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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Phuket chef hands out over 2,000 free meals
The Covid-19 pandemic has seen many heartwarming outpourings of charity, with a lot of businesses, both Thai and foreign, handing out free meals and essential goods to those affected by the crisis. The southern province of Phuket is no exception, with many pubs and restaurants joining in. But people in the island’s Bang Tao district might be surprised to learn…
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Ayutthaya welcomes visitors after restrictions lift
Ayutthaya is welcoming visitors again after months of empty temple grounds as another set of restrictions were lifted over the weekend, allowing temples and historical sites to open back up. Thailand’s economy is dependant on tourism and officials hope to get at least some domestic trips up and running by June. The Ayutthaya governor says the province is now safe from…
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2 new cases of Covid-19 reported in Thailand with one additional death (May 25)
Today the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration announced 2 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Thailand with 1 additional death. The 2 new cases consist of 1 imported case, a Thai woman repatriated from Russia last Wednesday who is currently under state quarantine in Chon Buri province. The other is a 49 year old Chinese citizen, the wife of an…
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Curfew violators made to volunteer at temples
As Thailand’s already crowded prisons struggle to cope with an influx of a new type of criminal, the “curfew violator”, the Department of Probation has come up with a novel solution – send them to the temples. Thailand has had a national curfew in place since the establishment of the country’s emergency decree on March 26. Initially it was from…
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Chon Buri, Pattaya pass coronavirus milestones
Chon Buri province passed a milestone today: 30 consecutive days without a new confirmed case of Covid-19. The Chonburi Communicable Disease Committee made the announcement this morning. Pattaya, which is part of the province, has reached 40 days. Not a single locally infected patient remains under treatment in the province. There is a state quarantine centre in the province (Sattahip)…
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Thai-made vaccine could be available sometime next year
Human trials of a locally manufactured Covid-19 vaccine could begin as early as the end of the year, according to Thailand’s Minister of Higher Education. Thailand is currently testing several vaccines. This one involves the government, Chulalongkorn University’s Centre of Excellence in Vaccine Research and Development, the National Vaccine Institute, the Department of Medical Sciences and the private sector. “If…
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Thailand depending on Chinese travellers for tourist reboot
Thailand is looking to China to rebuild its battered travel industry. As the Covid-19 pandemic subsides in Asia, countries are discussing the idea of “travel bubbles,” in which reciprocal nations establish guidelines that enable their citizens to move freely across their borders. The wider tourism industry accounts for 18-20% of Thailand’s GDP and provides jobs for almost a tenth of…
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Covid-19 update: 0 new cases, 0 deaths (May 23)
Thailand reported no new Covid-19 cases and no new deaths today, down from 3 yesterday, leaving totals at 3,040 confirmed cases and 56 deaths since the beginning of the outbreak in January. Panprapa Yongtrakul, spokeswoman for the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration made the announcement this morning. It’s the fourth day this month that there were no new confirmed cases.…
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Curfew may be shortened another hour – Midnight to 4am
The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, headed up by the Thai PM, is mulling knocking off another hour from the national curfew. If it goes ahead the curfew would shortened from 11pm – 4am daily to Midnight – 4am daily. It could happen as early as June 1, along with other relaxations of restrictions. The National Security Council is being…
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Despite low virus numbers, CCSA warns public not to be “reckless”
The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration said today that no new Covid-19 cases were reported on Friday, and 3 today, but warns that people must remain vigilant because there are still infected people roaming undetected in public. CCSA spokesman Dr. Taweesilp Visanuyothin says that between May 8 and yesterday, 45 people tested positive for the disease. 20 were infected in other…
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Bangkok City Hall plans more proactive Covid-19 testing, new rules for pet cafés
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration aka City Hall plans a “sentinel surveillance approach” to aggressively test for Covid-19 in high-risk areas, and has issued new rules for pet cafés to ensure the safety of guests, animals and staff. Bangkok’s governor made the announcement yesterday. “BMA will perform saliva tests in high-risk areas on at least 400 people per day until the…
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3 new Coronavirus cases in Thailand – May 23
The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration spokesman Dr Taweesilp announced in his daily press conference that Thailand has confirmed 3 new cases of the Covid-19 virus. 2 of the new cases are classed as “imported,” as they were found in a state quarantine facility among repatriates from overseas. Of the imported cases, 1 was a 25 year old old Thai…
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Misery as arrival ban keeps families apart
Thailand’s ban on foreign arrivals is causing misery among families across the nation as foreigners married to Thai nationals plead with the government to let them return to be with their families. James Jacobs, a Briton stranded in France, told Nation Thailand he wants to return to his 29 year old wife Sopa, who lives in Chiang Mai. Speaking by…
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Phase 3 of lockdown relaxations could begin June 1: CCSA
The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration confirmed yesterday, that Phase 3 of lockdown relaxation will take effect on June 1, after 5 relevant procedures are completed. CCSA spokesman Dr. Taweesin Visanuyothin says the procedures would be executed from today to May 31. The first procedure is the collection of information on the Covid-19 situation by officials involved with the lockdown…
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Government prepares for safe reopening of schools on July 1
Officials from Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health are working closely with the Education Ministry to facilitate the safe reopening of schools on July 1. There has been recent debate if the schools system would be ready by that date. The rollout of online learning has only been since Monday this week, with early bugs being ironed out and teachers, and…
