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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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?...
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Virologist predicts most of Thailand will have had Covid by 2023
If avoiding the coronavirus feels futile at this point, maybe it is. According to one of the country’s top virologists, by about the end of this year, nearly everyone in Thailand will have been infected with Covid-19. The chief of the Centre of Excellence in Clinical Virology at the Department of Paediatrics of Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Medicine Yong Poovorawan…
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Covid-19 “hospitel” isolation in Thailand to end September 1
One option for Covid-19 patients with no or mild symptoms in Thailand is to check into a hotel designated for Covid-19 isolation, known as a “hospitel,” but not for much longer. The remaining “hospitels” are set to change back to regular hotels on September 1, according to the Director-General of the Department of Health Service Support Dr Thares Krasaniyarawiwong. The…
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Thailand has 5 BA.2.75 antibody-resistant Covid-19 sub-variant
Health authorities are now keeping a close eye on the development of five confirmed infections of the Covid-19 sub-variant BA.2.75, known to be antibody resistant. The director-general of the Department of Medical Sciences outlined all the cases and warned that the sub-variant could spread quickly if not properly monitored. “Officials are monitoring the development of the sub-variant. If the strain…
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Thai tourism officials plan to propose new closing time for tourist areas
Thai tourism officials plan to propose a new closing time for night venues in tourist-heavy areas. The Tourism and Sports Minister plans to propose that the closing time move to 4am in these areas, as ‘high season’ is coming in October. He said the ministry plans to suggest the idea to the CCSA next month (September). Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn has…
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Authorities warn: Don’t self-prescribe Covid drugs like Molnupiravir
New warnings are being issued about self-medicating or misusing Covid-19 drugs like Molnupiravir and the negative effects that could result from it. Department of Disease Control Director-General Dr Opas Karnkawinpong is warning that people who do not need treatment taking antiviral drugs may create drug resistance in their body, making it ineffective against future infections. Meanwhile, director of King Chulalongkorn…
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Ban on public gatherings enacted and published in Royal Gazette
A new ban on public gatherings has been published in the Royal Gazette to combat the recent surge of Covid-19 infections in Thailand. The rule restricting unauthorised public assemblies is permitted under the Emergency Decree that was recently extended for a 19th time, as it has been every two months since it was instituted towards the beginning of the pandemic…
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Covid-19 preventing LAAB immunisations available from August 1
In August, public health centres in Thailand will make available Long Acting Antibody (LAAB) immunisations to help people get continued protection against Covid-19. The LAAB injections will first be made available to those with weekend or compromised immune systems and should provide protection against Covid for up to six months. The deputy government spokesperson explained that today, August 1, public…
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Covid-19 outbreak in Phuket elderly home
There’s been a Covid-19 outbreak in a Phuket elderly home, with a total of 45 people testing positive for the virus so far. Forty-two elderly residents and three guests have been infected, according to the Phuket Provincial Public Health Office Chief Dr Kusak Kukiattikoon. Dr Kusak said the office was informed of the outbreak on July 27. The Phuket Elder…
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New studies show Covid-19 started in Wuhan market, not lab
Two new studies suggest rumours of a lab leak or unnatural starts to Covid-19 are likely wrong, as a Wuhan animal market appears to be the epicentre of the pandemic’s beginnings. The studies were published Tuesday in Science, an academic journal, and point to a natural transition from animals to humans as the start of Covid, not any sort of…
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Emergency Decree extended by cabinet until end of September
The Thai cabinet met yesterday to officially extend the State of Emergency in Thailand, announced earlier this month, due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This will be the 19th extension it will prolong the Emergency Decree that was set to expire on July 31, going into effect on August 1 and continuing until September 30. The decree, which was first invoked by…
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Bangkok surges back above 10,000 Covid infections per day
Covid-19 infections have surged back to over 10,000 infections per day, in Bangkok alone. This time driven by the BA.5 sub-variant, and mostly identified through community testing and ATK results. Health officials also admit that many people are testing themselves at home, taking days off work and not registering their results with the health care system. Thailand’s last wave, driven…
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Thailand reports increase in Covid-19 related deaths and serious cases
Thailand has reported a jump in Covid-19 related deaths, and serious cases, throughout the past week. The Public Health Ministry said this morning that there have been 2,390 more coronavirus in-patients and 29 new deaths in the past 24 hours. The numbers provided by Worldometers for today (July 24) are 2,390 new cases and 30 deaths. All the new infections…
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Thailand’s DDC says boy with Covid-19 who died also had MIS-C
The DDC said today that a young child who died in central Thailand this week, who had Covid-19, also had Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children. The DDC’s director-general, Dr Opart Karnkawinpong, said doctors at Pathum Thani Hospital tried their best to save the six year old boy. He said they couldn’t save him because he also had MIS-C, and was…
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Thai doctor tells Covid-infected men not to fear shrinking penis
A urological surgeon from Thailand insists there is no hard evidence to suggest a man’s penis will shrink if he gets Covid-19 despite claims to the contrary. Dr Nantawat Siritanan, from Nopparat Rajathanee Hospital, located in Khan Na Yao District, Bangkok, told men not to waste time worrying whether their manhood will shrivel if they catch the coronavirus. Nantawat was…
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New variant detected in Thailand, doctor calls out CCSA for under-reporting infections
The latest sub-variant of the Covid-19 virus, BA 2.75, has been detected in the southern Thai province of Trang. Like BA.4 and BA.5, the more recent BA. 2.75 sub-variant is a more transmissible sub-variant of the Omicron strain. The new sub-variant was first detected in India in early June and had already spread to 14 other countries, including Japan, Germany,…
