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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Some southern provinces stop interprovincial public transport
Thailand’s Department of Land Transport announced today that four southern provinces – Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat and Phuket – are closed to all public transport, except essential goods vehicles, medical and government vehicles, after witnessing an increasing number of Covid-19 coronavirus patients. Director-general Jirut Wisanjit made the announcement and the closures began today (Monday, March 30) to help prevent the virus…
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Coronavirus spreads to Lamphun province
The northern province of Lamphun, near Chiang Mai, has reported its first 2 Covid-19 coronavirus cases. Provincial Governor Pongrat Piromrat made the announcement yesterday. A 39 year old man is the first case. He returned from abroad on March 19 and began home quarantine from March 20 until today, when he tested positive and was transferred to a local hospital.…
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27 Bangkok police officers confirmed with Covid-19
Not only do medical staff take much of the risks, but police offers are also staffing the front lines in battling the Covid-19 pandemic. Today, Bangkok Police Chief Lieutenant General Pakkapong says… “As many as 27 Police offer in Bangkok have now been confirmed as positive with the Covid-19 and 326 others are in quarantine awaiting their results.” The infected officers…
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Experts warn against buying dodgy coronavirus test kits online
Thailand’s Association of Medical Technologists is warning people against purchasing test kits online and examining themselves for Covid-19 coronavirus at home. A statement, issued today from the AMTT, said some illegal Covid-19 test kits have found their way into Thailand and are for sale on social media. The AMTT warned against buying these kits since they are likely unreliable or…
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Pattaya all but deserted due to virus, travel restrictions
For years, Pattaya has struggled to shed its seedy image as a haven of sex tourism, which started in the 1970s when it became a rest and relaxation spot for US soldiers during the Vietnam War. It’s continued to develop into a much more diverse city with world standard attractions offsetting the seedier bars and walking streets. Now it faces…
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Coca-Cola to suspend advertising, divert cash to fight Covid-19
Today Coca-Cola Thailand announced on its official Facebook page “cocacolaTH” that they will suspend all digital and TV advertising campaigns of all the brands under its umbrella in Thailand and divert all the money to support the fight against Covid-19. “We realise that the current situation is difficult for everyone, therefore we will continue to work hard to make sure…
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Coronavirus UPDATE – first deaths in New Zealand, Sri Lanka. Singapore cancels citizen’s passport.
Covid-19 cases around the world have now reached 723,732. A week ago (March 23) there was 378,000 cases in the world. There have been exactly 34,000 deaths recorded globally (as of 2.30pm Monday Thai time) with over 151,000 people recovered. The USA leads the world count with 142,735 cases followed by Italy with 97,689 cases and 10,799 deaths. Here are…
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Senior health official says dire infection forecasts “very unlikely”
Doctors from various departments, ministries and universities are making grim predictions about the Covid-19 coronavirus infection rate in Thailand, some saying that by mid-April cases in Thailand will reach 350,000, with about 7,000 fatalities. Responding to some of the most dire forecasts, a senior doctor at the Ministry of Public Health’s Disease Control Department is dismissing these scenarios as “very…
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Red hazardous waste bins spring up in Bangkok for used masks, tissue
Used face masks and tissue paper are now classified as hazardous waste during this Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak, at least in Bangkok. The city’s governor Aswin Kwanmuang is urging people to dispose of used face masks properly, using the new red bins which are designated for hazardous waste. “Used face masks must be put in a plastic bag fastened with a string…
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Phuket airport to ban flights April 10-30 over virus fears
The southern island province of Phuket has sealed its borders by land and sea, and yesterday provincial governor Phakkhaphong Thawiphat announced that air transport to Phuket will also shut down beginning April 10 until at least April 30 in order to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus. “Shutting down the air transport route requires seven days notification in advance…
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136 more virus cases confirmed in Thailand as outbreak spreads out of Bangkok
A spokesman for the country’s newly formed Covid-19 Situation Administration Thailand confirmed 136 new Covid-19 coronavirus cases today, raising the total number of infections to 1,524. Deaths in the Kingdom remain at 7. Infections in Thailand are likely to keep rising, and in a reversal of the earlier trend, recent new cases have been reported more in the countryside than…
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Phuket reports 9 new coronavirus cases
9 new cases of the Covid-19 coronavirus have been reported in the southern island province of Phuket, bringing the total to 62 cases. Most of the new cases originated in the Patong district, again, and many in the area of the Bangla Road red light district. Details of the new cases… Case 54: A 35 year old Canadian man working at…
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14 million Thai’s crash online registration for 5,000 baht cash handout
It is estimated that 14 million Thai citizens have registered for the government’s stimulus measure for a ‘cash hand-out,’ crashing the website entirely. The number of people rushing to register was 4 times greater than the government’s initial predictions. The director-general of the Fiscal Policy Office, Lavaron Sangsnit, says… “On Sunday as of 11.30 am, the number of people who…
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Minister: Don’t worry about energy supply while working from home
Energy Minister Sonthirat Sonthijirawong reassured the public on Saturday that even though many are now working from home to promote social distancing and stem the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus, his ministry will ensure an adequate electricity supply. “I have ordered all related agencies, especially the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand, to monitor power usage closely and evaluate the situation…
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Coronavirus infections rise among Thai health workers
Infections of the Covid-19 coronavirus among doctors, nurses and other staff on the front-line of the battle against the disease are causing concerns. Yesterday the Thai Health Department announced 143 new infections bringing the total in Thailand to 1,388 since the outbreak began in January. The number of newly infected health department personnel was 8. Doctors, nurses and other staff…
