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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BOT responds to temporary breakdowns for online payments
The new online payment systems, put in place to provide payments related to government stimulus packages, have suffered from temporary breakdowns in the past few days. Today users also reported problems with the Bangkok Bank’s online payment system and ATMs machines going offline. More users are also reporting problems with the governments’ website providing financial support for informal workers during…
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Phuket’s Patong all but shut down
A notice from Patong municipality is urging Patong’s residents to stay at home and not venture out of doors, including the Soi Bangla entertainment area, which has become the hotbed of Covid-19 coronavirus in the island province of Phuket. The announcement, on government letterhead, says citizens who need food and water can contact authorities for delivery. The notice, seen below,…
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Thai Immigration proposes extending tourist visas until June 30
The Thai Immigration Bureau has asked the Cabinet to approve a measure extending tourist visas until June 30 for foreigners stranded in Thailand following the disruption of international flights due to the Covid-19 coronavirus. According to a report in Thaivisa, the Immigration Bureau wants foreigners who have had their travel plans disrupted by the virus, be given a visa extension…
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PM may suspend public transport over virus fears
Even though intra- and interprovincial travel has fallen by about 40%, following the declaration of a national state of emergency last week, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha said today that he might order a reduction or even a suspension of public transport if the rate of Covid-19 coronavirus infections does not show a sustained drop. The PM says he “might have to…
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15 minute coronavirus tests now on trial in Thailand – VIDEO
As promised, Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn University has rolled out a new 15 minute Covid-19 coronavirus test strip, aimed at increasing the number of people that can be screened for the Covid-19 virus and easing the burden on Thailand’s health system. Virus infections rose sharply in March, with panicked citizens flocking to already stressed hospitals for coronavirus testing. The situation is expected…
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First Covid-19 death in Pattani, southern Thailand
Early this morning an elderly man has passed away from Covid-19 in Yarang district, Pattani province, this is reported as the first fatality from the disease in the deep south provinces. The man was 77 years old, a villager of Moo 5 village in tambon Yarang. On March 13, he was visited by a son who came from Nong Chik…
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Thailand coronavirus cases rise to 1771, two more deaths
Thailand now has 1771 Covid-19 coronavirus cases, with 120 new cases confirmed over the last 24 hours and 2 more patients dying.The government’s Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration made the announcement this morning (April 1). The cases are divided into three groups… The first group of 51 are connected to cluster cases. One person joins the “boxing match cluster,” 11…
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Bangkok Airways cancels all domestic flights from April 7
Bangkok Airways has announced today that they will cancel all it domestic flights from April 7 – 30. The company’s vice president, Tresarum Sitakalin says the flights that are being cancelled are… Bangkok – Chiang Mai Bangkok – Phuket Bangkok – Trat Bangkok – Sukhothai Bangkok – Samui Samui – Phuket “The company had previously decreased flight frequencies on these…
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Urgent repatriation notice for Swiss and German citizens as immigration rules tighten
An urgent repatriation notice has been issued for Swiss and citizens in Thailand. According to Richard Barrow’s Twitter feed, flights are being urgently chartered to evacuate citizens of both nations: A notice posted on the Embassy of Switzerlad’s website reads… For Swiss travellers in Thailand: Swiss charter flights from Thailand to Switzerland/update… Bangkok – Zurich – Good news: seats are…
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Thai government screws sex workers over 5,000 baht stimulus
Thousands of Thai sex workers, estimated to be around 300,000, mostly out of work due to the Covid-19 coronavirus crisis, will receive no labour protection from the government. Empower Foundation, an organisation for the rights and opportunities for sex workers across Thailand, has sent a letter to the government pleading for help. “Many are mothers and main family providers and…
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Thailand’s 2020 exports to fall 500 billion baht
There is no doubt Thailand’s fragile export business is gong to be hit hard by the coronavirus outbreak. Following on from the impacts of the high Thai baht value, regional competition and the fallout from the US-China trade wars, Thailand is poised for one of its worst performing export years. “Under the worst-case scenario in which the coronavirus Covid-19 crisis…
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Bangkok police arrest 6 Vietnamese in mask hoarding sting
Immigration police yesterday arrested 6 Vietnamese nationals in a sting operation, for allegedly hoarding hand sanitiser and facemasks. The items are highly prized due to the current Covid-19 coronavirus situation. They were arrested at a house in Bangkok’s Suan Luang district. Police reportedly found 142,500 face masks and 12,000 bottles of hand gels, 13 barrels of alcohol, three gel making…
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40 new coronavirus test clinics coming in April
Getting tested for the Covid-19 coronavirus in Thailand will soon be a lot easier, as 40 more labs are expected to be given approval to run tests nationwide within a month. A spokesman for the Department of Medical Sciences says there are currently 57 labs being certified to run tests, with 40 more awaiting assessment before they can begin testing.…
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Coronavirus UPDATE: Bangkok NOT being locked down, sobering forecast for US
Across the world the total number of Covid-19 cases has reached 858,000 (8am Thai time), registering 42,114 deaths and 177,141 people fully recovered. In the US, the number of cases has reached 187,729 – nearly 24,000 new cases in the past 24 hours and 726 people dying over the past day. Here is our page for all the latest Covid-19…
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Stranded. Nearly 21,000 Russians struggling to get home.
