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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    Do foreigners get free healthcare in Thailand?

    Thailand’s healthcare system is well-regarded across Southeast Asia, with options ranging from public hospitals to world-class private facilities. But when it comes to foreign residents or tourists, healthcare access isn’t as straightforward. So, do foreigners get free healthcare in Thailand?...

  • TAT looks forward to welcoming 129,000 foreign tourists to Phuket

    TAT looks forward to welcoming 129,000 foreign tourists to Phuket

    The Tourism Authority of Thailand says it expects 129,000 tourists to arrive on the southern island of Phuket in the first 3 months of its re-opening. Officials still insist the island will re-open for quarantine-free travel for vaccinated foreign tourists from July 1. And according to the Bangkok Post, the TAT also plans to team up with airlines to offer…

  • Thailand’s airlines call for meeting with PM to discuss soft loans

    Thailand’s airlines call for meeting with PM to discuss soft loans

    The Thai Airlines Association says 7 member airlines are pushing for a meeting with PM Prayut Chan-o-cha to discuss the option of soft loans. The carriers have been seeking this financial aid for some time and have even decreased the amount being asked for, from 24 billion baht last year to 14 billion now. The Bangkok Post reports that representatives…

  • Thursday Covid UPDATE: 32 deaths and 4,887 new infections

    Thursday Covid UPDATE: 32 deaths and 4,887 new infections

    The public health ministry has announced 32 new Covid-related deaths and 4,887 new infections from the past 24 hours. 2,835 of the new cases are from 2 of Bangkok’s largest prisons (below). • In another major blow to Thailand’s worst bout of Covid-19, 2,835 inmates from the Bangkok Remand Prison and the Central Women’s Correctional Institution, 2 of the largest prisons in…

  • UPDATE: Phuket restrictions and bans extended, new ‘party’ clause added

    UPDATE: Phuket restrictions and bans extended, new ‘party’ clause added

    UPDATE: Including a new clause… “5.2 Participating in eating or drinking of alcohol, in the family home or in any other place of residence, must not be attended by outsiders. In addition, gathering together or the organising of any other activities is prohibited. If the person who violates or commits this offence is a foreigner, the permission to remain living…

  • Phuket restrictions and bans to stay in place until end of May

    Phuket restrictions and bans to stay in place until end of May

    Phuket’s list of current ‘Covid’ restrictions have been extended until at least May 31. All the current levels of restrictions will remain until the end of the month after the Phuket Governor announced the continuation of restrictions this afternoon. Daily new infection numbers continue to add to the island’s total of 556 since the start of April. The island’s latest…

  • Monks gather for a special ceremony in Pattaya to pray Covid-19 away

    Monks gather for a special ceremony in Pattaya to pray Covid-19 away

    Hands placed together in the “wai” position and seated in chairs placed a safe “social distance” apart, monks in Pattaya gathered together at a local temple for a special ceremony to pray Covid-19 away. The Wat Chai by the Pattaya Walking Street was given special permission to hold the event where dozens of monks from other temples in the area…

  • Lampang province sets example for vaccine registration

    Lampang province sets example for vaccine registration

    Vaccine hesitancy is proving to be a big problem in the quest to reach herd immunity and reopen Thailand, but Lampang province has outdone all the others in jab registration. In the northern province with just 740,000 people, nearly 224,000 have already registered for their Covid-19 vaccine, a number only topped by Bangkok’s 7 million residents registering just over 500,000…

  • Protest leader tests positive for Covid-19 a week after being released from jail

    Protest leader tests positive for Covid-19 a week after being released from jail

    A pro-democracy movement leader has tested positive for Covid-19 after she spent 8 weeks in jail awaiting a trial on lese majeste charges which prohibit statements that insult or defame the Thai Monarchy. 2 other protest leaders facing similar charges have tested positive for Covid-19 while in court detention. After being released from the Central Women’s Correctional Institution on May…

  • Covid UPDATE: 1,983 new infections and 34 deaths, provincial totals

    Covid UPDATE: 1,983 new infections and 34 deaths, provincial totals

    The daily Covid-19 death toll hit a record high today with 34 deaths reported. 1,983 new Covid-19 infections were reported today in the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration’s daily briefing. Since the start of the pandemic last year, the CCSA has reported 88,907 Covid-19 infections and 486 coronavirus-related deaths. There are now 29,378 active Covid-19 cases in Thailand. Active cases…

  • Fear over Covid in India has some washing themselves with cow dung

    Fear over Covid in India has some washing themselves with cow dung

    Fears over Covid-19 has some people in India, bathing themselves in cow feces. Doctors, however, warn that there is no evidence that cow dung is effective at curing the novel coronavirus and even warn of other diseases that can be acquired from the bacteria and germs in the feces. The pandemic has brought widespread devastation to India, with 22.66 million…

