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 How to reduce out-of-pocket medical expenses in Thailand?
Managing medical expenses in Thailand is important as healthcare costs continue to rise. The country’s healthcare system includes both public and private options, but even with the Universal Coverage Scheme (UCS) for citizens, many still face high out-of-pocket medical expenses....
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Colour-coding gives insight to Government’s post-April 30 strategy
The government and the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration is coding the 77 provinces of Thailand into colours. From green, where no Covid-19 cases have been found, up to red, where new, infected patients are discovered in the past 7 days. The National Security Council is expected to present a proposal tomorrow to possibly extend the Emergency Decree, Tourism and Sports Minister…
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With humans indoors, nature makes a comeback
With millions around the world housebound for the duration of the Covid-19 pandemic, Netflix and YouTube are making a killing and lots of people are finding new hobbies. But there’s another consequence to fewer humans on the streets and trampling around nature. Animals on land and in the sea are taking back areas claimed by humans over the past weeks…
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Tourism minister, TAT hope for a return of limited domestic travel
For weeks, interprovincial travel has been heavily restricted if not outright banned due to the Emergency Decree announced on March 24 to combat the spread of Covid-19. And although the National Security Council is expected to present a proposal on Monday to extend the Decree, Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakan expects the government to ease some measures and allow…
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Thailand reports 53 new virus cases, 1 more death (Saturday)
A spokesman for the government’s Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration today announced 53 new Covid-19 cases confirmed over a 24 hour period, and 1 additional death. Most of today’s new cases are imported from outside the country. 42 of the new cases are illegal migrant workers currently at the detention centre at the Sadao checkpoint bordering Malaysia, another 7 in Yala,…
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Thailand reports 53 new cases today, 1 more death (Saturday)
A spokesman for the government’s Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration today announced 53 new Covid-19 cases confirmed over a 24 hour period, and 1 additional death. Most of today’s new cases are imported from outside the country. 42 of the new cases are illegal migrant workers currently at the detention centre at the Sadao checkpoint bordering Malaysia, another 7 in Yala,…
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Housing registration not required to receive free masks, says ministry
False reports are circulating online that housing registration details are required to receive free face masks from the government, and the Ministry of Industry is publicly warning people not to believe them, calling them “fake news.” A spokesperson says that reports are appearing on online media that the ministry plans to distribute free cloth masks by post, but only after…
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Public health must take priority – Thai PM
PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has stressed that public health will take priority when the government makes a decision on Tuesday whether to ease restriction imposed by the Emergency Decree to fight the spread of Covid-19. At a press briefing at Government House yesterday, Prayut said that although Thailand has, up to now, managed to flatten the infection curve, the nation “cannot…
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Health officials announce colour-coding for provinces based on virus risk
Officials at the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration today announced a colour coding system for Thailand’s 77 provinces, based on the number of Covid-19 cases in each province or how long the province has gone without a new case being reported According to The Nation Thailand, green provinces, those where no Covid-19 cases have been found, include: Nan, Kamphaeng Phet,…
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Many farangs chipping in to help their stricken communities – VIDEO
Thai media are reporting that foreigners, together with their their Thai friends, are doing great work in Chiang Mai to ease the economic hardship felt by many due to the Covid-19 pandemic. MCOT reports that a group of foreigners as well as Thais outside a shop near the Chang Pheuak gate have been handing out 300 – 400 ready meals…
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Government ramps up production of 5 anti-Covid-19 medicines, procurement of others
The Government Pharmaceutical Organisation is increasing production of five drugs used treat Covid-19 to ensure adequate stocks for all patients. A GPO spokesmansaid that excluding Favipiravir also known as Avigan, Thailand has five drugs to treat Covid-19, totalling 39.6 million tablets: there are 1.8 million tablets of Chloroquine, an anti-malarial drug; 30.6 million tablets of an antiretroviral drug containing Lopinavir and…
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Experimental antiviral drug Remdesivir fails first clinical trial
Reports are emerging that the experimental antiviral drug Remdesivir, developed by the American pharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences, has failed in its first randomised clinical trial to treat Covid-19, according to draft documents accidentally published by the World Health Organization and seen by the Financial Times. Gilead disputed how the now deleted post characterised the findings, saying the data showed a…
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15 new Covid-19 cases in Thailand (Friday), no new deaths
At this morning’s daily press briefing from the Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration, Dr Taweesin Visanuyothin, announced somewhat of a stabilising of cases. 15 new confirmed Covid-19 cases were announced. This brings the total since the start of the outbreak to 2,854. 60 more people recovered and were released in the same 24 hour period. The total number of patients…
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Hungry residents in Bangkok queue for rice handouts
Thousands of Bangkok residents who have had their income cut off or severely reduced by the Covid-19 restrictions have been queueing for supplies of rice donated by some of the city’s Good Samaritans. Thai Residents reports that officials were on hand yesterday to check the lines of people in Santiphap Park in the city’s Ratchathewi district and ensure social distancing…
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4 new Covid-19 cases in Phuket, all in Bang Tao
Phuket has reported 4 new Covid-19 cases today, up from just 1 yesterday, all in the Cherngtalay sub-district of Bang Tao on the island’s west coast. A 2 year old boy was among 4 new cases. Phuket has the highest rate of Covid-19 cases per capita in Thailand, and the highest number outside of Bangkok (201 as of today), but numbers…
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Strict rules set to govern a possible return of domestic flights from May 1
The director-general of the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand is eyeing May 1 as a possible date for some domestic flights to once more take to the skies. Nation Thailand reports that this could start in provinces where ‘lockdown’ conditions are set to be eased, particularly where there are popular tourist hot-spots. But the CAAT boss Chula Sukmanop is warning…
