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 Moving with family? Here’s how to cut health costs in Thailand
Relocating to Thailand with your family brings exciting new opportunities, but it also comes with the challenge of managing healthcare costs in a new system. Thailand has both public and private healthcare options, each offering different prices and quality of...
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Navy delays sub purchases as it slashes budget by a third
All ministries in the Thai government have been instructed to contribute 10% of their 2020 budgets to the fight against Covid-19. Last week the Royal Thai Army announced it would also delay most of its purchases of new military hardware until the situation improves. A spokesman says that The Royal Thai Navy has gone further and will cut 33%, or…
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13 foreigners among those arrested at Pattaya pool party
Police in Pattaya yesterday arrested a group, including 13 foreigners, having what they described as a pool party at the Momento Beach Resort in Pattaya. The announcement was made through the police department’s social media channels last night. The seaside resort town has been under near-total lockdown since April 9, a situation expected to continue until at least April 30.…
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Bangkok temple ordered to stop handouts due to huge queues
Local authorities in Bangkok have ordered local temple Wat Don Mueang to temporarily stop giving away food and water, as queues have grown to over a thousand and pictures have gone viral on social media, raising concerns over social distancing, according to the Bangkok Post and Bangkok radio station Jor Sor 100. Photos of people gathered along Song Prapha Road…
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Phuket’s bars and entertainment industry closes up shop
Shutters down today in Phuket. Well, officially anyway. Bars, clubs and entertainment venues on the island will now remain closed for at least 14 days in the island’s latest efforts to curb the spread of Covid-19. Phuket’s Governor Phakaphong Tavipatana made the formal announcement yesterday after 24 hours of conjecture and confusion. The Phuket Communicable Disease Committee resolved to issue…
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CP Group delivers first 100,000 masks from its new factory
Thailand’s largest private company and one of the world’s largest conglomerates. the Charoen Pokphand Group, better known as CP, presented the first batch of 100,000 surgical facemasks from its own factory to Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn Hospital late this week. Group Chairman Dhanin Chearavanont says he is delighted that the factory was built in just five weeks, at a cost of some…
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33 new Covid-19 cases (Saturday), no deaths, as recovery rate passes 65%
Health officials today reported 33 new cases of Covid-19 but no deaths, raising total cases in Thailand to 2,733, while the death toll remains at 47 since the outbreak began in January. The first case of human-to-human transmission in Thailand was reported on January 31. 68 of Thailand’s 77 provinces have reported infections. The number of recovered patients is now…
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PM Prayut seeks ideas and resources from Thailand’s top 20 richest people
Last night in a special 10 minute broadcast on national TV PM Prayut Chan-o-cha announced that he will write an open letter to Thailand’s top 20 richest people to seek their assistance and help for the government and Thai citizens in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. He explained that he’s doing it to gather their input and ideas to…
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Thailand’s road to a ‘new normal’
Spokesman of the Covid-19 Centre, Taweesin Visanuyothin, says guidelines for a “new normal” are being drafted amid talks of a gradual reopening of business around the country. He said the government is pleased with the dropping number of new cases and is considering relaxing restrictions, though people can not ignore “good practices” such as social distancing, wearing a mask and…
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700,000 employees unemployed as more factories suspend production
According to the Thai Department of Labour Protection and Welfare, thousands of factory workers have now become unemployed due to manufacturing shutting up shop because of the Covid-19 pandemic. The number of people now claiming government financial aid has also doubled to 700,000 since December 2019. Yesterday Apinya Sujarittanan, director general of the DLPW, said that the Social Security Fund…
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Foreigners arrested for holding noisy party on Koh Phangan