  • Health officials aim to vaccinate 5 million Bangkok residents in 2 months

    Health officials aim to vaccinate 5 million Bangkok residents in 2 months

    To combat the Covid-19 outbreak in Bangkok, infecting more than 20,000 people in the capital since April, health officials plan to vaccinate 5 million Bangkok residents within the next 2 months in an effort to reach herd immunity. So far, only 5% of Bangkok residents have been vaccinated against the coronavirus. The Public Health Ministry has set a goal to…

  • Covid-19 daily death toll reaches new high today at 34 fatalities

    Covid-19 daily death toll reaches new high today at 34 fatalities

    Today, Thailand’s daily Covid-19 related death toll has reached a new high with 34 fatalities reported. Over the past 24 hours, the government is reporting 1,983 new infections, raising the overall total to 88,907 since the pandemic began. The death toll is now at 486 in the Kingdom since the start of the pandemic. Over the past day, 2,006 cases…

  • 44 countries report cases of Covid-19 variant first found in India – WHO

    44 countries report cases of Covid-19 variant first found in India – WHO

    So far, 44 countries have now reported the cases of the mutated Covid-19 variant that was first detected in India and is linked to the country’s massive outbreak, where active Covid-19 infections in India have now surpassed 3.7 million. The drastic spike in cases linked to the new variant has led to severe shortages of hospital beds and oxygen to…

  • Krabi tourism operators call for vaccination ramp up, clarity on national park rules

    Krabi tourism operators call for vaccination ramp up, clarity on national park rules

    With Krabi eyeing October 1 for a re-opening to vaccinated foreign tourists, operators in the region are calling for greater clarity and for vaccination to be ramped up. Ekawit Pinyotamanotai from the Krabi Tourism Association says tourism workers need to be prioritised for vaccination and there is a need for clarity on regulations governing national parks. The Krabi sandbox model…

  • Pfizer vaccine OK for US children 12-15, critics urge better use

    Pfizer vaccine OK for US children 12-15, critics urge better use

    While drug regulators authorised Pfizer vaccine for children aged 12 to 15 in the US, critics are saying that the jabs would be more useful if sent to poor countries. The American Food and Drug Administration cleared the vaccine on Monday, saying that it was safe for children over the age of 12, and the US Centres for Disease Control…

  • Wednesday Covid UPDATE: 34 deaths and 1,983 new infections

    Wednesday Covid UPDATE: 34 deaths and 1,983 new infections

    The Thai public health ministry is reporting an additional 34 Covid-related deaths and 1,983 new infections from the past 24 hours of Bangkok and provincial reports. We’ll post all the provincial numbers just after lunch when they become available. • Bangkok health officials are aiming to get around 70% of the Bangkok’s residents – about 5 million people – vaccinated…

  • PM Prayut Chan-o-cha seeks looser restrictions in ‘red’ zones

    PM Prayut Chan-o-cha seeks looser restrictions in ‘red’ zones

    Covid-19 infections are still high, but PM Prayut Chan-o-cha says he wants restrictions to loosen up and businesses to reopen as soon as possible in provinces classified as “red” zones under tight control to combat Covid-19. The prime minister says he has ordered governors of red zone provinces to look into easing disease control measures. Looking into each province’s Covid-19…

  • Covid UPDATE: 1,919 new cases and 31 deaths, provincial totals

    Covid UPDATE: 1,919 new cases and 31 deaths, provincial totals

    1,919 new Covid-19 cases and 31 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today in the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration’s daily briefing. Thailand now has 29,435 active cases. Since the start of the pandemic last year, the CCSA has reported a total of 86,924 infections and 452 Covid-related deaths. At today’s CCSA briefing, Ministry of Foreign Affairs deputy spokesperson Natapanu Nopakun said…

  • Travel bubble talks to pick back up once Covid-19 is under control

    Travel bubble talks to pick back up once Covid-19 is under control

    Once the Covid-19 outbreak is under control, Thailand will pick back up on travel bubble discussions with countries such as Vietnam, Singapore, Laos and Malaysia. Travel bubbles could start as soon as October if the daily Covid-19 count significantly decreases by the end of the month. The country’s Covid-19 immunisation plan needs to be accelerated and the daily Covid-19 count…

  • Americans in Thailand urge US to provide Covid-19 vaccines to citizens overseas

