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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Phuket businesses beg to allow import of private vaccines
With the July 1 deadline for reopening to internationals travellers approaching and Covid-19 spreading rapidly, Phuket industry leaders are begging the Thai government to allow private importing of vaccines. Phuket’s sandbox plan required a 70% vaccinated resident policy, which looks unattainable, in order to allow tourism without quarantine again. With the pandemic spread across all 77 provinces now, vaccines that…
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Thailand to issue international vaccine passport for travellers
An international vaccine passport, certifying Covid-19 immunisation, will be an official travel document for those travelling overseas, according to an order by the Public Health Ministry’s Disease Control Department. A copy of the vaccine passport along with an order outlining the issuing process, both approved by the department’s director general Opas Karnkawinpong, were published in the Royal Gazette, making it…
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Quarantine period for international arrivals is now back to 14 days
Quarantine for those entering Thailand from overseas will now go back to the original 14 day period (which ends up being 15 to 16 days). The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration announced the quarantine extension this afternoon, saying those who obtained their Certificate of Entry prior to May 1, and arrive in Thailand before May 6, will still be able…
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UPDATE: Covid-19 around the world
The Covid-19 situation around the world is seeing some nations attempt to return to a new normal as vaccines are rolled out, but some countries, notably India, are seeing the worst of the virus. As India’s death toll reached over 200,000 yesterday, hospitals are running out of oxygen and basic medical equipment. A Covid virus variant has hit the South…
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Historical sites in Thailand closed until May 9 for Covid-19
In another step to help curb the rampant third wave of Covid-19 throughout Thailand, all ancient and historical sites will be closed until May 9. Director-general Prateep Pengtako, leader of the Fine Arts Department in Thailand, announced the closure, ongoing since April 26th and currently scheduled until May 9 depending on pandemic developments. The decree included national museums, national archives,…
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UPDATE: New provincial colour-coding announced
UPDATE: A new colour coding has been announced. Here’s the new coding, broken up into dark red, light red and orange zoned provinces. Check The Thaiger for the latest story HERE. EARLIER STORY Thailand’s provinces could see an update as early as today on whether their Covid-19 colour-coding will change as a result of the current virus wave sweeping the…
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Covid UPDATE: 1,871 new infections and 10 deaths; provincial totals
1,871 new Covid-19 cases and 10 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today by Thailand’s Public Health Ministry, raising the total count since the start of the pandemic last year to 63,570 Covid-19 infections and 188 fatalities. Covid-related deaths in Thailand have been reported each day since April 17. Thailand now has 27,988 active Covid-19 cases with many infections related to entertainment…
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Phuket to close land border from 11pm to 5am each day, essential travel only
The Phuket governor issued an order to close all land borders to the island province from 11pm to 5am each day to help combat the spread of Covid-19. The borders include the main Tha Chat Chai entry checkpoint in the Thalang district. The closure order will be in place until May 12. Only essential travel will be allowed to pass…
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Suvarnabhumi check-in counters become vaccine administration points
It’s probably the most traffic check-in counters at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport has seen in a while. Officials are using the area as a makeshift vaccination centre, where airport staff are lining up to receive a dose of a Covid-19 vaccine. The initiative is the latest attempt to speed up vaccine administration as Thailand finds itself battling a far more virulent…
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Thai courts getting tough on face mask violations
People caught not wearing a face mask in a public space face stiff penalties, with the courts fining at least 9 people so far this week. Officials are cracking down on face mask violations as disease prevention measures are ramped up to curtail the spread of Covid-19. Certainly Thai police have shown their fervour for the crackdown and have been…
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Locally-produced AstraZeneca vaccine will be available by June
AstraZeneca Thailand has released a statement to confirm that doses of its locally-produced vaccine will be available by June. Siam Bioscience has been given the sole rights to manufacture the vaccine within Thailand, with an AstraZeneca representative saying the manufacturing process has progressed significantly. The Bangkok Post reports that the Food and Drug Administration has worked with the government to…
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Locals threaten to burn hall if converted to field hospital
Citing fears of Covid-19 spreading, terrified locals threatened to burn down a Nakhon Si Thammarat conference hall authorities were preparing as a possible field hospital. The hall in the Muang district was one of several locations provincial authorities were readying as potential makeshift medical care facilities if the Covid-19 outbreak worsens. As of now, the governor chose 3 sites at…
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National Vaccine Institute head says Thailand never turned down an offer from Pfizer
After reports claiming that the Thai government turned down an offer from Pfizer for 13 million vaccine doses, the director of the National Vaccine Institute is debunking the claims saying the reports are false and the country is still looking into acquiring doses from the company. Thailand’s Public Health Ministry is negotiating with several Covid-19 vaccine manufacturers to acquire more…
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Bangkok places biohazard bins throughout the city for used face masks
To help combat the spread of Covid-19 in Bangkok where cases have soared past 10,000 over the past month, more biohazard garbage bins are being placed throughout the city to dispose of used face masks and other waste that could be contaminated with the virus. Medical waste in Bangkok has increased to 20 tonnes per day since the start of…
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Hat Yai’s Kim Yong market closed after trader infected with Covid
Thailand’s southern city of Hat Yai’s Kim Yong market is closed after a trader there became infected with Covid-19. The market, popular with both foreigners and Thais, has been closed for 3 days for disinfecting. The market, a major tourist landmark in the heart of the city, is closed until April 30. The market sells fruit, snacks, clothing and flowers.…
