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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    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....

  • CCSA Update: ASQ cook causes Covid-19 cluster

    CCSA Update: ASQ cook causes Covid-19 cluster

    Health officials say a cook at an Alternative State Quarantine hotel in Bangkok is the source of a new Covid-19 cluster of infections in Samut Prakan, just southeast of the capital. The Bangkok Post called the 28 year old cook “careless.” The woman, who worked as for the catering department of an ASQ hotel, sometimes did not wear gloves and…

  • Quarantine period reduced to 10 days starting tomorrow

    Quarantine period reduced to 10 days starting tomorrow

    Starting tomorrow, quarantine will be reduced 10 days. Reports in Thai media say the quarantine will be reduced to 7 days for vaccinated tourists starting tomorrow as well, but Thai embassies in the US, UK and Australia only mention the 10 day quarantine. Those travelling from countries were the coronavirus has mutated will still need to quarantine for 14 days.…

  • Thai PM will consider waiving quarantine for vaccinated visitors to Phuket

    Thai PM will consider waiving quarantine for vaccinated visitors to Phuket

    The Thai PM says he’s willing to consider a call from the Phuket business community to allow vaccinated foreigners to bypass quarantine. Prayut Chan-o-cha says in order to compete with other countries popular with tourists, Phuket plans to re-open fully to vaccinated foreigners from July, meaning the government must make sure the country’s vaccine rollout is on track. “The point…

  • Thai PM joins world leaders in calling for pandemic treaty

    Thai PM joins world leaders in calling for pandemic treaty

    Thailand’s PM has joined world leaders and the World Health Organisation in calling for a pandemic treaty to prepare for the next global health crisis. Prayut Chan-o-cha has added his signature to an article signed by more than 20 world leaders, including the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, the French President, Emmanuel Macron, the British PM, Boris Johnson, and WHO boss,…

  • WHO along with 23 nations support international treaty for future pandemics

    WHO along with 23 nations support international treaty for future pandemics

    The World Health Organisation, along with 23 nations are supporting the idea of an international treaty to prepare the world for future pandemics. The idea, which was introduced last November by the chairman of European Union leaders Charles Michel at a G20 summit, would ensure universal and equitable access to vaccines, medicines and diagnostics for pandemics. Today, that idea has…

  • Phuket officials plan to vaccinate 100,000 people next month

    Phuket officials plan to vaccinate 100,000 people next month

    Officials on the southern island of Phuket are aiming to vaccinate 100,000 residents as a first step in meeting the deadline for a July 1 re-opening. Under the approved “Sandbox” model, foreign tourists can enter Phuket from that date without having to undergo mandatory quarantine, provided 70% of the island’s population has been vaccinated. A tall order… Nation Thailand reports…

  • Health Ministry says border guards will be prioritised for Covid vaccines

    Health Ministry says border guards will be prioritised for Covid vaccines

    Thailand’s Health Ministry says border guards will be prioritised for Covid-19 vaccines, due to the risk of Burmese refugees fleeing into the Kingdom to escape violence in Myanmar. Since a February 1 military coup in the neighbouring country, the situation has deteriorated rapidly, with thousands of villagers crossing into the northern province of Mae Hong Son at the weekend. They…

  • Thai Chamber of Commerce calls for vaccine delivery to be speeded up

    Thai Chamber of Commerce calls for vaccine delivery to be speeded up

    The chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce says officials hope to reinvigorate the economy within 99 days, through a “Connect the Dots” policy. Sanan Angubolkul adds that the distribution of Covid-19 vaccines must be speeded up if the economy is to recover in that timeframe. “Thailand is slow in distributing vaccines. This will result in a slow economic recovery.”…

  • Officials say woman who tested positive after vaccination was infected beforehand

    Officials say woman who tested positive after vaccination was infected beforehand

    The Disease Control Department says a vaccinated seafood vendor in Bangkok who tested positive for Covid-19 was infected with the virus prior to receiving the jab. Sophon Iamsirsithavorn from the DCD says the 29 year old market trader was tested for the virus on March 13, with that test coming back negative. At the time, she was not showing any…

  • Phuket businesses welcome quarantine-free re-opening plan

    Phuket businesses welcome quarantine-free re-opening plan

    Businesses on the southern island of Phuket have welcomed the government’s approval of a quarantine-free re-opening for vaccinated foreigners from July 1. From that date, Phuket will become the first province to waive mandatory quarantine for international arrivals who have been vaccinated against Covid-19. The re-opening is expected to generate over 84 billion baht. Like many parts of the country…