The Russian Ambassador to Thailand claims there are about 20,800 Russian citizens stranded in the Land of Smiles. Ambassador Tomikhin says they’re desperate to get home. He says that most of them are stuck in Phuket and neighbouring provinces (Phuket is in virtual lockdown with the airport being closed to all passenger flights on April 10). Another 8,000 in and around…
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Immigration: Beware online swindlers claiming they can extend your visa
After a wave of complaints, the Immigration Bureau yesterday issued urgent advice to tourists and visitors about extending their visas amid the Covid-19 coronavirus crisis. While some immigration offices have requested that expats to file their 90 day residence reports reports online to promote social distancing and avoid crowded conditions, officers say fraudsters have been going online on Facebook and…
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Canadian family of 4 among Phuket’s coronavirus infections
Authorities in the southern island province of Phuket today announced that 3 more members from a Canadian are among 7 new confirmed Covid-19 coronavirus infections. The new cases include a 37 year old Canadian woman, her 2 year old son and 4 year old daughter. All are believed to be infected by the woman’s husband, and children’s father, also a…
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Chon Buri bans alcohol sales 6pm to 6am
Chonburi’s governor has banned the sale of alcohol in the province, including Pattaya, from 6am to 6pm, effective immediately, and restaurants are now only allowed to offer takeaways – all to fight the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus. The order is over and above all other closures in the province over the past two weeks. The provisions of the order…
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“Far from over” in the Asia-Pacific region – WHO update
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has officially announced today, that the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic is “far from over” in the Asia-Pacific region. Regional Director for the Western Pacific at the WHO, Takeshi Kasai, says… “Let me be clear. The epidemic is far from over in Asia and the Pacific. This is going to be a long-term battle and we cannot…
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Pattaya eyes hotel as quarantine area
Pattaya’s Committee for the Surveillance and Prevention of Covid-19 is proposing to use the city’s Grand Bella Hotel as a temporary medical shelter for people under investigation for Covid-19 coronavirus symptoms. Pattaya currently has 12 total cases, with a total of 16 in Bang Lamung and 53 in Chon Buri province. 105 people are currently being scrutinised for the virus…
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All public transport to Phuket, Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat suspended
Thailand’s Land Transport Department has suspended all public transport in an out of Phuket, Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat, due to the rapid spread of Covid-19. The four provinces are in the south of Thailand. The department’s director-general, Chirut Visarnchit, says that the suspension includes under-provincial and chartered services, but public transport to the other destinations is unaffected, but certain measures…
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Bangkok monks now sporting bespoke facemasks
Monks (well, some of them, anyway) in the nation’s capital have begun wearing custom face masks and even facial shields, as they make their daily morning alms rounds. Abbot Phra Maha Somkiat Yansuttho and his novices from Bangkok’s Wat Matchan Tikaram temple, aka. Was Noi, wore face masks while they went out to ask for alms and chat with neighbouring…
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Ministries will give up 10% of their 2020 budget to fight Covid-19 in Thailand
The third round of government measures are set to apply 10% of the country’s fiscal 2020 budget allocated to each ministry, and put into a central funding pool to battle against the Covid-19 pandemic as well as the rehabilitation of the economy. Deputy PM Somkid Jatusripitak says that the central fund will be overseen by PM Prayut Chan-o-cha. “The measures…
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Phuket records 7 new cases, total 69 (Tuesday)
The southern island of Phuket, closed to land and sea, and inter-provincial public transport yesterday to stem the spread of the disease, has reported 7 new cases today (Tuesday). It brings the total in Phuket to 69 confirmed cases. Details of today’s new cases are as follows… Case 63: An Australian man, aged 69, a manager at a Khao Lak hotel.…
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30,000 Thai hotels to lose all revenue during April
According to the Thai Hotels Association, out of the 32,564 hotels registered in Thailand, 95% will lose all revenue during April as the temporary lockdown escalates around the country. Adviser to the THA, Surapong Techaruvichit says that the number of hotel closures is growing every day as more provinces have imposed stricter lockdown policies. “Phuket is the latest major tourism destination…
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Government says they won’t allow Thai Airways to collapse
“All rumours about a lay-off aren’t true. News involving Thai Airways that didn’t come from the Finance Ministry should be considered false.” Thailand’s deputy PM Somkid Jatusripitak says the government won’t allow its struggling national airline Thai Airways to collapse. He dismissed rumours of impending lay-offs due to the virus outbreak. Thai Airways has been a financial basket-case for the…
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Third stimulus package coming, valued at 500 billion baht
Thailand’s economy has been hit hard by the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic, as it’s heavily reliant on exports and tourism. As of yesterday, Thailand had reported 1,524 cases of coronavirus and nine deaths as a result of the outbreak. So the finance minister yesterday announced a new stimulus package valued at more than 500 billion baht to alleviate the impact. The…
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8 killed as Medevac plane crashes in Manila – VIDEO
“Unfortunately, no passenger survived the accident.” A plane evacuating a Covid-19 coronavirus patient exploded during takeoff in the Philippine capital of Manila on Sunday, killing all eight passengers and crew. The victims included an American and a Canadian. The plane, owned by a Philippine-registered charter service Lionair, was bound for Japan. It burst into flames at the end of the runway…
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Government aims to limit travel around Thailand by 90%
It won’t do much for oil prices, but it will flatten Thailand’s Covid-19 ‘curve’ and help with the country’s air pollution problems. The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration is aiming to cut public transport use by as much as 90% around the country in order to stem the rise of Covid-19 coronavirus infections. Just yesterday, Thailand’s Department of Land Transport announced that…
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Some southern provinces stop interprovincial public transport
Thailand’s Department of Land Transport announced today that four southern provinces – Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat and Phuket – are closed to all public transport, except essential goods vehicles, medical and government vehicles, after witnessing an increasing number of Covid-19 coronavirus patients. Director-general Jirut Wisanjit made the announcement and the closures began today (Monday, March 30) to help prevent the virus…
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