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Survey finds Bangkok’s public transport lacking when it comes to safety measures
A survey carried out by the Thai Health Promotion Foundation shows that some users of public transport in the capital are not confident new health guidelines are being adhered to. The biggest concern appears to be a lack of social distancing, blamed on a shortage of vehicles during peak times. A report in Nation Thailand says those considered “high risk”…
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Thai Chamber of Commerce warns 10 million jobs in peril if lock-down persists
The Thai Chamber of Commerce is appealing for businesses to be allowed to reopen ASAP, warning that if the lock-down goes on much longer, an estimated 10 million people could lose their jobs. The Pattaya News reports that TCC Chairman, Kalin Sarasin, says businesses should be allowed to reopen provided they abide by new public health measures. He says the…
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Thailand’s contact tracing app currently unable to alert users
The Thai government says its contact-tracing app is vital to reducing a new flare up of the Covid-19 virus, while admitting the app is currently unable to issue alerts. Covid-19 Task Force spokesman Dr. Taweeslip Wisanuyothin adds that as the technology has only been in use since Sunday, any new cases reported since then are likely to have contracted the…
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Phase 3 of easing restrictions require Covid-19 case numbers to remain low for a fortnight
Thailand’s flamboyant public health minister and deputy PM Anutin Charnvirakul says the government is planning to announce the third phase of easing Emergency Decree restrictions if the number of new Covid-19 cases doesn’t rise within the next 2 weeks. Dr Taweesin Visanuyothin, spokesman of the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration reported yesterday that the total number of Covid-19 cases had…
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President Trump claims China responsible for “mass worldwide killing”
In one of his notorious Twitter posts, US President Donald Trump once again raged against China over the Covid-19 pandemic sweeping the globe, blaming Beijing for a “mass worldwide killing.” The early morning tweet yesterday, which referred to an unidentified “wacko in China”, is the latest heated rhetoric from Washington, where Trump is making attacks on Beijing a central narrative…
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Covid-19 update: 3 new cases including German man, no deaths (May 21)
The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration announced this morning that 3 new Covid-19 cases were found over the previous 24 hour period, but no deaths, bringing the national total to 3,037 and leaving the death toll at 56. The new cases were found in Bangkok and Chon Buri – 2 in community areas while 1, a returnee from the Philippines,…
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Officials fix online class glitches, schools may wait on opening
Schools are set to open July 1, but it could change if it seems too risky to have students, teachers and parents crowding schools so soon after the country was in the middle of its Covid-19 outbreak. Meanwhile, the government is working on getting kids set up with virtual classrooms after glitches in the system and many without access to…
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Global coronavirus infections top 5 million
“We still have a long way to go in this pandemic. In the last 24 hours, there have been 106,000 cases reported to WHO, the most in a single day since the outbreak began.” The Covid-19 coronavirus has infected more than 5 million people worldwide since the beginning of the outbreak, as the World Health Organisation yesterday reported highest number…
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State of emergency likely to remain through June
Despite the reopening of many businesses and a loosening of the national curfew, Thailand’s national state of emergency appears set to remain in effect for at least another month, as authorities are “still not confident” about the nation’s recovery from the Covid-19 crisis, according to a military source. PM Prayut Chan-o-cha met yesterday with military top brass to address the…
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Pattaya massage shops petition government to be allowed to reopen
Massage shops in Pattaya are appealing for permission to reopen as the city has not recorded a new case of the Covid-19 virus for 36 days now. Their plea comes as the government considers the possibility of allowing lower body massage only, to lessen the risk of virus transmission. However, the Thai Massage Association says it would be impossible for…
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‘New normal’ seen in shopping malls across Bangkok
Part of the ‘new normal’, in times of Covid-19 in Thailand, involves redesigning traditional ways of doing things and changing daily life to stay safe and virus free. Today The Standard has revealed a few things that you might see in the near future. To minimise the risk of the spread of Covid-19 in elevators, engineers have created a new,…
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Thai massage shops may reopen soon, from the waist down only
The Thai Government is debating whether to allow massage shops to reopen soon, provided treatment is limited to the lower body. Coconuts reports that the director of the Health Service Support department, Thares Karassanairawiwong, says upper body massage, including the back, shoulders and neck, will not be permitted for now as it may involve a higher risk of Covid-19 infection.…
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Thai virus expert says careful consideration needed before reopening schools
Thailand’s chief virologist Dr. Yong Poovorawan, from the Faculty of Medicine at Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn University, says reopening the country’s schools should not be a political decision. Instead, he says it should be based on science, with consideration given to the risks involved, and adequate safety measures put in place. Thai PBS World reports that Dr Yong says that while most…
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New drug has potential to stop Covid-19 without a vaccine
Scientists at China’s prestigious Peking University say a drug being tested at a Chinese laboratory could not only shorten recovery time for those infected with Covid-19, but perhaps even offer short-term immunity. They believe it could “bring the coronavirus pandemic to a halt”. The director of the university’s Beijing Advanced Innovation Centre for Genomics told AFP that the drug has…
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Phase 4 of relaxations may come sooner according to CCSA
The government’s Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration reported today that pubs, bars and entertainment facilities would be permitted to reopen in the coming weeks if the regular count of new Covid-19 cases remains in single digits. Dr Taweesilp has confirmed that the Covid-19 situation in Thailand continues to improve and has dropped to single digits for the past 22 days.…
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