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Covid UPDATE: 2,012 new infections, provincial updates
2,012 new Covid-19 infections and 15 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the Ministry of Public Health’s Department of Disease Control this morning. Over the past month, more than 32,000 Covid-19 infections have been reported. There are currently 27,119 active Covid-19 cases in Thailand. 695 patients are in critical condition with 199 of those patients on ventilators. Out of the 2,012…
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List of provinces requesting residents to stay at home during night hours
As the number of Covid-19 infections in Thailand continues to rise, a number of provinces have set what some call “soft curfews,” requesting that residents stay at home during late and early hours, unless travel is essential. Earlier reports said some provinces have set curfews, but a spokesperson for the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration said the times set by…
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MRT train station employee diagnosed with Covid-19
Despite strict adherence to Covid-19 safety measures, a staff member of the Metropolitan Rapid Transit Authority in Bangkok has tested positive for the virus. The MRT made an announcement today about the employee, whose gender was not revealed. They confirmed that the Covid-19 infected staff member worked on the MRT Chalong Ratchadham line – the purple line – at the…
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Chon Buri province sees 108 new infections today
Thailand’s Chonburi Province, which features the city of Pattaya, is confirming 108 new Covid-19 infections today. Now, the province has seen a total of 2,153 infections since the third wave of Covid began in early April. 1,590 are still listed as undergoing medical care, with 1 death recorded this week. 562 have now been released from medical treatment and have…
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Initial investigation finds woman’s death not related to receiving 2nd Sinovac dose
Officials say a 23 year old woman’s death, after recently receiving a second Sinovac jab, is not related to the Covid-19 vaccine. The findings are from an initial investigation into her death by the Ministry of Public Health. The woman received the second dose of the Chinese-made Sinovac vaccine in Samut Sakhon province at her workplace on April 21. 1…
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Company of Covid-infected workers who broke “work from home” rules refuses to pay salaries
A company is refusing to pay 4 of its Covid-infected Thai workers who allegedly broke its work from home rules by venturing outside. The issue has alerted social media users who criticised the company after one of the workers said he was being denied payment after contracting the virus during the work from home period. But that man didn’t say…
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Petition calling for Anutin’s resignation exceeds signature target, new target set
A petition hosted on Change.org, demanding the resignation of Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, has surpassed an initial target of 200,000 signatures. The target has now been increased to 300,000, with over 211,600 having signed at the time of writing. Anutin has been widely criticised for his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, with signatories demanding the reins be handed over…
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Samples of locally-produced AstraZeneca jab pass the test
The Department of Medical Sciences has approved samples of the AstraZeneca vaccine which have been produced locally by Siam Bioscience. Supakit Sirilak from the DMS says 5 models of vaccine were submitted for approval. The 5 had been tested for consistency during production. The AstraZeneca jab is one of only 3 so far to be approved by Thailand’s Food and…
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In charge: PM given sole authority to manage everything pandemic-related
The Thai PM has been put in sole charge of handling the Covid-19 crisis, assuming all powers previously delegated to various ministers. Thai PBS World reports that yesterday, the Cabinet agreed to designate Prayut Chan-o-cha as the chief authority with responsibility for all decisions related to the pandemic. These include the issuance of all orders, permits, and approvals aimed at…
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Covid-19 patients in Bangkok sent to other provinces due to overcrowded hospitals
To help ease overcrowding at hospitals in Bangkok, where more than 10,000 people have tested positive for Covid-19 since April 1, some coronavirus patients are now being sent to the neighbouring provinces Samut Prakan and Samut Sakhon, just south of the capital, for treatment. Field hospitals are reopening in Samut Sakhon, the epicentre of the last wave of infections in…
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2 Phuket expats infected after returning from Krabi and Bangkok
2 expats in Phuket are infected with Covid-19 after returning from travelling off the island. They tested positive at the Tha Chatchai checkpoint at the north end of the island. One is an Italian man who returned from Krabi, and the other is a Belgian who returned after a visit to the Belgian embassy in Bangkok. The 2 men were…
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Face masks now required in 54 provinces in Thailand
So far, 54 of Thailand’s 77 provinces have imposed orders requiring the public to wear face masks while in public in an effort intended to slow the spread of Covid-19 which hit a record high this month. Violators face a fine of up to 20,000 baht. Since April 1, there have been 30,824 Covid-19 infections reported in Thailand, making up…
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Check-in counters at Bangkok airport now used for Covid-19 vaccine screening
Following the drastic slowdown of air travel due to the pandemic, empty check-in counters at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport are now being used to service those registering for a Covid-19 vaccine including frontline workers, Airports of Thailand employees, and staff at the airport. On the airport’s fourth floor for departures, 42 of the check-in desks are now run by local healthcare…
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Covid UPDATE: 2,179 new cases, 15 deaths, Provincial totals
2,179 new Covid-19 cases and 15 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today by the Ministry of Public Health’s Department of Disease Control. Since the start of the pandemic last year, Thailand has reported 59,687 Covid-19 infections and 163 coronavirus-related deaths. The recent wave of infections over the past month makes up more than half of Thailand’s total count with 30,824 people…
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Thailand sets grim record of highest daily Covid deaths since start of pandemic
Thailand is setting a rather grim record today as its death toll from Covid-19 has reached the highest daily amount since the pandemic started. 15 new deaths were reported today, setting a new daily record for the third time in 4 days. The deaths consisted of Thai nationals, with 9 men and 6 women, aged 24 to 88. Most of…
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