those 12 to 18 years old has been fairly successful…
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First batch of 35 baht ATKs from the GPO on sale today
To combat the rising prices and scarcity of antigen test kits as the Omicron variant and Covid-19 fears spread throughout Thailand, the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation announced the purchase of 3.5 million ATKs to be sold at 35 baht each, with millions more in the works. This morning, the first batch of ATKs went on sale at GPO branches and were…
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No cut-off date announced for Test & Go entry with pre-approved Thailand Pass
The Foreign Ministry has confirmed there is currently no cut-off entry date for Test & Go travellers who’ve already received their Thailand Pass. Test & Go has been suspended since December 22 as the Thai government responded to the rapid global spread of the Omicron Covid-19 variant. You would need a Test & Go program approval, and QR code, before…
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CCSA concerned about rising Covid numbers among Thailand’s medical workers
The government’s Covid-19 task force says it’s worried about a rising level of infections among the country’s medical workers. Dr. Sumanee Wacharasint from the CCSA has called on all healthcare workers to come forward for a fourth vaccine dose to protect them against the virus. According to a Thai PBS World report, she says medical workers becoming infected is a…
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Major tourism operator calls on government to restart Test & Go
The board chairman of Minor International has called on the Thai government to reinstate the suspended Test & Go entry scheme. Failing that, William Heinecke says they should expand the number of sandbox destinations, according to a Bangkok Post report. Minor International is based in Bangkok and its businesses include Minor Hotels, which operates 530 properties, including the Anantara, Four…
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Bangkok reports surge in Covid cases linked to restaurant/bars, student dorms
Health officials say there has been a surge in infections in Bangkok, linked to restaurant/bars and other crowded places, such as student dorms. According to a Bangkok Post report, 939 new cases were reported in the capital yesterday, 45 of which were imported. Dr Suthas Chottanapan from the DDC says 300 of the local cases were contracted in restaurants operating…
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Gene that doubles risk of severe Covid-19 found by Polish researchers
There may be a new method to determine who is most vulnerable during the pandemic, as a gene has been identified by Polish scientists that more than doubles the risk of serious Covid-19 infection. The scientists behind the discovery hope that being able to identify people who are a great risk might prompt them to get vaccinated if they have…
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Thursday Covid Update: 8,167 new cases; provincial totals
14 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 21,883 with 185 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 8,167 new Covid-19 cases and 3,845 recoveries. There are now 70,594 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…
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Authorities say children with Covid-19 will be treated, beds available
After stories online of children being turned away from Covid-19 treatment, the director of the Queen Sirikit National Institute of Child Health assurance that there are plenty of beds available for any kids that become infected with the virus. Despite anecdotal posts online, the director says the occupancy of children’s beds, as well as the infection rates of children, have…
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Tourists with mild symptoms can have Covid treatment covered by Thai insurance
The government has decided to allow Thai insurance firms to offer new Covid-19 treatment packages to foreign tourists, according to a Nation Thailand report. In addition, Tares Krassanairawiwong from the Department of Health Services Support says more hotel isolation facilities, the so-called “hospitels”, will be made available to tourists with mild symptoms. Tares says that many infected tourists struggle with…
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Tourism operators call on government to delay introduction of 300-baht entry fee
Tourism operators are calling on the Thai government to delay the introduction of a 300-baht tourism fee to give the sector time to recover. The fee is due to take effect from April, with the Bangkok Post reporting that it will apply to foreigners arriving in the kingdom by land, sea, and air. Marisa Sukosol Nunbhakdi from the Thai Hotels…
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Study: Sinovac with a Pfizer booster more effective than AstraZeneca
New studies show that between Sinovac and AstraZeneca combined with Pfizer, the most effective vaccine cocktail combination is 2 doses of Sinovac followed by a full dose of Pfizer as a booster shot. The studies have been collected by Siriraj Clinical Research Centre in Bangkok, and directly contradicts a study at Yale University last week that said the Sinovac-Pfizer combination…
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Intentionally catching Omicron is a really stupid idea
OPINION “Why not just catch Omicron and get it over with? It’s a mild cold and will boost immunity, right?” Not a day goes past when the opinion is expressed widely, and often, on various social media around the world, where they mix their school biology classes with various theories on the internet and come up with a “cunning idea”.…
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Phuket immigration confirms vaccination not needed for extension
In order to combat rumours swirling online and amongst nervous anti-vax foreigners, the Phuket Immigration Office reassured people that vaccination is not required in order to get an extension of their stay in Thailand. The office in Phuket Town made the announcement via their Facebook page, though they did not address well several other complaints and issues that have been…
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Wednesday Covid Update: 7,681 new cases; provincial totals
