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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Retiring in Thailand can be affordable and enjoyable, but many retirees lose money due to common mistakes. High living costs, scams, and unexpected expenses can quickly drain savings. There are five ways that retirees in Thailand can lose money and...
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Nightlife, restaurants suggest opening in defiance of restrictions
After a year and a half of closures and lockdowns and restrictions and regulations that often start and even end with the nightlife and entertainment industry, some bar and restaurant owners are sick of it and growing defiant. Citing the lack of government assistance and the sporadic and last-minute closure decisions that through livelihoods into chaos, some owners are urging…
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Government urged to get mRNA vaccines over Sinovac
The Thai government is being urged to get mRNA vaccines in preference to the CoronaVac vaccines from Sinovac in China. The Infectious Disease Association of Thailand points to reported efficacy concerns of the Sinovac vaccine, especially toward new variants like the Delta one. Today, the IDAT sent a letter to Thailand’s PM, Prayut Chan-o-cha. They stated that Sinovac is a…
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Australia extends its lockdown
Australia has extended its own lockdown and social distancing measures to further parts of the country, today. 4 major cities are currently under a strict lockdown in an attempt to halt the outbreak of the more contagious Delta variant. About 1 in 2 Australians are already stuck under stay at home orders. Millions of other inhabitants have to adhere to…
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Rayong governor orders nightly beach closures to curb the spread of Covid-19
Starting today, all beaches on the coastal province Rayong, near Pattaya, will be closed to the public during the night and early morning hours. The beach closures are an effort to prevent the spread of Covid-19 after the province reported an uptick in infections. Rayong governor Charnna Iamsaeng signed an order earlier this week to close the beaches from 8pm…
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Phuket announces it had 5 new cases of Covid yesterday and 1 death
Yesterday, Phuket announced it had 5 new Covid infections and its 7th death, a 72 year old man. Dr Kusak Kukiattikoon the chief of the Phuket Provincial Public Health Office (PPHO) corroborated the news that Phuket had 5 new Covid infections as well as the 7th death. Dr Kusak spoke in a live broadcast this morning where he was joined…
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New study:Moderna effective against Delta variant
A new lab study shows that the Covid-19 vaccine developed by Moderna is reasonably effective against the growing Delta variant first identified in India. The study found that the vaccine was only slightly less effective against the newer strain than it is against the original Covid-19 virus. The study tested blood serum from 8 subjects who had finished their second…
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110 faulty bottles of Sinovac vaccine rejected by Thai FDA
The Food and Drug Administration says it has found 110 faulty bottles of the CoronaVac vaccine from Sinovac Biotech that contain lumps of gel. Surachok Tangwiwat from the FDA says CoronaVac vials need to be shaken prior to use but, in the case of the defective bottles, even shaking would not dissolve the gel. According to a Coconuts report, the…
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Top medic says cloth masks don’t protect against Covid-19
A prominent infectious disease specialist at Bangkok’s Phramongkutklao Hospital says cloth masks are ineffective against Covid-19 and people should wear surgical masks. Nation Thailand reports that Dr Thanaphan Phibunbannakit has called on the government to procure additional surgical masks as Thailand logs 4,786 new infections and a record high of 53 deaths. Thanaphan says people who are yet to receive…
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Wednesday Covid Update: 4,786 new cases, record high of 53 deaths
4,786 new cases and a record daily high of 53 Covid-related deaths were recorded today by Thailand’s Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. The daily coronavirus death tally in Thailand has been in the 20s to 40s during the current and most severe wave of the virus, infecting 230,438 people since April 1. Out of the new cases recorded today, 127…
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Rush to build extra field hospitals in Tak as over 600 new infections reported
A cluster of over 600 Covid-19 infections has officials in the northern province of Tak rushing to build 4 new field hospitals as the existing 2 are now full. The Bangkok Post reports that the infections were detected at a clothing factory in Mae Sot district. Local health officials carried out mass testing of 1,000 workers, with 606 of them…
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Restrictions may be eased at some Bangkok camps to allow essential work to continue
Tough restrictions on movement at construction camps in Bangkok may be eased slightly to allow essential work to go ahead. Natthapol Nakpanich from the National Security Council says officials discussed the issue at a meeting yesterday, noting that the suspension of some works could pose a risk for engineering reasons or by delaying hospital builds. For this reason, construction work…
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American expats in Thailand continue to urge US to provide vaccines to citizens overseas
Some Americans in Thailand are still pushing the US government to supply Covid-19 vaccines to those living overseas. Democrats Abroad Thailand is now calling on American expats to contact senators and urge them to support the allocation of vaccines to citizens overseas. The expat group’s Covid-19 Vaccine Task Force is also set to hold a Zoom meeting tomorrow evening to…
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Doctors ask the government to do a better job with their handling of vaccines
The Royal College of Physicians of Thailand is prodding the government to increase their vaccine efforts: to get vaccines faster and to get enough vaccines for Thailand inhabitants so herd immunity can be reached as soon as possible. Today, the RCPT chairperson, Dr Anutra Chittinandana said that the board of the RCPT thought it was crucial to issues a 2nd…
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Tuesday Covid Update: 4,662 new cases; provincial totals
Continuing on an upward trend in Thailand’s most severe wave of Covid-19, 4,662 new infections were reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. Since the start of the pandemic last year, the CCSA has reported 254,515 confirmed Covid-19 infections. Of that number, 225,652 were reported since April 1, the start of the recent and most extreme wave of…
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Phuket notches 14th infection since last week
Since last week, Phuket has had 14 Covid infections. Their vaccination rate is now 80% (over the threshold sought for herd immunity). Yesterday, the Phuket Provincial public Heath Office state they had 3 covid infections on the island. Since April, there have been 723 confirmed Covid cases. The CCSA has also outlined its criteria for its Phuket Sandbox “contingency plan“.…
