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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  • Thailand considering vaccine passport policy in bid to revive international tourism | Thaiger

    Thailand considering vaccine passport policy in bid to revive international tourism

    Thailand’s Tourism Minister, Pipat Ratchakitprakarn, says he has asked the Public Health Ministry to approve a vaccine passport scheme aimed at reviving the devastated tourism sector. According to Pipat, the government is looking to the World Health Organisation to issue a statement on vaccine passports before it makes a decision on the matter. The Tourism Minister adds that having a…

  • Vaccine rollout underway in Phuket as province receives 4,000 doses | Thaiger

    Vaccine rollout underway in Phuket as province receives 4,000 doses

    The southern island of Phuket has kicked off its vaccine rollout, after taking delivery of 4,000 doses of the Chinese Sinovac jab. Vaccine administration began yesterday, with priority given to 1,500 healthcare workers and 500 “at-risk” officials exposed to Covid-19 patients. Nation Thailand reports that Vachira Phuket Hospital is administering the vaccines, with capacity to vaccinate 400 people a day.…

  • Covid-19 vaccine registration to begin in May | Thaiger

    Covid-19 vaccine registration to begin in May

    Thailand’s Deputy Health Minister, Sathit Pitutecha, says registration for Covid-19 vaccination will begin in early May, with the national vaccine rollout starting the following month. Members of the public who wish to register for inoculation will be able to do so via a dedicated app, Mor Prom (“Doctors Ready”). Sathit says the government is expecting a large supply of the…

  • Researchers claim Thailand’s bats not responsible for Covid pandemic | Thaiger

    Researchers claim Thailand’s bats not responsible for Covid pandemic

    Thai researchers are claiming that horseshoe bats are not responsible for transmitting the Covid virus to humans. Supaporn Wacharapluesadee, a researcher with the Thai Red Cross Emerging Infectious Diseases-Health Science Centre, says hat even though the bats have tested for a coronavirus, it is not the strain that is transmissible to humans. “They are in the same family [of coronaviruses],…

  • CCSA Update: 80 new Covid-19 cases, active infections on a downward slope | Thaiger

    CCSA Update: 80 new Covid-19 cases, active infections on a downward slope

    80 new Covid-19 cases were reported today in the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration’s daily briefing while 142 new cases were reported on Saturday and Sunday. Since the start of the pandemic, Thailand has reported 26,031 coronavirus infections and 83 deaths. There are currently 624 active Covid-19 infections, a record low for Thailand since the December outbreak at a Samut…

  • Thai PM says Covid-19 jab is safe, urges people to get vaccinated | Thaiger

    Thai PM says Covid-19 jab is safe, urges people to get vaccinated

    The Thai PM, Prayut Chan-o-cha, has assured people the Covid-19 vaccine is safe as he called on citizens to get vaccinated. Nation Thailand reports that the PM was speaking at a vaccination drive taking place at Bamrasnaradura Infectious Diseases Institute, in the central province of Nonthaburi. It’s understood Prayut himself will receive the AstraZeneca vaccine, having been deemed too old…

  • Survey shows growing acceptance of Covid-19 vaccines in some countries | Thaiger

    Survey shows growing acceptance of Covid-19 vaccines in some countries

    A survey of 6 countries shows that the number of people willing to be vaccinated against Covid-19 is on the rise. The poll, conducted by the international consultancy KekstCNC, indicates that the number of people willing to be vaccinated has risen since last year. The countries that took part were the US, the UK, France, Germany, Japan, and Sweden, with…

  • Public Health Minister gets first Covid-19 vaccine shot in Thailand | Thaiger

    Public Health Minister gets first Covid-19 vaccine shot in Thailand

    Thailand’s Covid-19 vaccine campaign started with Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul who was jabbed with China’s Sinovac vaccine. PM Prayut Chan-o-cha was initially planned to be the first to kick off Thailand’s immunisation plan with the AstraZeneca vaccine, but due to problems with paperwork, the prime minister’s injection was postponed. Doctors advised Prayut to get the AstraZeneca vaccine due to…

  • PM Prayut postponing Covid‐19 vaccination citing paperwork issues | Thaiger

    PM Prayut postponing Covid‐19 vaccination citing paperwork issues

    Thailand’s PM Prayut Chan-o-cha is postponing his inaugural Covid‐19 vaccination citing paperwork issues with the AstraZeneca vaccine shipment. According to Khaosod English, the vaccine shipment was sent to Thailand last Wednesday from South Korea, but was missing the additional required paperwork. Prayut was supposed to receive the vaccine tomorrow, but the highly‐publicised event will not be happening. According to Khaosod…

  • Phuket holds vaccine administration rehearsal as it waits for green light | Thaiger

    Phuket holds vaccine administration rehearsal as it waits for green light

    Phuket is rehearsing procedures to ready themselves for the Covid‐19 vaccine administration green light. A rehearsal at Vachira Hospital’s Lan Muang Khao open area was held late yesterday to iron out any kinks in the administration process. Phuket Vice Governor Pichet Panapong watched over the procedures along with other health officials. Pichet says the first vaccine round of 4,000 doses…