19 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 21,869 with 171 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 7,681 new Covid-19 cases and 3,350 recoveries. There are now 66,286 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…
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Thailand recognises Taiwan’s Medigen vaccine, inoculated travellers eligible for Sandbox entry
A Covid-19 vaccine developed by Taiwan’s Medigen Vaccine Biologics has been recognised by the Thai government, allowing those who have been fully inoculated with the Medigen vaccine to enter Thailand under the Sandbox travel scheme, according to Thailand’s Department of Consular Affairs. Under the scheme, vaccinated travellers from overseas can roam freely in Phuket, Phang Nga, Krabi, or the Surat…
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Koh Phangan Countdown partygoers share positive Covid test results on TikTok
Did you go to the Full Moon Countdown on Koh Phangan? Take a test for Covid-19, if you haven’t already. Some people who went to the countdown event have made posts and comments on social media saying they tested positive for Covid-19. Several others say they got sick after the party. One foreigner is in the spotlight after she posted…
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Pattaya Karaoke bar raided afterhours for violating Covid-19 rules
A karaoke bar in Pattaya flagrantly ignoring all Covid-19 regulations was raided by police last night as more than 50 people drank and partied inside. Police raided Jacky Karaoke around 11:30 pm last night after receiving an anonymous tip from someone reported to be worried about the illegal venue spreading Covid-19 in their area. The karaoke bar, located on Soi…
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Survey shows many Thais suffering suicidal thoughts and depression during pandemic
A recent survey shows that many Thais are enduring suicidal thoughts, depression, and burnout as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Amporn Benjaponpitak from the Department of Mental Health says the online poll assessed the mental health of over 2.5 million people in Thailand. A Thai PBS World report carries a breakdown of some of the results. Over 8% of…
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Another 300 hotel quarantine rooms set aside for infected tourists in Phuket
As Covid-19 infections continue to rise in Phuket, the southern island is creating more self-isolation facilities for infected foreign tourists. According to a Nation Thailand report, cases are surging on the island, with new infection numbers rising from 238 last Wednesday to 742 on Sunday. Most infections are cases of local transmission, but infections are being reported in sandbox tourists…
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GPO to sell ATKs at 35 baht amid increased testing demand
The Government Pharmaceutical Organisation is working to make available millions of cheap antigen test kits as some areas in the country are reporting shortages amid Covid-19 infection surges and Omicron fears. The GPO just announced a deal to sell 3.5 million ATKs at 35 baht per kit, the lowest price seen in Thailand. A new deal signed by the GPO…
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Phuket seeing healthy tourism demand, with 4,000 Thailand Pass applications a day
The president of the Phuket Tourism Association says the island is proving popular with foreign tourists, receiving 4,000 applications a day through the Thailand Pass system. Bhummikitti Ruktaengam says most of those visitors are from Germany, Russia, Kazakhstan, the United Kingdom, the United States, and France. Bhummikitti credits the success of the island’s Covid-19 measures for inspiring confidence among foreign…
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Tuesday Covid Update: 7,133 new cases; provincial totals
12 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 21,850 with 152 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 7,133 new Covid-19 cases and 3,306 recoveries. There are now 61,974 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…
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Hospitals must urgently admit children infected with Covid, have proper medication on hand
After reports that an 8 month old sick with Covid-19 had to wait in a queue before being treated at a hospital, the government is instructing all hospitals in Thailand to admit child Covid-19 patients immediately, adding that no child infected with the virus should be turned down and staff must have the appropriate medication on hand to treat them. The…
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Thai virologist echoes WHO, other experts, in dismissing claims of “Deltacron variant”
Following recent media reports in Cyprus that a new “Deltacron” variant had been discovered in the country, a number of virology experts have downplayed the claims. Leonitios Kostrikis from the University of Cyprus says his researchers have identified 25 cases of the so-called variant. It supposedly combines the traits of both the Delta and Omicron variant, but experts now believe…
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Health officials in Phuket warn of bed shortages amid rise in Covid infections
Health officials in Phuket say hospital beds are running out as the infection rate begins to climb once more on the southern island. Kooksak Kookiatkul says that, as of Sunday, Phuket has reported 742 new cases. According to a Bangkok Post report, 513 of those are in local residents, with 2 in foreign residents. 133 have been imported by the…
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CCSA warns that new Covid infections could jump to 20,000 a day
The CCSA says new Covid-19 infections in Thailand could reach 20,000 a day if the public do not take disease prevention measures seriously. According to a Bangkok Post report, 5,397 Omicron infections have been reported across 71 provinces so far. However, Dr Kiattiphum Wongrajit from the Public Health Ministry says deaths remain low due to the high vaccination rate. “Even…
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Monday Covid Update: 7,926 new cases; provincial totals
13 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 21,838 with 21,744 of those fatalities during the latest wave, which was first recorded on April 1. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 7,926 new Covid-19 cases and 3,612 recoveries. There are now 58,159 people in Thailand being…
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