  • Thailand aims for 30 million vaccines by August

    Thailand aims for 30 million vaccines by August

    Thailand is aiming for 30 million vaccines throughout the country by August in a new plan announced by the Public Health Ministry. The vaccinations will take place across all 77 provinces (76 plus Bangkok) in a progressive rollout. 100,000 people have received injections already in the national vaccination schedule, with 300,000 more set to be vaccinated in the next phase…

  • 11 countries must still do full 14 day ASQ quarantine when travelling to Thailand

    11 countries must still do full 14 day ASQ quarantine when travelling to Thailand

    Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health has announced the names of 11 countries that have been deemed to be carrying new Covid-19 mutations. Any people arriving from these countries will still be required to do the full 14 day quarantine quarantine when they arrive in Thailand. From 1 April the quarantine period will be reduced, but with some restrictions remaining. Read…

  • Cannabis may ease lung inflammation from Covid-19, study

    Cannabis may ease lung inflammation from Covid-19, study

    Cannabis may help ease and reduce lung inflammation for Covid-19 patients, according to a recent study. Researchers in the study claim the non-psychoactive component of cannabis, cannabinol, or CBD, has anti-inflammatory properties. More research should be done on how CBD and treating severe lung inflammation from the coronavirus, according to researchers from University of Nebraska and the Texas Biomedical Research…

  • 134 new Covid cases, 6 imported- Covid-19 Update

    134 new Covid cases, 6 imported- Covid-19 Update

    Thailand is reporting 134 new cases of Covid-19 today, raising the total number to 28,577 with 0 new deaths. 128 of the newly reported cases are locally-acquired, while 6 are imported. Bangkok reported the largest number of cases at 98, with 82 being found through pro-active testing and 16 being found amongst those in hospitals. Samut Sakhon, the centre of…

  • First death after Covid-19 vaccine reported in Thailand, death not linked to vaccine, health official says

    First death after Covid-19 vaccine reported in Thailand, death not linked to vaccine, health official says

    Thailand has reported its first death of a Covid-19 vaccine patient. An investigation has been launched by the Public Health Ministry, but health officials suspect the death is not related to the vaccine and that the death is from natural causes. 10 days after being injected with the vaccine, a 60 year old patient had an abdominal aortic aneurysm, which…

  • Thai quarantine confusion – do ASQ hotels know about April 1 changes?

    Thai quarantine confusion – do ASQ hotels know about April 1 changes?

    A gentleman from Sacramento, California, 43 years old, wanted to come to Thailand for Songkran, and then some further exploration. But, with all the changes announced by the government, the restrictions imposed recently for Songkran celebrations, and the hotels still advertising for 14 day quarantines, he’s found it a complete minefield. His main complaint – people ‘on the ground’ don’t…

  • July re-opening for Phuket expected to get government approval today

    July re-opening for Phuket expected to get government approval today

    Today, the government is expected to approve a quarantine-free re-opening for the southern island of Phuket from July. However, the re-opening does require the island to have achieved herd immunity status by vaccinating 70% of its population before then. Deputy PM Supattanapong Punmeechaow says the Centre for Economic Situation Administration will consider the plan at its meeting later today, which…

  • 97 new cases of Covid in Thailand, 5 imported – Covid-19 Update

    97 new cases of Covid in Thailand, 5 imported – Covid-19 Update

    Today, Thailand is reporting 97 new cases of Covid-19 with 5 cases being imported, raising the total to 28,443 since the pandemic began. This is up from the 69 cases reported yesterday. The government has reported no new deaths, leaving the total at 92 Covid deaths in Thailand. Bangkok logged the most amount of new cases, at 70% of today’s…

  • AstraZeneca vaccine drops 3 percentage points in effectiveness rate

    AstraZeneca vaccine drops 3 percentage points in effectiveness rate

    The makers of the Covid-19 AstraZeneca vaccine have dropped its effectiveness rate by 3 percent. The revised rate comes after an independent panel of experts appointed to supervise the trial expressed concern that AstraZeneca had failed to include updated data in its initially released figure. The US National Institutes of Health then issued a rare statement asking AstraZeneca to work…

  • Tour bus operators in Phuket call for government help after a year of no work

    Tour bus operators in Phuket call for government help after a year of no work

    Tour bus operators on the southern island of Phuket are calling for government assistance as they face ongoing legal action over missed lease payments on their equipment. Some operators say the threat of bankruptcy looms over them after a year of unemployment. The Covid-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc with tourism on Phuket, but tour bus operators say they have never…