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Sinovac vaccine 71% to 91% effective against Alpha variant, Thai study shows
Thailand’s Public Health Ministry says 2 doses of the Chinese-made Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine are 71% to 91% effective against the Alpha variant of the virus which was first detected in the UK. A study on the effectiveness of the Sinovac vaccine, also known as Coronavac, was done by Thailand’s National Communicable Diseases Committee and the National Vaccine Committee. The study…
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Tuesday Covid Update: 4,662 new cases and 36 deaths
4,662 new Covid-19 cases were reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, raising Thailand’s total since April 1, in the current and most severe wave of the virus, to 225,652 infections. The CCSA reports that 36 more people infected with Covid-19 have died. Only 10 of the new cases reported today were found in correctional facilities, a downward…
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Stricter “bubble and seal” measures implemented at factories
Factories in and around Bangkok are implementing rigorous bubble and seal measures in accordance with government’s instructions in an effort to stop the spread of Covid-19. The Bangkok Post reports that workers face tough travel restrictions, whereby they may be confined to the factories or can only travel between their place of work and their dormitory. Already, there have been…
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Phuket re-opens Thursday, hotels ready and waiting to welcome foreign guests
As the southern island of Phuket gets ready to re-open to vaccinated foreign tourists on Thursday, hotel operators say they’re well prepared. A Bangkok Post report takes a look at the measures in place for the imminent launch of the Phuket “sandbox scheme”. Yesterday, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha highlighted the need for robust measures to stop the spread of Covid-19. At…
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Chief medic says Delta variant will become dominant strain in Bangkok
The Department of Medical Sciences says it expects the Delta Covid-19 variant to become the prevalent strain in Bangkok within the coming months. The variant was first reported in Thailand in April, when it was detected in migrant workers in the Laksi district of the capital. The spread of the variant has sparked concern globally due to it being highly…
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Restrictions imposed in areas at risk of a “public health crisis,” spokesperson says
Disease control restrictions have tightened in Bangkok and surrounding provinces which are at risk of becoming a “public health crisis,” according to a Thai government spokesperson. The restrictions were published in the Royal Gazette over the weekend and went into effect today. Of the restrictions set for the next 30 days, restaurants in Bangkok and surrounding provinces are prohibited from…
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Monday Covid Update: 5,406 new cases; provincial totals
A significant uptick of 5,406 new Covid-19 cases was recorded today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, just as new restrictions are taking effect in Bangkok and other “dark red” provinces to curb the spread of the virus. Of the 249,853 Covid-19 cases recorded in Thailand since the start of the pandemic last year, the recent and most severe…
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Covid-19 screening centre in Bangkok temporarily closed to migrant workers
After many migrant workers infected with Covid-19 were reportedly abandoned at the Public Health Ministry’s Pre-Admission Centre in Bangkok, it is now temporarily closed to migrant workers. The centre is used to screen people who are infected with the virus before sending them to a facility for treatment. Apparently, a number of workers have been dropped off at the centres.…
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Asymptomatic patients in Bangkok can self-isolate at home while waiting for hospital bed
Amid an ongoing shortage of hospital beds, the Medical Services Department has agreed that asymptomatic Covid-19 patients in the Bangkok area can self-isolate at home until a bed becomes available. According to a Thai PBS World report, department chief Somsak Akkasilp says each patient will be provided with a thermometer and oximeter, allowing them to monitor their symptoms. Patients considered…
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Tourism Minister threatens to cancel travel stimulus if only some operators benefit
Thailand’s Tourism and Sports Minister says if all operators cannot benefit from a domestic travel stimulus scheme, it may be cancelled. Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn says he will meet with the Tourism Authority of Thailand to ensure everyone in the sector can be helped by the scheme. According to the Bangkok Post, the government plans to launch the Tour Teaw Thai scheme…
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First case of Beta variant reported in Bangkok
Bangkok has reported its first case of the Beta variant of Covid-19, originally detected in South Africa. According to a Bangkok Post report, the patient had contact with an infected person in the southern province of Narathiwat. Hundreds of cases of the Beta variant have already been reported in southern Thailand and are believed to have been imported from Malaysia.…
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Businesses in dark red zones appeal for government aid
Businesses that have been affected by the latest round of Covid-19 restrictions imposed in Bangkok and 9 other provinces are appealing for state aid. New measures aimed at curbing the spread of the virus come into force today, in Bangkok, Nakhon Pathom, Nonthaburi, Samut Prakan, Samut Sakhon, Pathum Thani, Narathiwat, Songkhla, Pattani, and Yala. They include a ban on eating…
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Partiers arrested in raid Covid-19 tested, awaiting court Monday
After the raid on 2 nightclubs masquerading at restaurants in Pattaya that resulted in 121 arrests, the group of arrested partygoers are all being tested for Covid-19 while awaiting court hearings. The raids of The Garden 168 and Mo Salah Bar and Restaurant late Friday night into early Saturday morning found a mix of Thais and foreigners drinking, smoking shisha,…
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Dept of Medical Sciences warns against antibody testing kits
The National Department of Medical Sciences is speaking out against a growing trend of people trying to self-test regarding Covid-19. They are warning people against using home antibody testing kits in order to test the effectiveness of the Covid-19 vaccine after they have received their inoculations. The Department warns that not only could test results be inaccurate, but a misunderstanding…
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Covid UPDATE: 3,995 new cases and 42 deaths, provincial totals
The public health department has announced another 3,995 new infections and 42 Covid-related deaths for Sunday. Only 45 more cases were detected in Thai prisons, a sharp drop off from a few weeks ago when the daily cases from prisons were in the 100s each day (more Covid updates below). The main outbreaks around Thailand are occurring in the capital,…
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