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 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?...
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Phuket Gov issues English letter urging Covid-19 compliance
This afternoon Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew issued a direct letter, apparently aimed at foreigners. The letter urged that everyone comply with the island’s Covid-19 restrictions to try to eliminate the virus. The letter is a formal request marked urgent, written in English implying that it is directed at foreigners, issued by the Directing Division of the Phuket Governor’s office at…
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Melbourne, Australia on week-long Covid-19 lockdown
Melbourne, Australia’s second largest city, has just gone into a sudden 7-day Covid-19 lockdown, after a recent outbreak. The city of 5 million people has new stay at home orders today for the next week, going into effect at midnight tonight and lasts until June 3. The lockdown will not just affect the city of Melbourne but the entire Victoria…
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Water monitor lizard blood studied in Thailand for potential to treat cancer and Covid-19
Asian water monitor lizard blood is being researched in Thailand for its medicinal properties and its potential to treat cancer and even Covid-19. The Thai government granted the Mahidol University permission to collect blood samples from the protected species and study proteins in the blood that contribute to the lizard’s immune defence. The large lizards, sometimes reaching 1.5 metres in…
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2 of the 62 people arrested at Bangkok sex party test positive for Covid-19
2 of the 62 people who were arrested at the alleged drug and sex party in Bangkok have tested positive for Covid-19. Large gatherings are prohibited in Bangkok, particularly those where people are in “close contact,” to prevent the spread of the virus. Reports say the large gathering at the Faros Sauna was a “chemsex” event involving drugs to enhance sex.…
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Thai Airways introducing limited direct flights between Europe and Phuket
Thai Airways is testing the waters (so to speak) by introducing a limited number of direct flights from Europe to Phuket, ahead of the southern island’s July 1 re-opening. The national carrier, currently in the throes of restructuring after teetering on the brink of bankruptcy, has started selling direct flights from 4 European cities to Phuket. According to a Bangkok…
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93% of Covid samples from April test positive for variant found in the UK
The Covid-19 variant first detected in the United Kingdom is said to have been found in many of the cases detected in April. Out of 300 samples, 93% tested positive for the mutated strain, B.1.117, according to director general of the Public Health Ministry’s Department of Medical Sciences, Supakit Sirilak. The latest outbreak of Covid-19 started in clusters in Bangkok’s…
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Pattaya plans for reopening with no quarantine for vaccinated travellers
Pattaya will reopen to foreign tourists this year under a model similar to Phuket… but only if 70% of residents are vaccinated against Covid-19. Local officials are seeking more vaccine doses in an effort to reach herd immunity and bring people back to one of Thailand’s most popular tourist destinations. Under the plan “Pattaya, Move On,” quarantine in Pattaya would be…
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Government “revamps” vaccination registration after scrapping Mor Prom
After scrapping its Mor Prom app, the government is now rejigging Covid-19 vaccine allocation, amid registration issues and new infection clusters. The much-lauded (by the government) technology was launched on May 1, initially so the elderly and those with 7 underlying conditions could register. However, the system quickly became overwhelmed with the numbers trying to register, which caused it to…
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Mor Prom Covid-19 vaccine registration Line account scrapped
Less than a month after its not-so-triumphant launch, the Mor Prom Line account for vaccine registration, like so many Covid-19 plans before it, has been scratched. The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration says the government decided to discontinue to online registration scheme in anticipation of the platform being overwhelmed by coming sign-ups. The plan is now to keep Mor Prom…
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Mahidol University: We did not state Fingerroot is effective medicine for treating Covid-19 symptoms
Mahidol University, located in Nakhon Pathom, a central Thai province, has denied they are associated with any claims made by product advertisers that extracts from Fingerroot, a root that has the appearance of long, jaundiced fingers, can be used to treat Covid-19 sufferers. A rector from the university, Professor Dr. Banchong Mahaisavariya, attempted to distance the university from the advertisers’…
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Police in Koh Samui arrest 9 people for gathering and drinking alcohol
Police in Koh Samui arrested 9 people for allegedly gathering and drinking alcohol, a violation of the strict disease control rules put in place to prevent the spread of Covid-19. The island has been working to contain the virus and administer vaccines quickly to prepare for the reopening to vaccinated foreign tourists on July 1 under a travel model similar…
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Social media users can face legal action for spreading false Covid-19 information
Those who post false information about the Covid-19 situation in Thailand could face legal action. Several people are facing charges for posts they made on social media with misleading information on the spread of the coronavirus in Thailand and vaccine side effects. The false statements could potentially provoke social unrest and threaten national security, according to the Digital, Economy and…
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Cabinet approves Emergency Decree extension, prison funding
The Emergency Decree enacted to attempt to curb the spread of Covid-19 in Thailand has just been extended for 2 more months, until the end of July. Cabinet ministers met yesterday to determine the future of the decree and agreed to extend it from June 1 to July 31, while also approving funding for fighting Covid-19 in the Thai prison…
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Four different Covid-19 variants detected in Thailand
Four different Covid-19 variants have been detected in Thailand since April 1, the start of the latest wave of the coronavirus. More than 100,000 people have contracted the virus and more than 700 Covid patients over the past couple of months. The original strain of SARS-CoV-2 spread from Wuhan, China to Thailand back in January of last year. The first…
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Managers of Bangkok clubs blamed for third wave deny any wrongdoing
The managers of 2 nightclubs in the Thong Lor district of Bangkok have denied any responsibility for causing a third wave of Covid-19. The Krystal and Emerald clubs have been widely blamed for sparking a resurgence of the virus that has now spread across the Kingdom, threatening tourism re-opening plans and further decimating an already-fragile economy. Both managers face charges…
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China’s Sinopharm vaccine up for approval in Thailand