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Bangkok school brings back online learning after Covid-19 outbreak
A secondary school in Bangkok is bringing back online learning after a big Covid-19 outbreak. The Triam Udom Suksa Phattanakan School, which teaches grades 7-12, has had as many as 910 students test positive for the virus. The school, located in Bangkok’s central district of Suan Luang, plans to shut down to be cleaned on Friday, July 22. The online…
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Study: vaccines prevented nearly half a million deaths in Thailand
Since the start of the Covid-19 epidemic, 31,031 people have died in Thailand from the virus, but a research team suggest that it could have been much worse without vaccines. The team from Mahidol University suggested that, without a vaccination programme in place, Thailand would likely have seen another 490,000 deaths. The MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis compile…
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5-day holiday weekend brings predictable surge in Covid-19 infections
While it was entirely predictable, Thailand rejoiced at the chance to get away for a five-day weekend, ignoring warnings from medical professionals, and now the country is seeing a spike in new and serious Covid-19 infections. The Department of Disease Control released figures showing that the number of people infected with severe Covid cases that require ventilators is rising again.…
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Bangkok chief insists no entertainment events will be cancelled
Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt insists that no public entertainment events will be cancelled in the city despite pleas from the Ministry of Public Health. The 56 year old city chief said that cancelling any upcoming events without reason would cause panic among the people. The Public Health Permanent Secretary, Kiattiphum Wongrajit, informed the media that he wanted to meet Chadchart…
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Thai Health Ministry urges Bangkok to reduce activities to curb Covid spread
The Ministry of Public Health will meet with Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt today to discuss a new Covid-19 prevention plan and whether public gatherings should be reduced to curb the recent spike in coronavirus cases in the city. The Public Health Permanent Secretary, Kiattiphum Wongrajit, and Chadchart will meet this afternoon and discuss a strategy to prevent the spread of…
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Elderly woman near Bangkok dies of Covid-19 after request declined
An elderly woman near Bangkok has died of Covid-19 after a hospital allegedly declined her family’s request for an ambulance. The incident happened in Nonthaburi, a province bordering Bangkok. A foundation that tried to help the 82 year old woman said that she had several health other conditions as well. These included diabetes, high blood pressure, and chronic kidney disease…
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Molnupiravir should not be bought online and used, FDA warns
Self-administering the Covid-19 drug Molnupiravir can be dangerous, according to a new warning by the Thai Food a Drug Administration. The FDA announced that people should not purchase Molnupiravir independently and should only take the drug that has been used to treat Covid symptoms after consultation with a doctor or other medical professional who can prescribe proper usage. The Secretary…
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Japan hits record high in Covid-19 cases
Japan’s number of Covid-19 infections climbed to a new record yesterday. While Japan’s previous peak was 104,169 cases in February, yesterday, there were 110,600 cases. In Tokyo, 18,919 new cases were confirmed. The city’s metropolitan government raised its Covid alert to the highest of four levels. Most cases are mild and don’t require hospital treatment. As the country moves on…
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Bangkok doctor warns of lung infections from new Covid-19 sub-variant
One Bangkok doctor is warning the public of lung infections associated with the new sub-variant of Covid-19. The doctor, Nithipat Jearakul, is the head of Siriraj Hospital’s Department of Respiratory Disease and Tuberculosis. Nithipat says that the BA.5 subvariant of Omicron is as harmful to the lungs as the previous Delta variant. However, most people with lung infections are part…
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Bangkok to open 500 more field hospitals after Covid-19 spike
Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt said more field hospitals and isolation centres would be reopened to curb the recent spike in Omicron sub-variants BA.4 and BA.5 if it is necessary. The 56 year old told media today that the Omicron sub-variants BA.4 and BA.5 have increased recently since the relaxation of mask-wearing raising the number of Covid-19 infected patients in Bangkok.…
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CAAT allows food and drinks to be served on domestic flights in Thailand
The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) has given airlines the green light to serve food and drinks again on domestic flights in Thailand. Yesterday, the CAAT announced that director Sutthiphong Kongpool signed regulations to allow passengers on domestic flights in Thailand to be served food and drinks again, under strict Covid-19 prevention measures, effective immediately. The measures include that…
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Covid-19 is far from over cautions the WHO
Despite the world seemingly getting back to normal, the World Health Organisation (WHO) is warning that the Covid-19 pandemic is far from finished. New surges in coronavirus infections in Thailand and around the world are beginning to strain medical facilities and workers, but people are tired of safety measures and growing impatient, frustrating the head of the WHO. “The virus…
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Rise in holiday travel matches rise in severe Covid infections
The 5-day holiday weekend is driving up tourism numbers, but there also seems to be a rise in patients with severe Covid-19 infections that the Department of Disease Control says will likely increase from holiday travel. This warning came from the epidemiology director of the DDC, who laid out increases in severe coronavirus infections as well as those who require…
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Officials say Thailand’s Covid-19 cases to peak in September
Thai officials announced Friday that the number of Covid-19 cases in the country is expected to start rising next week. The CCSA said that in September, the number is expected to hit a peak. The CCSA added, however, that if people follow the Public Health Ministry’s suggestions to avoid crowded spaces and public gatherings, daily infections will start dropping from…
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“I strongly urge the Health Minister to reveal the actual number of new Covid cases” – Thai doctor
A Thai physician is calling out Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health, claiming they are not publishing accurate data on the actual number of Covid-19 infections. He claims that there is a cover up of the real numbers currently being disclosed to the public. The Deputy Minister of Health Dr Sathit Pitutecha claims that the actual number of current infections is…
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