  • PM to receive AstraZeneca vaccine on Sunday | Thaiger

    PM to receive AstraZeneca vaccine on Sunday

    The Thai PM, Prayut Chan-o-cha will receive the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine on Sunday, while Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul will receive the Chinese jab. According to a Bangkok Post report, Sopon Mekthon from the sub-committee on vaccine management says both politicians will receive their vaccines at the Bamrasnaradura Infectious Disease Institute. On Monday, the vaccination of priority groups in specific provinces…

  • Foreign tourists must use Covid-19 tracking app when travelling to Thailand | Thaiger

    Foreign tourists must use Covid-19 tracking app when travelling to Thailand

    Foreign tourists travelling to Thailand will need to download the Covid-19 contact tracking mobile application “ThailandPlus” before arriving in Thailand and use it throughout their stay. The app will notify travellers if they have been in close contact with any confirmed cases. Throughout their trip to Thailand, tourists will need to keep the app “on” and check in and out…

  • Koh Samui to start Covid-19 vaccinations early next month | Thaiger

    Koh Samui to start Covid-19 vaccinations early next month

    Covid-19 vaccinations on Koh Samui will start early next month with 2,500 doses planned to be given to 1,250 people on the island, according to Surat Thani governor Wichawut Jinto. Island authorities are also proposing that foreign visitors be allowed to quarantine on their yacht, at a villa hotel or at a wellness centre. The tourist island off the coast…

  • Thailand acknowledges wildlife markets could be dangerous to humans | Thaiger

    Thailand acknowledges wildlife markets could be dangerous to humans

    The Thai Ministry of Public Health is being praised after seemingly doing an about face over whether Bangkok’s Chatuchak Weekend Market could be the source of Covid‐19. After health officials denied that the World Health Organisation was investigating the market, a recent Facebook live press conference saw the Ministry acknowledging that wildlife trades may endanger public health. The recent investigation…

  • Top epidemiologist warns that vaccination is not a cue to re-open borders | Thaiger

    Top epidemiologist warns that vaccination is not a cue to re-open borders

    A specialist in infectious diseases at the Faculty of Medicine of Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn University says the arrival of vaccines does not mean it’s safe to re-open to foreign visitors. Thira Woratanarat says opening the borders too soon will only put Thailand in more danger, pointing to a lack of data on the efficacy of vaccines against transmission. Thira adds that…

  • Health officials deny WHO investigation into Bangkok’s Chatuchak market as potential origin of Covid | Thaiger

    Health officials deny WHO investigation into Bangkok’s Chatuchak market as potential origin of Covid

    Health officials in Thailand are denying reports that the World Health Organisation is investigating Chatuchak market in Bangkok in ongoing efforts to establish the origin of Covid-19. The reports have surfaced in Danish media, following a WHO visit to Wuhan last month, with doubt hanging over the theory that the pandemic started in the central Chinese city. Nation Thailand reports…

  • Health Minister says PM will get AstraZeneca vaccine, too old for Sinovac | Thaiger

    Health Minister says PM will get AstraZeneca vaccine, too old for Sinovac

    PM Prayut Chan-o-cha was initially first in line for China’s Sinovac vaccine, which just arrived in Thailand today, but Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul now says the the prime minister will be getting the AstraZeneca vaccine. Apparently, 66 year old Prayut is too old to get the Chinese-made vaccine. “It’s important that General Prayut take the first Covid-19 vaccine shot…

  • PM says Thailand will consider lifting quarantine for vaccinated tourists | Thaiger

    PM says Thailand will consider lifting quarantine for vaccinated tourists

    The Thai PM, Prayut Chan-o-cha says the government will consider waiving the mandatory 14-day quarantine for tourists with proof of Covid-19 vaccination. For months now, the government has stuck to its stance that vaccinated foreign arrivals would still need to be quarantined, given that it’s too early to say if vaccines prevent transmission. But with industry leaders warning that the…

  • Thai FDA approves Sinovac vaccine, 13 provinces to get the first doses | Thaiger

    Thai FDA approves Sinovac vaccine, 13 provinces to get the first doses

    The first phase of Thailand’s Covid-19 immunisation plan is ready to roll out with the first 200,000 doses of China’s Sinovac vaccine set to arrive tomorrow. The Chinese-made vaccine was just approved by the Thai Food and Drug Administration. The decision was made “just in time,” Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul wrote on Facebook with a photo of the official…

  • Bars to reopen next week, “orange zones” must stop serving booze at 11pm | Thaiger

    Bars to reopen next week, “orange zones” must stop serving booze at 11pm

    Bars and pubs throughout Thailand will be able to open on March 1 in every province except Samut Sakhon, the epicentre of Covid-19 infections. With Thailand’s number of coronavirus infections now on a downward slope, many provinces with little to no cases have been reclassified by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. The majority of Thailand’s 77 provinces are now…