A group of foreign tourists have been detained after “partying” at a rented house on Koh Phangan. Koh Phangan is the home to the monthly full-moon parties, a boat-ride away from Koh Samui in the Gulf of Thailand. Police from Koh Phangan police station raided the house after a tip-off from the village head complaining that many foreign tourists were regularly…
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Traditional massage practitioners have trouble qualifying for government handouts
There has been an ongoing problem where Thai traditional massage practitioners have had trouble applying and qualify for the government financial aid of 5,000 baht per month. The Ministry of Public Health has picked up the issue and says they are consulting with the Ministry of Finance to discus further measures to help this spectrum of workers. The Deputy Minister…
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TAT and Michelin Guide team up to deliver thanks to healthcare workers
The Tourism Authority of Thailand and the local Michelin Guide are coming together to support local restaurants while offering “gratitude and thanks” to first responders in the healthcare field for being so vigilant during the Covid-19 global pandemic. The corporate duo will deliver a total of 1,800 food boxes from 18 Michelin starred restaurants from Bib Gourmand and The Plate…
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Stranded, broke and hungry, German pensioner gets help from Bangkok philanthropist
A German pensioner, stranded by the Covid-19 crisis and a lack of outbound flights, broke and hungry in Bangkok’s Khao San Road area, has become the latest beneficiary of a well known Thai philanthropist. The 66 year old man told wealthy realtor and hotel developer Surat Wongcharnsin he was hungry and stranded with just 20 baht. Surat took pity and…
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PM offers apology for “confusion” over 5,000 baht handouts – VIDEO
Since PM Prayut Chan-o-cha announced a 5,000 baht monthly handout for “informal” workers affected by the Covid-19 crisis, there has been conflicting information, extensions, denials and general confusion. And rejected Thais fronting up to the Finance Ministry and waving their bottoms at surprised ministry officials in protest. Yesterday he offered a public apology for the government’s “miscommunication” and assured the…
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Phone booths get new lease on life as ‘Covid boxes’
Move over Clark Kent, there’s a new Superhero in town in need of your dressing room. The Digital Economy and Society Ministry is converting TOT phone booths into Covid-19 testing kiosks to help lower the infection risk faced by healthcare workers due to the shortage of personal protective equipment. At a cost of less than 1,000 baht to repurpose, selected…
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Government proposes plans on how to stablise Thailand’s GDP
In a bid to tackle the economic effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the Thai economy, a proposal has been put forward by the Government’s Monetary and Fiscal Committee to preserve the ratio of public debt to gross domestic product by raising the budget cap and/or adjusting debt settlements. Finance Minister Uttama Savanayana says “after a meeting with the committee yesterday, they…
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28 new Covid-19 cases (Friday), one more death, as recovery rate reaches 62%
Health officials confirmed 28 more Covid-19 cases at this morning’s daily press briefing, down from 29 yesterday, bringing the national total to 2,700. An additional death brings that tally to 47. 96 more patients have recovered and been sent home, bringing the total of recoveries to 1689, or 62.5% since the outbreak began in January. There were 30 new cases…
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Phuket reports 1 new Covid-19 case (Friday)
Health officials in Phuket today reported 1 new Covid-19 case, up from yesterday’s zero cases. But still a first since the initial 5 cases were reported on March 20 after weeks of denials. This continues an encouraging downward trend: 3 cases were reported Wednesday, down from Tuesday’s 10 which was the first time new cases reached double digits since April…
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Thai airlines have their hands out for an extra 8.8 billion baht
The Cabinet approved loans totalling 16 billion bath on March 26 for 7 Thai airlines who had endured a negative impact, or a complete collapse, from the Covid-19 pandemic. Yesterday reports out of the aviation industry say that the number of airlines looking for government aid for low-interest loans is now up to 24.15 billion baht. A total of 8…
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Discounts on 72 consumer goods to ease Covid-19 impact
Thailand’s commerce minister yesterday announced the reduction in price for 72 consumer goods by 5-58% to help people affected by the Covid-19 crisis. The new discounts, which went into effect yesterday, will run until June 30. The products include rice, palm oil, instant noodles, milk, frozen foods, condiments, toilet paper, talcum powder, toothpaste, toothbrushes, sanitary napkins, soap, shampoo, face cleansers,…
