covid-19
- Phuket News
British journalist documents beer-fuelled parties with Covid patients at Phuket quarantine hotel
British journalist Jonathan Miller was declared to be at high risk of Covid-19 after entering Thailand and ended up in a quarantine hotel in Phuket… which he says was more like an “Asian Hotel California” with “late-night discos fuelled by local beer.” Miller, known in Thailand as the first foreign reporter to interview King Vajiralongkorn after his coronation, wrote a…
- Covid-19 News
Thursday Covid Update: 8,078 new cases; provincial totals
22 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 22,098 with 400 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 8,078 new Covid-19 cases and 6,595 recoveries. There are now 82,760 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…
- Covid-19 News
First Pfizer doses for children arrive, vaccination starts Monday
The Department of Disease Control has confirmed the arrival of the first shipment of Pfizer vaccines to be administered to children aged 5 to 11. The lot of 300,000 Covid-19 vaccines arrived in Thailand today, with vaccinations scheduled to begin on January 31. The first round of vaccines will be given to those children considered high-risk due to having one…
- Covid-19 News
BA.2 sub-variant of Omicron in Thailand reaches 14, 1 death
After earlier reports that 9 cases of the new sub-strain of Omicron, the BA.2 sub-variant, had been identified in Thailand so far, that total has already increased to 14. The infections in Thailand involve both Thai nationals and international travellers. It was also confirmed that the first death in Thailand from the Omicron variant reported earlier this month was in…
- Thailand News
Cabinet approves 1.08 million baht to hire medical staff to support healthcare system
Following Monday’s Cabinet meeting, PM Deputy Spokesperson Trisuree Trisaranakul announced that officials had approved a budget of 1.08 million baht to hire more medical staff on a temporary basis to support healthcare facilities during the ongoing pandemic. A total of 2,402 positions will be open from January to September 2022. Aside from standing by during pandemics, this project aims to…
- Thailand News
Fake news: report it, don’t share it, urges PM and government
PM Prayut Chan-o-cha is urging people to report fake news rather than share it, especially regarding Covid-19. He says that misinformation shared online through social media is causing confusion in the residents of Thailand and people should help to weed out bad information so facts are more clear and easier to find. The Ministry of Digital Economy and Society has…
- Eastern Thailand News
Tourists turn their backs on Rayong over 330 baht antigen testing requirement
Tourists have hit back at the eastern province of Rayong after officials imposed a mandatory antigen testing requirement on all visitors. According to a Nation Thailand report, all arrivals in the province must have a negative antigen test result, certified by a doctor, no more than 72 hours before arrival. Tourists have expressed their anger on social media, with most…
- Thailand News
Government wants to closely monitor eateries following extension of alcohol curfew
Now that Thailand’s alcohol curfew has been extended in many provinces, the government is on its toes about cracking down on venues serve past the 11pm cutoff time. A government spokesperson stated today that he wishes for authorities to take sharp measures against eateries violating the new 11pm curfew. Venues that break it will face arrests and loss of operating…
- Thailand News
Thailand won’t allow entrance exam makeups, other Asian countries do
Thai students planning to take their university entrance exams must now miss the exam if they are in quarantine or self-isolation. The only other option is to take the exams next year. Meanwhile, other Asia countries are allowing students in quarantine and isolation to take this exam. China allowed students to take entrance exams at hospitals and special facilities, while…
- Covid-19 News
Tuesday Covid Update: 6,718 new cases; provincial totals
12 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 22,057 with 359 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 6,718 new Covid-19 cases and 7,659 recoveries. There are now 81,532 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…
- Tourism News
CCSA clarifies details on Test & Go, registration opens at 9am on February 1
Registration for Thailand’s quarantine exemption scheme known as Test & Go is reopening next week after being closed for the past month due to the emergence of the Omicron Covid-19 variant in Thailand. Starting at 9am on February 1, fully vaccinated travellers from any country can apply for a Thailand Pass QR code to enter with (almost) quarantine-free travel, but…
- Tourism News
Domestic tourism stimulus scheme gets 9-billion-baht budget approval for phase 4
The government’s domestic tourism stimulus scheme enters phase 4 from February, with Cabinet approving a 9-billion-baht budget. “We Travel Together’ (Rao Tiew Duay Kan) will run until July, according to a government spokesperson. According to a Thai PBS World report, participants can benefit from a 40% discount on hotel rates, up to a maximum of 3,000 baht a night and…
- Covid-19 News
Monday Covid Update: 7,139 new cases; provincial totals
13 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 22,045 with 347 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 7,139 new Covid-19 cases and 8,100 recoveries. There are now 82,485 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…
- Covid-19 News
WHO says Europe could be heading for end of pandemic following Omicron surge
The World Health Organisation’s Europe director says the region could be headed for the end of the pandemic. According to an AFP report, Hans Kluge says the highly-contagious Omicron variant is likely to infect 60% of Europeans by March. This could move the virus into a new phase and herald the end of its pandemic status in Europe, once the…
- Tourism News
Government to make more Covid insurance options available to foreign tourists
The Thai government wants to offer more Covid-19 insurance options to foreign tourists whose own insurance doesn’t cover hospitels or hotel isolation in cases of asymptomatic infection. According to a Bangkok Post report, the governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand says officials are in talks with the Office of the Insurance Commission. Yuthasak Supasorn says premiums could start at…
- Covid-19 News