China is seeking approval for its Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine to be used in Thailand. Documents have been submitted and Thailand’s Food and Drug Administration secretary general Paisal Dunkhum says the vaccine will be reviewed for its quality, safety, and efficacy. He says he expects a decision on whether to approve the vaccine for use to be made within the next…
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Health Minister insists AstraZeneca vaccines will be delivered on time
The required doses of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine will be ready for the government’s June 7 rollout. So says Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, in response to concerns over supply issues. A number of hospitals have already suspended use of the vaccine, due to low or no supplies. According to a Bangkok Post report, Anutin met with representatives from AstraZeneca…
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Monk talks man down from a telephone tower in Sattahip
Last night, a monk came to the aid of a man who was preparing to jump off a telephone tower in Sattahip, the elbow of land between Pattaya and Rayong. Sattahip police were dispatched to the telephone tower after they were notified of the man’s situation at 9:30pm. Once at the scene, police and local media found a 54 year…
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515 test positive for Covid at construction site in Nonthaburi, mostly migrant workers
Another construction site, this time in Nonthaburi, north of Bangkok, has reported an outbreak of Covid-19 after active testing revealed 515 people infected with Covid-19, over half of the 959 total workers who were there and screened. The worksite, Sin0-Thai, has been ordered to close. The majority of those who tested positive were asymptomatic, according to provincial health officials who…
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Tourism not expected to bounce back until 2026 – Thai government
Grim news for tourist-dependent areas such as Phuket as the government has cautioned it could be another half decade before the tourist industry is fully revitalised. 2 years ago, prior to the pandemic, tourism comprised around 21% of Thailand’s GDP, taking in 1.8 trillion baht in revenue. However, the National Economic and Social Development Council predicts Thailand won’t see similar…
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Former Finance Minister petitions to revoke approval of government’s 700 billion baht loan
A former politician, who served as Finance Minister from 2011 to 2012, is petitioning the Supreme Administrative Court to revoke approval for the government’s 700 billion baht loan. Cabinet recently approved an executive decree that allows the government to borrow the funds, in order to restore Thailand’s decimated economy and combat the Covid-19 crisis. Thirachai Phuvanatnaranubala says he doesn’t object…
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Government adjusts timing of second dose as hospitals run low on AstraZeneca
The Thai government says the second dose of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine can be administered 16 weeks after the first, instead of the standard 10 weeks. Officials insist the delay won’t have any negative impact, as reports circulate that hospitals are running out of AstraZeneca doses. Both Chulabhorn and Vachira hospitals have confirmed they are suspending inoculation with AstraZeneca indefinitely…
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Government urged to clarify private hospitals’ vaccination role
The government is being urged to clarify whether private hospitals can administer Covid-19 vaccines to employees. According to a Bangkok Post report, the Employers’ Confederation of Thai Trade and Industry, also known as EconThai, says the government needs to eliminate the legal barriers preventing private hospitals from vaccinating workers. Last week, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha said workers under Section 33 of…
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Trained dogs highly accurate at identifying Covid-19 infections, study shows
Dogs could replace temperature and infrared scanners at Covid-19 screening points. A new study shows that dogs can be trained to identify the coronavirus, even when people are asymptomatic. The dogs are more than 90% accurate, the study says. Socks and face masks from 200 people who tested positive for Covid-19 were collected by researchers from the London School of…
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Monday Covid-19 Update: 2,713 new cases and 30 deaths, provincial totals
2,713 new Covid-19 cases and 30 coronavirus related deaths were reported today in Thailand, raising the total case count since the start of the pandemic to 135,439 and the death toll to 806. The are now 45,307 active Covid-19 cases in Thailand. Out of the new cases reported today, 206 infections were at correctional facilities. Thousands of inmates at around…
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Private hospitals to order 5 million Moderna vaccine doses for paying customers
Private hospitals in Thailand say they are ordering 5 million Moderna vaccine doses for paying clients who may want a different vaccine brand. Thailand’s Private Hospital Association, which includes more than 200 private hospitals across the country, is reviewing orders for the vaccine from its members and will order the vaccines through the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation. Officials say private hospitals…
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Experts say a choice in Covid-19 vaccines will help boost immunity against variants
A choice in Covid-19 vaccines is being touted by health experts as a way to help protect against virus variants. Such experts are calling on the Thai government to include a variety of brands in its national vaccination drive after the South African variant was discovered in the South last Saturday. The B.1.351 variant is thought to be the most…
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Villages in southern Thailand closed off due to cases of South African variant
Health officials in the southern province of Narathiwat have sealed off 9 villages after 3 confirmed cases of the Covid-19 variant first detected in South Africa. Opas Karnkawinpong from the Disease Control Department says the villages in the Tak Bai district have been closed off to prevent the virus spreading further in the province. The district sits across the Kolok…
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Sunday UPDATE: 3,382 new infections and 17 deaths, provincial totals
This morning the public health ministry has announced 3,382 new cases of Covid-19 and 17 new deaths across Thailand. The daily numbers, again, are oddly statistically consistent with the daily toll around 1,900 – 2,500 for the past month (with few variations). Although the daily totals, even without the prison numbers, are slowly creeping up, mostly as a result of…
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Doctor urges Pfizer, Moderna vaccine to fight B.1.351 variant
Reacting to the news that the B.1.351 variant of Covid-19 (commonly nicknamed the South African variant) has now been found in Thailand, a senior doctor at the Siriraj Centre of Research Excellence Management has called upon the government to obtain Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson vaccine as quickly as possible. In a Facebook post yesterday, the doctor suggested that…
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