  • CCSA Update: 69 new Covid-19 cases, most in Bangkok

    CCSA Update: 69 new Covid-19 cases, most in Bangkok

    69 new Covid-19 cases were reported today in the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration’s daily briefing. Thailand now has 1,381 active Covid-19 cases. Since the start of the pandemic, the CCSA has reported a total of 28,346 coronavirus infections and 92 deaths. Most of the cases were found in Bangkok, according to the deputy spokesperson for the Ministry of Foriegn…

  • 400 illegal migrants test positive for Covid-19- UPDATE

    400 illegal migrants test positive for Covid-19- UPDATE

    Earlier today, Thailand authorities announced that almost 300 allegedly illegal migrants tested positive for Covid-19, and now, that number has raised to almost 400. The migrants are being housed in Bangkok’s Bang Khen district awaiting to be transferred to a field hospital, with authorities saying the situation is “under control.” Sompong Chingduang, commissioner of the Immigration Bureau, said on Tuesday…

  • CCSA Update: 401 new Covid-19 cases and 1 death, most at an immigration detention centre

    CCSA Update: 401 new Covid-19 cases and 1 death, most at an immigration detention centre

    401 new Covid-19 cases and 1 death were reported today in the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration’s daily briefing. Most of the cases were at an immigration detention centre in Bangkok’s Bang Khen district Thailand now has 1,419 active Covid-19 cases. Since the start of the pandemic last year, the CCSA has reported a total of 28,277 coronavirus infections and…

  • Thai hoteliers want Emergency Decree to be used to speed up vaccines

    Thai hoteliers want Emergency Decree to be used to speed up vaccines

    Thailand’s hoteliers are wanting the Emergency Decree to be used to speed up vaccinations to fast track the scheduled reopening of the country by July. They say PM Prayut should use the power of the decree to let companies import vaccines with the FDA helping the move by approving more vaccines at reasonable prices. William Heinecke, founder and chairman of…

  • Thailand starts human trials of local Covid vaccine

    Thailand starts human trials of local Covid vaccine

    Thailand is beginning human trials on its locally-developed Covid-19 vaccine, while setting its sights for a rollout of the vaccine next year. While the process seems sluggish compared to other vaccines, Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul says the development would enable Thailand to be self-reliant as the country would not have to rely on vaccines from other nations. “Production is…

  • Health minister says locals on Phuket and Koh Samui will be vaccinated before tourists return

    Health minister says locals on Phuket and Koh Samui will be vaccinated before tourists return

    Thailand’s health minister is reassuring the public that there will be enough vaccines to immunise locals, particularly on the popular holiday islands Phuket and Koh Samui, before Thailand reopens to foreign tourists. Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul says 800,000 doses of the Chinese-made Sinovac vaccine arrived in Thailand over the weekend. He says 100,000 doses will go to Phuket and…

  • CCSA Update: 73 new Covid-19 cases, 1 death

    CCSA Update: 73 new Covid-19 cases, 1 death

    73 new Covid-19 cases and 1 death were reported today in the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration’s daily briefing. Thailand now has 1,122 active cases. Since the start of the pandemic last year, the CCSA reported a total of 27,876 coronavirus infections and 91 deaths. A 60 year old Thai man in Bangkok died after testing positive for Covid-19. He…

  • 17 new Covid infections in new Samut Prakan cluster, 584 being monitored

    17 new Covid infections in new Samut Prakan cluster, 584 being monitored

    The Department of Disease Control says 17 new cases of Covid-19 have been reported in migrant workers in the central province of Samut Prakan, part of the Bangkok Metropolitan Region and directly south and east of central Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi Airport is in Samut Prakan). Opas Karnkawinpong from the DDC says the infections were detected at migrant worker camps, and an…

  • Covid-19 quarantine: 119 new infections, restrictions to be relaxed after April 1

    Covid-19 quarantine: 119 new infections, restrictions to be relaxed after April 1

    There were 119 new Covid-19 cases on Saturday with 112 local and 7 from travellers entering Thailand, but quarantine may soon be relaxed from April 1. 26 Thai and 12 Burmese are among the 38 cases in Samut Sakhon province, the centre of the recent Covid-19 outbreak south of Bangkok. Bangkok has another 38 local cases, 31 of which are…

  • Thailand battling mental health concerns caused by the pandemic

    Thailand battling mental health concerns caused by the pandemic

    Job losses, bankruptcies, sickness and fear are just a few of the side-affects felt by the Covid-19 pandemic. For many in Thailand and all over the world, this has a profound impact on the mental health of everyday people. The suicide rate in Thailand has also seen a spike, with 22% more suicides recorded in the first half of 2020…