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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Thailand informs airlines about removal of Covid-19 vaccine rule
Unvaccinated travellers heading to Thailand can now feel at ease knowing airlines around the world have been informed that Thailand no longer requires arrivals to prove they are vaccinated against Covid-19. Thailand momentarily reintroduced the two-dose Covid vaccine entry requirement with barely any notice as a measure to mitigate the risk of importing a caseload of coronavirus from China, which…
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Bangkok City Hall assesses Covid readiness
With travel increases to Thailand, and with the reopening of China, comes the risk of spreading Covid-19. Bangkok City Hall is taking steps to ensure that visitors can enjoy their stay while keeping themselves and others safe as they brace for an influx of tourists. Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt tasked his deputy governors with conducting a full assessment of the…
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Thailand U-turns on Covid-19 vaccine entry requirement
Just days after Thailand reintroduced the two-dose Covid-19 vaccine entry requirement, Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul says the requirement will be dropped with immediate effect. However, the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) has informed airlines globally that unvaccinated tourists must provide either proof of recovery from Covid in the past six months or a doctor’s note explaining why they are…
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Thousands of hotel bookings cancelled after vaccine measures introduced
Phuket Tourist Association (PTA) advisory president made it known to the public yesterday that at least 1,000 hotel bookings have been cancelled after Thailand decided tourists needed two Covid-19 vaccine doses before entering the kingdom. The Minister of Transport, Saksayam Chidchob, later confirmed that travellers without a vaccine certification can enter Thailand, but they might be randomly tested at the…
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Four new measures adopted for all foreign tourists arriving in Thailand
Thailand has adopted four new Covid-19 measures for all foreign tourists arriving in the kingdom. The Public Health Ministry adopted the measures in response to the Chinese government’s decision to ease travel restrictions on their citizens starting January 8. According to Thai PBS World, the new measures include: All visitors must have received at least two doses of the Covid-19…
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Chiang Mai issues booster shots to get ready for Chinese tourists
Chiang Mai is preparing to welcome Chinese tourists by giving booster shots to its workers in the tourism industry. The province intends to issue 3,000 doses per day from January 23 to 29. Other residents in the province are also being encouraged to get booster doses. The Deputy Governor of Chiang Mai, Worravit Chaisawat, was chair of the meeting at…
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Thailand’s public health minister says Chinese tourists won’t be discriminated against
Thailand’s Public Health Minister, Anutin Charnvirakul, says the country’s plans to re-introduce Covid-19 related measures won’t discriminate against Chinese travellers. He then went on to say that the measures won’t discriminate against any particular country. But, the government is expected to finalise measures that would apply to visitors arriving from Covid-plagued countries, which include China. “Relevant officials agree to give…
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Airlines up in arms over increase in Covid measures due to influx of Chinese travellers
Worldwide airline lobby group International Air Transport Association (IATA) is up in arms over global plans to re-introduce Covid-19 restrictions for passengers arriving from China. The IATA says such measures represent a “knee-jerk” reaction to China’s recent lifting of Covid restrictions. Such a reintroduction of measures for travellers is being criticised by the IATA as it says science should supersede politics.…
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China threatens retaliation over restrictions on Chinese tourists
China is striking back as governments around the world are making policies for Chinese tourists entering their countries. A massive Covid-19 wave has been surging through the mainland, but January 8 reopening plans are still in place allowing a huge tourism demographic of Chinese tourists to flock to holiday destinations worldwide. But not only that! China is threatening countermeasures against…
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Thailand prepares measures to prevent influx of Covid-19 cases from China
As China prepares to open the floodgates on Sunday, Thai government officials are discussing measures to prevent Covid-19 outbreaks from the upcoming influx of Chinese tourists, given the prevalence of the virus in the People’s Republic of China at present. The virus spread rapidly in China after Beijing dropped three-year-long stringent Covid measures last month. Then, Beijing dropped mandatory quarantine…
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Call for Covid boosters before wave of Chinese tourism
To prepare for an influx of Chinese tourists, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is encouraging all employees in the tourism sector to get a Covid-19 booster shot. China has experienced a giant wave of infections since it abandoned its zero-Covid policy but the mainland still intends to open its borders to allow citizens to travel abroad next week. Many…
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Thai restaurant develops Flu-Shot Soup to prevent flu and Covid-19
A Thai restaurant in the United States has cooked up a tasty dish to feed its hungry customers and at the same time found a remedy to prevent them from getting flu and Covid-19 – Flu-Shot Soup! The family-owned Thai restaurant, Taste of Thailand, in Denver, Colorado, developed the special recipe some 20 years ago but it only came to…
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Covid-19 screening not necessary for China arrivals
The Department of Disease Control (DDC) met on Saturday to assess the Covid-19 situation in China and the border reopening on January 8. Covid-19 screening tests for arrivals from China might not be necessary for the time being although vaccination documents will be checked Tares Krassanairawiwong, DDC director-general, said nearly five million visitors from China are expected this year while…
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World’s revellers throng to New Year’s Eve parties
Free from many of their Covid worries, the world’s revellers thronged to New Year’s Eve parties, with Pacific nations of Kiribati, Tonga and Samoa the first to greet the new year, one hour ahead of neighbours New Zealand. In China, celebrations took place at the Great Wall in Beijing, and in Shanghai, traffic was stopped along the Bund to allow…
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Pandemic winners and losers – them and us
The pandemic has not been all bad. It’s wrong to look only at the downside of widespread death, fear and grief. There have been pandemic winners and losers. Some people have made a lot of money, and that’s no bad thing, is it? According to Bloomberg, and Al Jazeera, as of yesterday, 131 billionaires had more than doubled their net…