Free Covid-19 testing events in Bangkok daily throughout January
With Covid-19 infections on the rise, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration launched a series of testing events in 80 communities around the city through the end of January. The campaign is aimed at proactive testing to identify and hopefully contain infections as the highly contagious Omicron variant spreads quickly through the city and the country. The series of testing events began…
- World News
Hong Kong warns against intervening in cull of Covid-19 hamsters
Facing a backlash after their order to kill about 2,000 hamsters caught up in a Covid-19 outbreak, Hong Kong officials are warning people not to intervene in the hamster euthanasia. 11 hamsters tested positive for Covid-19 in an outbreak that also spread to a worker at a pet shop, prompting authorities to spring to action Tuesday to curb the spread…
- Covid-19 News
COVID-19 SATURDAY: Deaths up to 19, infections down to 8,112
Today, the CCSA reported 8,112 new Covid-19 infections, down 528 since yesterday, and 19 Coronavirus-related deaths, up 6 from yesterday. Since April 1, 2021, in the latest wave of the virus in Thailand, a total of 2,340,941 confirmed Covid-19 infections have been reported, with 22,019 total deaths from the pandemic. In the 24 hour period since the last count, the…
- Phuket News
Mask rules enforcement starts with campaigns in Bangla and Phuket Town
Strong punishment is written into the laws for violating Covid-19 rules laid out in the Emergency Decree and the Communicable Diseases Act, but they have rarely been enforced. So when it was announced that Phuket Police would be cracking down on foreigners not wearing masks, many questioned whether any action would be taken. But last night, police began enforcing the…
- Covid-19 News
“Take it next year!” Cold response to student about Covid-19 affected exams
Thai Twitter is blowing up today with outrage at the callous response of the Council of University Presidents of Thailand when a student asked about missing college admission exams due to Covid-19. Screenshots of a Facebook Messenger conversation went viral when they were posted on Thursday night. In the conversation, a concerned student asked how about if she were to…
- Covid-19 News
Study shows 2 doses of Sputnik vaccine better than Pfizer
A Russian and Italian study showed that neutralising antibodies against the Omicron last longer in people who have had the Sputnik V vaccine from Russia than in people with the Pfizer vaccine. The study was done on a very small scale though, with just 51 people who received the Sputnik V vaccine and only 17 people with Pfizer. It was…
- Covid-19 News
Friday Covid Update: 8,640 new cases; provincial totals
13 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 22,000 with 302 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 8,640 new Covid-19 cases and 8,641 recoveries. There are now 82,720 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…
- Covid-19 News
Health Minister says Pfizer doses for children ages 5 to 11 will arrive next week
Thailand’s Health Minister has confirmed that 3 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine will arrive on January 26. Anutin Charnvirakul says the doses will be administered to children between the ages of 5 and 11. The Bangkok Post reports that the vaccines are from an order of 10 million doses placed by the government. Once they arrive in the kingdom,…
- Phuket News
Sealed route proposal for asymptomatic infected tourists gets lukewarm reception in Phuket
Phuket officials have responded less than enthusiastically to a suggestion that infected asymptomatic tourists be allowed to travel via a sealed route. Pichet Panapong, the province’s deputy governor, says he believes infected tourists should stay in their hotel rooms. According to a Bangkok Post report, he’s already said as much to the immigration chief who initially made the suggestion. Pichet…
- Covid-19 News
Dr Yong says hurrying for a fourth vaccine is wasteful
Dr Yong Poovorwan is almost always the go-to person for explanations and opinions about Covid-19 as Thailand’s top virologist. And now he is saying that it would be wasteful for people in Thailand to race to get a fourth vaccine as many places are discussing and launching second booster programs. As the head of the Centre of Excellence in Clinical…
- World News
More than a million Covid-19 vaccinations ‘expire’ in Indonesia before distribution to public
Indonesia had a Covid kerfuffle today after more than a million Covid-19 vaccination shots expired before they could be used, most of which were donated just one to three months, due to their short shelf life. According to Indonesian Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin, nearly 98% of the 1.1 million dosages were thrown out as a result of rushed shipments…
- Covid-19 News
Thursday Covid Update: 8,129 new cases; provincial totals
19 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 21,987 with 289 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 8,129 new Covid-19 cases and 6,978 recoveries. There are now 82,734 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…
- Covid-19 News
Restrictions ease, 25 provinces reclassified as “yellow” zones
Restrictions are easing in 25 provinces following a revision to the colour-coded zoning based on local infection rates. Starting January 24, those provinces will move from “orange” controlled zones to “yellow” zones under surveillance. In the “yellow” and “blue” zones, alcohol sales will be allowed until 11pm. The Centre for Covid-19 Situation decided to relax some measures today at its…
- Phuket News
Time frames laid out for vaccine booster shots in Phuket
Authorities in Phuket have announced their plans to provide third and fourth vaccines as booster shots to protect the tourist province from Covid-19. The ministry of the Interior’s Phuket office issued the plan through the Phuket info centre that they operate, and was developed by the Phuket City development company, a group of businesses that work on major public service projects…
- Thailand News
Those who don’t report positive ATK results can face penalties – DDC director
Has your at-home Covid-19 test come out positive? If so, report the results to government health officials. Those who do not report their result can face charges. Speaking at a press conference, the director-general of the Department of Disease Control, Opas Karnkawinpong, warned that anyone who finds themselves infected with Covid-19 by using the ATK test and keeps it a…