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Wear a mask and avoid crowds – Phuket Governor
A announcement from the Phuket Governor is asking people, now almost marooned on the island since midnight last night, to take extra precautions to slow the spread of the Covid-10 coronavirus around Phuket. Probably the main message to take from this new announcement is that you are expected to wear a face mask any time you are in public spaces…
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Fortress Phuket. The island closes off Sarasin Bridge and boating traffic, except supplies
Phuketians, you are marooned on a tropical island. Well, almost… Today the Phuket Governor has rolled out another level of lockdowns for the southern island. The new rules come into force tonight at midnight (00.01am March 30) and will run until the end of April, or until announced otherwise. There are a few exceptions as noted in the official declaration…
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Gambling wife arrested after husband calls police in Nakhon Ratchasima
Thailand’s recently declared state of emergency has meant the temporary closure of many businesses, leaving a lot of people with a lot of time on their hands. One woman in the northeastern Nakhon Ratchasima province grew bored and decided to invite some friends around for a bit of light home gambling playing cards. But her husband was afraid she might…
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Nearly 300 Thais stranded at the southern border, paperwork issues
Around 300 Thais trying to return to Thailand are stranded at the Wang Kelian immigration checkpoint in northern Malaysia’s Perlis State. On the other side is Thailand’s Wang Prachan checkpoint in Satun’s Khuan Don district. They’ve been denied entry after failing to comply with the strict new regulations set by the Thai authorities. Thailand and Malaysia have closed their checkpoints…
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Beaches in Phuket closed until further notice
The world famous beaches of the southern resort island of Phuket are now closed indefinitely in another effort by provincial officials to fight the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus. Governor Phakkhaphong Thawiphat, who is also heading up the Phuket Communicable Disease Committee, made the announcement yesterday. The closures extend to zoos and all venues offering animal shows for tourists. Bangla…
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6 new coronavirus cases in Phuket
Phuket island officials have reported 6 new cases of the Covid-19 coronavirus as of today (Sunday, March 29), bringing the total to 53 on the southern island. The details as known at time of publication are… Case 48: A 42 year old Thai woman, a gift shop owner in Patong. Case 49: A 32 year old Ukrainian woman who runs…
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Handful of Thais catch last flight back to Thailand from Singapore
Flights are thin on the ground now and very few regional carriers are still in the air. Singapore Airlines Flight 972 was the last scheduled service to Thailand’s Suvarnabhumi Airport. Passengers, only a few dozen, mostly Thais fleeing back home to ride out the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic, flew out of Singapore’s Changi Airport yesterday. Airlines worldwide are cutting flights and grounding…
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Drug party raided in Chiang Rai for defying public gathering ban
Authorities are cracking down and enforcing the ban on on public gatherings under the the state of emergency declared to fight the Covid-19 coronavirus epidemic last week. 22 people were arrested at a drug party in Chiang Rai yesterday for “gathering in defiance of the Emergency Decree”. 10 men and 12 women between the ages of 20 and 30 were nabbed…
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Power to the people – Energy Ministry promises adequate supply of electricity
Thailand’s Energy Ministry says that there will be adequate electricity supply to fuel the demands of people staying and working from home. Millions are cooped up in their homes, raising the domestic electricity supply usage. But many businesses have closed up, easing up some of the demands on total supply. Energy Minister Sonthirat Sonthijirawong says there should be enough power…
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With coronavirus cases rising, a Bangkok hospital puts out the call for more masks
Chulalongkorn Hospital in Bangkok is running out of N95 facemasks for it personnel, and the director Suttipong Wacharasindhud has made a public plea for more. At a time when Covid-19 coronavirus cases are rising daily, he says the hospital has enough masks to last only another two weeks. “Due to the shortage of masks over the past three months, the…
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Thailand’s Covid-19 snippets (Sunday)
• The last service out of Singapore’s Changi Airport to Bangkok left yesterday with just over 20 passengers – mostly Thai citizens trying to get home. After Thailand’s emergency decree was announced on Thursday, it banned all but its own citizens from flying into the country with strict, almost impossible, requirements of special papers, called ‘fit to fly’ documents. Almost all passengers…
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Things to know about the Covid-19 Coronavirus
Coronavirus has spread to 176 countries or territories around the world and claimed more than 31,000 lives, as of Sunday, March 29. More than 665,000 people around the world have now been infected, including more than 141,000 who have fully recovered at this stage. The US has recorded nearly 20,000 new cases in the last 24 hours plus 515 new…
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Thailand’s airlines line up for 16 billion baht lifeline
Thai airlines are mostly grounded, basically due to lack of traffic from government restrictions to stop people from travelling. But they still have staff and regulations that require them to be paid. So 7 Thai airlines are seeking a 16 billion baht lifeline from the Thai Finance Ministry so they can keep employees whist their planes remain on the ground.…
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Phuket residents told to stay home from 8pm – 3am ‘until further notice’
A virtual curfew has been announced for the island of Phuket which will restrict residents to their accommodation or homes from 8pm – 3am until further notice. The only exceptions would be URGENT errands. The announcement takes effect from today until further notice, according to the notice signed by the Phuket Governor. The notice “seeks the collaboration of local residents and…
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6 new cases in Phuket, most of them from Patong
The Phuket Communicable Disease Committee announced 6 new Covid-19 cases in Phuket today, bringing the total number of official cases to 47. 4 of the 6 new cases were from Patong, the other 2 from Kata and Karon.8 out of 18 new cases on the island since last Thursday had been visiting or working around Bangla Road. “879 people have been…
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