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‘Smart helmets’ for Chinese epidemic prevention officers
As China shows signs of recovering from its initial Coronavirus outbreak, epidemic prevention and control officers (yeah that’s a thing now) have been equipped with futuristic “smart helmets” that can detect potential patients without officers needing to get too close. It’s a new AI approach to tracking and prevention. The smart helmet is a product developed by Kuang-chi whose company…
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Migrant workers in Thailand can now stay until November 30
Yesterday the Thai government officially announced a blanket extension for the country’s migrant labourers. They will now be permitted to stay until November 30 this year and will be exempted from any sort of overstay penalty. Government Spokeswoman Narumon Pinyosinwat says that the government has backed the Ministry of Labour’s review of the Cabinet resolution on March 24 on the…
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Ports Authority of Thailand will offer discounts
“Not only has the number of containers handled by the port decreased, but many trips have also been cancelled,” says director-general, Kamolsak Promprayoon, The Port Authority of Thailand. The PAT board of executives has also agreed to provide assistance to carriers and shipping agents as Covid-19 has taken a heavy toll on the global sea transportation business. They are offering……
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Loophole closed – more unemployed to receive payments from Thai government
The loophole for employees whose businesses were not ordered to close, but are still affected by Covid 19 pandemic, has finally been addressed. The Thai Ministry of Labor secretary Sutthi Sukosol says that compensation will be similar to what employees whose businesses were ordered to close are paid, which is 62% of daily wage based on a maximum monthly salary…
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2.7 billion in “cash gifts” for officials working to fight Covid-19
Government Spokesperson Traisulee Traisaranakul announced the Thai Cabinet has approved “cash gifts” for government officials working to fighting the Covid 19 outbreak. “The move to disburse cash gifts from the 2.7 billion baht budget was proposed by the Office of the Civil Service Commission.” Those who work in fields directly affected by the outbreak – doctors, nurses and other essential…
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Can air-con spread Covid-19?
A research letter published by Guangzhou Centres for Disease Control in China looked at 10 coronavirus cases of 3 families who ate in adjacent tables at the same time. The study proposes that droplet transmission by the restaurant’s air conditioning system was increased. The initial patient arrived from Wuhan and dined at the restaurant with 3 family members. Two other…
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Thailand’s Muslim leader issues special instructions for Ramadan 2020
The Muslim holy month of Ramadan will last from From April 24 or 25 to May 23 or 24 (depending on the lunar cycle) this year, during which time the faithful will practice fasting and take part in religious activities at mosques, residences and other designated areas. The spiritual leader of Thailand’s Muslims, the Sheikhul lslam, has issued an announcement…
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New national Covid-19 cases drop to 29 (Thursday), 3 more dead
Thai health officials today confirmed 29 new Covid-19 cases over the past 24 hour period, and 3 more deaths, bringing Thailand’s total number of patients to 2,672 since the beginning of the outbreak. This continues an encouraging downward trend, with 54 new cases a week ago, 50 on Friday, 45 on Saturday, 33 on Sunday, 28 on Monday and 34…
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Thailand Post delivers 28 million hygienic masks nationwide
Thailand Post has successfully delivered nearly 28 million hygienic masks to the Interior and Public Health ministries over the past month. Nearly 16.8 million were sent to the Ministry of Public Health to be redistributed to provincial public health departments and 99 hospitals nationwide, while another 11 million masks were delivered to the Ministry of Interior to be distributed to 77 cities…
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Phuket reports no new Covid-19 cases (Thursday)
Health officials in Phuket today reported no new Covid-19 cases, a first since the first cases were reported on March 20 after weeks of denials. This continues an encouraging downward trend: 3 cases were reported yesterday, down from Tuesday’s 10 which was the first time new cases reached double digits since 10 were reported on April 5. 13 cases were reported…
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