  • Tourism officials call for vaccine passport strategy to re-open tourism in Q4 | Thaiger

    Tourism officials call for vaccine passport strategy to re-open tourism in Q4

    The Tourism Authority of Thailand says the Kingdom must agree a “vaccine passport” policy by June in order to welcome foreign tourists by the fourth quarter of the year. Siripakorn Cheawsamoot from the TAT says such a scheme would have a significant impact on the international market, where many countries have already embarked on large-scale vaccination programmes. “TAT plans to…

  • Bangkok restaurants to be allowed to serve alcohol until 11pm | Thaiger

    Bangkok restaurants to be allowed to serve alcohol until 11pm

    Bangkok’s nightlife is coming back to life… slowly, very slowly. Restrictions are easing and restaurants in the city will soon be allowed to serve alcohol, but just until 11pm. At a Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration chaired by PM Prayut Chan-o-cha, the administration decided to ease restrictions. A formal announcement will be made tomorrow. Bangkok, as well as other neighbouring…

  • PM Prayut Chan-o-cha offers to be first up for Covid-19 vaccine | Thaiger

    PM Prayut Chan-o-cha offers to be first up for Covid-19 vaccine

    PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has offered to be the first in Thailand to get jabbed with China’s Sinovac vaccine, which is set to arrive on Wednesday. Apparently, the prime minister had said in the past that people over 60 years old should not get the coronavirus vaccine. Prayut is 66. Last month, Prayut made a post on Facebook saying he won’t…

  • 59 foreign tourists arrive in Phuket, first to undergo the luxurious “villa quarantine” | Thaiger

    59 foreign tourists arrive in Phuket, first to undergo the luxurious “villa quarantine”

    59 tourists have arrived in Thailand and are now in “villa quarantine” at a luxury resort in Phuket. In an effort to boost the country’s economy and revive the tourism sector, Thai officials have focused on attracting rich tourists who will spend a lot of money during their visit to Thailand. 13 of the tourists flew to Thailand from Indonesia…

  • Poll respondents say politicians should be last on the list for Covid-19 vaccine | Thaiger

    Poll respondents say politicians should be last on the list for Covid-19 vaccine

    A survey carried out by the National Institute of Development Administration shows that most people believe politicians should be at the back of the queue for the Covid-19 vaccine. Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has confirmed Thailand will receive its first vaccine delivery next week, with the arrival of China’s Sinovac jab on Wednesday. Respondents to the NIDA poll said…

  • China’s Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine is on its way to Thailand | Thaiger

    China’s Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine is on its way to Thailand

    The first 200,000 doses of China’s Sinovac vaccine is set to arrive at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport on Wednesday. PM Prayut Chan-o-cha is expected to formally accept the delivery at Thai Airways warehouse. Thai officials have made an event out of the first vaccine delivery, calling it “Covid vaccines, restoring the Thai Smile.” The Chinese-made vaccine has yet to be approved…

  • Thailand celebrity gets a month in jail for Covid-19 cluster birthday party at Bangkok hotel | Thaiger

    Thailand celebrity gets a month in jail for Covid-19 cluster birthday party at Bangkok hotel

    A Thailand celebrity was sentenced to jail for charges relating to his birthday party last month that became a notorious Covid-19 cluster. The South Bangkok District Court sentenced Techin Ploypetch, known as DJ Matoom, to 2 months in jail with a fine of 20,000 baht for violating the Emergency Decree which banned social gatherings to prevent the spread of the…

  • 82 new cases, 0 deaths- Covid-19 Update | Thaiger

    82 new cases, 0 deaths- Covid-19 Update

    Thailand is reporting 82 new cases of Covid‐19 today, 11 of those imported, with 0 additional deaths over the past 24 hours. The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration says the local infections were found through active case finding and those who previously visited risk areas who tested positive in hospitals, with 44 and 27 new cases detected respectively. Samut Sakhon…

  • 130 new Covid infections today while first group of foreign tourists arrive tonight | Thaiger

    130 new Covid infections today while first group of foreign tourists arrive tonight

    Thailand is reporting 130 new cases today of Covid-19 with 116 of those cases being locally-transmitted. 61 cases were confirmed at hospitals and 55 were found in communities, bringing the current total of cases to 25,241 since the pandemic began with 83 deaths. The most recent death marked the first physician in Thailand to succumb from the virus, in central…

  • Officials consider easing Bangkok restrictions, may allow alcohol in restaurants, re-opening of boxing venues | Thaiger

    Officials consider easing Bangkok restrictions, may allow alcohol in restaurants, re-opening of boxing venues

    The government’s Covid-19 task force is set to meet on Sunday to discuss the easing of restrictions in Bangkok, a move which may include allowing alcohol in restaurants and re-opening boxing stadiums. The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration will review current restrictions and if any are lifted, that is expected to take effect immediately or early next week. According to…