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Thailand prepares to welcome infected tide of Chinese tourists
As Thailand prepares to welcome an infected tide of Chinese tourists, in the US, the Biden administration is changing its policy for arrivals from China, including Hong Kong, and Macau. Washington is scared. Coronavirus infections running rampant in Beijing could spawn new and more dangerous variants. From January 5, all travellers from China, including Hong Kong, and Macau, must present…
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China opening up a boost for Thailand tourism
China yesterday announced it will reopen its borders and abandon its strict Covid-19 quarantine for travellers and mainland citizens on January 8. The announcement signals great news for Thailand as the kingdom continues to prosper from the worldwide relaxation of Covid restrictions. Chinese visitors topped the nation’s No.1 tourist charts before the pandemic outbreak in 2020. From 2014 there had…
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King and Queen cleared of Covid-19 infection
His Royal Majesty King Vajiralongkorn and Her Majesty Queen Suthida Bajrasudhabimalalakshana have now recovered after being infected with the Covid-19 virus. The Bureau of the Royal Household had originally reported their infection on December 17. They now report that Their Majesties can now safely return to their royal duties after a full recovery. The original statement was issued on December 17 after the king and queen were…
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China plans to cut mandatory quarantine for foreign travellers
China is reportedly planning to cut mandatory quarantines for foreign travellers as early as next month. According to Bloomberg News, two anonymous sources say that officials are considering a “0+3” policy, which means that arrivals into the country won’t be required to spend time in a quarantine hotel or an isolation facility. China will continue to ease Covid-19 restrictions, according to its ambassador to…
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China releases first Covid fatality rates after loosening restrictions
China is reporting its first fatality rates after the recent loosening of Covid restrictions. According to CNBC, three people died over the weekend after contracting Covid-19 marking the first fatalities since the last report in May. All three were aged 87 to 91 and lived in Beijing. Last Sunday alone, Beijing reported more than 26,000 infections, both symptomatic and asymptomatic.…
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King and Queen test positive for Covid-19
His Royal Majesty King Vajiralongkorn and Her Majesty Queen Suthida Bajrasudhabimalalakshana have been infected with the Covid-19 virus. The announcement was made today by the Bureau of the Royal Household, according to Prachachat. The statement was issued after the king and queen were administered Covid screening tests late yesterday evening. It is common for them to be tested regularly for the…
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Covid precautions for New Year’s Eve in Bangkok
Nobody wants to hear it, but Covid-19 numbers are on the rise in Thailand, stoking governmental fears around the approaching New Year’s Eve festivities. Officials in Bangkok announced that New Year’s Eve countdown parties will be allowed to be thrown as planned, but face masks will be required wherever crowds gather. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration will be laying out clear guidelines…
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China will continue to ease Covid-19 restrictions
China will continue to ease Covid-19 restrictions, according to its ambassador to the US, Qin Gang. He says the country will welcome even more international travellers in the “near future.” “We know people’s concerns. Now, the measures are being relaxed and in the near future I believe that measures will be further relaxed and international travel will become easier.” Qin’s…
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China says Covid has weakened as it announces loosening of strict policies
China is saying that Covid has weakened in the country after it announced yesterday that it would end the forced centralised quarantine. This will allow people who only have mild Covid-19 to isolate at home, and there will be more freedom to travel around the country. The Chinese Communist Party’s People’s Daily newspaper said today that China has taken the…
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UK summons Chinese ambassador after BBC journalist arrested covering Covid protests
After the arrest and alleged assault of BBC journalist Ed Lawrence, the UK has summoned the Chinese ambassador to London. The foreign office called in Zheng Zeguang over Lawrence’s arrest in Shanghai, while he was covering the Covid-19 protests. Foreign Secretary James Cleverly called the alleged arrest and assault “deeply disturbing” while telling reporters that it is incredibly important to…
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Angry Thai man condemns foreigner for not wearing a mask on BTS
An angry Thai man, claiming to be a police officer, gave a foreign man a mouthful of abuse for not wearing a mask on the BTS Skytrain in Bangkok. The irate man blamed the unflustered foreigner for bringing Covid-19 into the country. The angry exchange was recorded and uploaded to the Twitter account @kinnifers. The video was recorded by a…
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People of China protest on streets over mainland’s zero-Covid policy
The people of China appear to have had enough of the mainland’s zero-Covid policy. Incredibly, the usually deferential Chinese people were on the streets calling for their nation’s leader, President Xi Jinping, to stand down. It wasn’t anarchy on the mainland streets over the weekend but it wasn’t far off as hundreds of people in several major cities clashed with…
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Masks recommended in crowds amid Covid increase
If there’s one thing we’ve learned from the Covid-19 pandemic it’s that people just absolutely love wearing masks. They can’t wait to start wearing them when outbreaks occur, and they look forward to wearing them regularly for the foreseeable future. For those of you who love wearing masks, the Ministry of Public Health advised yesterday that, in crowded places, wearing…
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Hotel loan program extended through June 2023
Hotels trying to recover from closing down for the Covid-19 pandemic are getting a little extra financial help. The Thai Cabinet has decided to extend low-interest soft loans until June 2023. The loans were created to help hotels address property repairs after many opted to close when customers dried up because the borders closed amid the pandemic. The announcement was…
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Thai tour group in Hong Kong disappointed after being stuck dining in hotel room
A 50-member Thai tour group to Hong Kong had a not-so-great experience after being forced to dine in hotel rooms due to current Covid-19 restrictions. The group was supposed to tour the city for four days and three nights as part of a new wave of tourists being welcomed. But, Hong Kong’s Covid measures have proved to be disappointing as…
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