    Americans in Thailand urge US to provide Covid-19 vaccines to citizens overseas

    Thai officials say expats living in Thailand will be included in the government’s mass Covid-19 vaccination plan, but exactly when that will be is still up in the air. With foreign embassies in Thailand clearly stating that they will not assist with providing citizens living overseas with vaccines, expats are relying on the Thai government. A number of Americans are…

  • Chinese study confirms Sinovac vaccine safe for over 60s

    Chinese study confirms Sinovac vaccine safe for over 60s

    Health officials in Thailand say there is no need for concern about use of the Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine the over 60s, after a Chinese study confirmed it is safe. Sophon Mekhton from the Public Health Ministry says the independent study should reassure everyone about the vaccine’s safety in the older age group. According to the Bangkok Post, the study also…

  • Tuesday Covid UPDATE: 31 new deaths and 1,919 new infections

    Tuesday Covid UPDATE: 31 new deaths and 1,919 new infections

    The Thai public health officials have reported that there has been 31 Covid-related deaths and 1,919 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours. • An entry ban has been extended to cover foreign travellers coming from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Nepal, as well as India, to help contain any further “highly contagious” Indian variants of Covid-19. The includes all foreigners departing…

  • Entry ban extended to non-Thais arriving from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal

    Entry ban extended to non-Thais arriving from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal

    Non-Thai nationals arriving from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal are now included in an entry ban aimed at preventing the spread of the so-called Indian variant of Covid-19. The ban was first introduced for arrivals from India late last month, amid the escalating crisis in that country. It has now been extended to 3 other South Asian nations as the government…

  • Health officials race to vaccinate 70% of Khlong Toey slum residents

    Health officials race to vaccinate 70% of Khlong Toey slum residents

    Health officials are racing to vaccinate 70% of residents in Bangkok’s Khlong Toey neighbourhood, the largest slum in the city where hundreds have tested positive for Covid-19 since April. With people living in crowded conditions and many unable to take off work to self-isolate, Thai authorities have been rolling out proactive Covid-19 testing and a mass vaccination campaign in an…

  • Covid-19 variant first detected in India reported in Thailand state quarantine

    Covid-19 variant first detected in India reported in Thailand state quarantine

    The mutated strain of Covid-19 that was first reported in India has been detected in Thailand. Health officials say a Thai woman and her young son tested positive for the variant while in quarantine for those arriving in Thailand from overseas. The mother and her sons, ages 4, 6, and 8, had arrived in Thailand from Pakistan on April 24,…

  • Covid UPDATE: 1,630 new cases and 22 deaths, provincial totals

    Covid UPDATE: 1,630 new cases and 22 deaths, provincial totals

    1,630 new Covid-19 cases and 22 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today in the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration’s daily briefing. There are now 29,376 active Covid-19 cases. Since the start of the pandemic last year, the CCSA has reported 85,005 Covid-19 cases and 421 Covid-related deaths. Out of the 22 deaths, most of the patients had chronic illnesses. Many contracted…

  • Tests confirm Sinovac, AstraZeneca effective at stimulating immune response

    Tests confirm Sinovac, AstraZeneca effective at stimulating immune response

    Tests at Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn University have confirmed the efficacy of both the Sinovac and AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccines. Renowned virologist, Yong Poovorawan, says both vaccines proved successful at stimulating an immune response against Covid-19. The tests were carried out as part of a study done by the university’s Centre of Excellence in Clinical Virology. Yong says that people given the first…

  • Thai government says Covid treatment is free, but patients report hefty bills

    Thai government says Covid treatment is free, but patients report hefty bills

    Despite the Thai government repeatedly saying all Covid-19 patients will receive free treatment, hefty bills are being posted on social media. Tares Krassanairawiwong, director-general of the Health Service Support Department, insisted again that the treatment for Covid is free at any state or private hospital, but listed maximum amounts on coverage for individuals. The National Health Security Office says it…

  • Third wave of Covid: CCSA blames patients for not speaking up

    Third wave of Covid: CCSA blames patients for not speaking up

    Thailand’s Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration is blaming the latest virus wave on those patients who failed to speak up about their symptoms. The latest round of the virus has seen a total of 512 health workers in 57 provinces infected, with authorities saying the main cause of the spread was due to patients lying about their health conditions. The…

  • Over 400 workers quarantined as 115 Covid infections confirmed at pineapple factory

    Over 400 workers quarantined as 115 Covid infections confirmed at pineapple factory

    Officials in the western province of Prachuap Khiri Khan have reported 115 new Covid-19 infections at a pineapple factory. 402 workers are now in quarantine, with a dedicated isolation facility set up within the factory, while the 115 patients are receiving medical treatment. Deputy provincial governor, Kittipong Sukpakun, says the quarantine facility will be in use for 14 days. According…