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Buriram and Chon Buri get ready for easing of restrictions starting May 1
“Anyone leaving the province will have the stickers removed and, upon their return to the province, will have to enter quarantine..” – Buriram Governor Two of Thailand’s provinces have already declared they will begin relaxing provincial ‘lockdowns’ from May 1. Buri Ram, in the north east, and Chon Buri, south east of Bangkok, have separately announced a progressive relaxing of lockdown…
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Thailand’s Security Council eyes extending state of emergency, easing some restrictions
Next Monday, the day before the weekly Cabinet meeting, Thailand’s National Security Council will present a proposal to extend the national state of emergency to PM Prayut Chan-o- cha, recommending the relaxation of some current restrictions to allow some businesses and daily activities to resume amid the Covid-19 crisis. The NSC met with other security agencies to evaluate the current state…
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320,000 of Singapore’s migrant workers living in Covid-19 limbo
As the Covid-19 pandemic sweeps the world, some countries are faring better than others. Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, and as late as March, Singapore, had all been hailed for using the hard-won lessons of the 2003-04 SARS outbreak to combat the new virus, a relative of SARS. For Singapore, Taiwan and Hong Kong, the story might well have been one…
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Phuket eyes lifting restrictions on Tambons that are virus-free for 14 days
Phuket’s outgoing governor Pakkapong Tawipat recently extended emergency measures in the southern province until April 30, including severe travel restrictions on the island. Now there is speculation the incoming governor, Narong Namsouw, currently the governor of the northeastern Chaiyaphum province, will extend them, though there has been no confirmation of this. Governor Pakkapong says the provincial government is seeking opinions from…
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No new Covid-19 cases for Chonburi today
Good news coming out of Chonburi, just east of Bangkok, as zero new cases of Covid-19 infections were reported today. The province, home to the popular seaside resort Pattaya, has had 86 cases in total since the virus first struck Thailand. 2 people have died and a further 22 are still undergoing hospital treatment. 62 patients have fully recovered. The…
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Huge rise in single-use plastic during Thailand’s lockdown
One positive of the world shutting down is nature being given a much-needed chance to heal and recover. Sadly though, another not so nice consequence of the Covid-19 lockdown has been the significant increase in Thailand’s plastic waste. Why? Coconuts Bangkok says the Thailand Environment Institute blames the rise on more people availing of single-use plastic during this time for…
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March tourist arrival numbers worse than predicted
It’s no secret that the Covid-19 outbreak has been disastrous for Thailand’s tourism sector, long considered a vital lifeline of the nation’s already battered economy. Data released by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports today showed foreign tourist arrivals in Thailand slumped 76.4% in March compared to a year earlier. This follows a 42.8% drop the previous month, as the…
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Baby becomes youngest Covid-19 patient to recover in Thailand
As of 10.45am today, Thailand has a reported 2,826 Covid-19 cases. 2,352, or 83% of those have recovered and been discharged from hospital. Today we can add one more to that list – a 1 month old boy has become Thailand’s youngest coronavirus patient to successfully make a full recovery from Covid-19, after a team of medics used of a…
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Health Minister wants Thailand’s Covid-19 vaccine trials speeded up
PHOTO: CDC on Unsplash Back in the news again, Thailand’s expect-the-unexpected Health Minister, Anutin Charnvirakul, says he wants to see trials of a homegrown Covid-19 vaccine speeded up. Thai PBS World reports that Anutin wants to cut the current six month development period in half, saying guidelines for vaccine development must be completed in three months if production is set…
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Thousands of tourists stranded on a trio of Gulf islands
An estimated 10,000 foreign tourists are stranded on three islands in the Gulf of Thailand, more than half of them, around 5,700 on Koh Samui, after passenger flights were suspended due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Surat Thani province’s tourism and sports chief Tikamporn Sutti-udomrat, said yesterday that apart from the 5,700 visitors on Koh Samui, there are another 3,300 foreign…
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Thai companies urged to tighten up Covid-19 measures for migrant workers
The Director General of the Department of Employment Suchat Pornchaiwiseskul says that he has sent an urgent letter to companies asking them to ensure stricter disease control measures for migrant workers from neighbouring countries. The letter follows a serious outbreak of more than 7,000 confirmed cases of Covid-19 among migrant workers living in cramped conditions in Singapore. “The Centre for…
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Thailand’s top 20 wealthiest ready to help in time of crisis
After PM Prayut-cha-0-cha sent an open letter to the county’s 20 wealthiest people seeking advice to help lift Thailand out of the Covid-19 pandemic (read more HERE), today Thailand’s top business leaders said they’re ready to help the government ease the crunch of the coronavirus crisis, and will offered their ideas to lift the country out of its economic dilemma.…
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PM says he won’t bow to pressure on easing emergency restrictions
In a public address after yesterday’s weekly Cabinet meeting, PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha said he will not bow to increasing private and public pressure to ease restrictions and closures of businesses caused by Covid-19. Prayut stated that the priority is the health of the public, and that although he deeply sympathises and understands the pain of the people, with an estimated…
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Second visa amnesty approved, will be automatic, free
The government has announced a second automatic visa extension for foreigners who are stranded in the country by the Covid-19 pandemic. A spokesman at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the Cabinet approved the automatic visa extension today. Natapanu Nopakun, deputy spokesman at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said. Foreigners whose visa expired after March 26 will be permitted to…
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Thailand testing experimental Covid-19 vaccine on animals
Thailand, as well as the rest of the world, are racing against time to find a viable and safe vaccine for the Covid-19 virus. Thailand’s National Vaccines Institute, along with the science faculties of Mahidol Univesity and Faculty of Pharmacy of Chulalongkorn University, is currently testing a possible candidate for a Covid-19 vaccine on animals. This is the final stage before…
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