covid-19

  • Covid-19 NewsBangkok vaccination centres shut down at weekend due to vaccine shortages

    Bangkok vaccination centres shut down at weekend due to vaccine shortages

    The government’s Covid-19 vaccine rollout encountered another hiccup at the weekend as 25 vaccination centres in Bangkok had to close due to a shortage of vaccines. And in a separate development, the Bangkok Post reports that bookings for Friday and Saturday were cancelled via the Mor Prom app, due to a technical glitch. Sanan Angubolkul from the Thai Chamber of…

  • Covid-19 News16 new dark red provinces and restrictions extended to August 16

    16 new dark red provinces and restrictions extended to August 16

    16 more provinces will be added to Thailand’s dark red zones and all will see partial lockdown restrictions extended until August 16 according to a statement this late afternoon by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. The announcement extended the lockdowns set to expire August 3 for an additional 2 weeks, and expanded the number of provinces classified as dark…

  • Hua Hin NewsHua Hin Maya Club execs get 3 months for superspreader event

    Hua Hin Maya Club execs get 3 months for superspreader event

    Many people living in Thailand long term grow weary of the persistence of action without consequence, especially for those that are well connected or with deep pockets. But a new ruling Hua Hin gives credit where credit is due and sentenced 2 executives of the Maya Club in Hua Hin to 3 months in prison plus fines for the illegal…

  • Covid-19 NewsForeigners able to register on vaccine site despite data leaks, glitches

    Foreigners able to register on vaccine site despite data leaks, glitches

    The debut of Thailand’s new vaccine appointment registration site expatvac.consular.go.th has now opened to mixed reviews. Many reported a host of problems, but quite a few people said that in the end they received emails confirming their registration and forthcoming appointments. And of course, it opened to a data breach. The vaccine registration site launched at 11 am and within…

  • Covid-19 NewsNew site for foreigner vaccine; Mor Prom deletes appointments

    New site for foreigner vaccine; Mor Prom deletes appointments

    In life – as in vaccine registration processes – if at first you don’t succeed, try a few dozen more times. Following on the myriad plans to register people, local and foreigners for vaccines, many of which started and ended within days and suffered data leaks, site crashes, glitches (see the second half of this article) and near-constant confusion, a…

  • Koh Samui NewsSamui Covid-19: 14 new Black Club infections, 2nd cluster

    Samui Covid-19: 14 new Black Club infections, 2nd cluster

    [UPDATE 9 pm: Information on Black Club staff with Covid-19 has been updated, as well as Bangkok Airways Samui flight cancellations and Bangkok Hospital bed shortage details.] The emergence of Covid-19 in Koh Samui has caused some upheaval for the residents as more infections and more details are revealed each day. 14 new infections were diagnosed today on the island,…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket Sandbox Covid-19 infections: 35 today, 209 this week

    Phuket Sandbox Covid-19 infections: 35 today, 209 this week

    35 new Covid-19 infections pushed rolling 7-day total in Phuket to 209, more than doubling the feared 90 per week that would trigger Sandbox reconsideration according to the original official plans. When the total first passed the 90 infection threshold and surpassed 100, the Department of Disease Control declared that the overall situation was still far from critical and the…

  • Koh Samui NewsKoh Samui unaccustomed to Covid-19, many act in dismay

    Koh Samui unaccustomed to Covid-19, many act in dismay

    Koh Samui is not accustomed to Covid-19 worries and has been rocked by the outbreak this week as many locals struggle to cope with the first significant cluster on the island. So far 40 Covid-19 infections have been identified from the Black Bamboo Club cluster, and several other seemingly unrelated infections had popped up also. A few more bars have…

  • Covid-19 NewsCCSA considers extending restrictions in “dark red” zones for another 14 days

    CCSA considers extending restrictions in “dark red” zones for another 14 days

    With Covid-19 cases hitting record highs, despite the strict disease control measures in place, the Thai government is considering extending the current order in the 13 “dark red” provinces, including Bangkok, for another two weeks. Yesterday, Thailand had hit record highs of both daily Covid cases and fatalities with 17,669 new cases and 165 coronavirus-related deaths. The order imposing nightly…

  • Covid-19 NewsFriday Covid Update: 17,345 new cases; provincial totals

    Friday Covid Update: 17,345 new cases; provincial totals

    17,345 new Covid-19 cases and 117 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. Since the start of the pandemic last year, the CCSA has reported 578,375 confirmed Covid-19 cases and 4,679 coronavirus-related deaths. Thailand now has 192,526 active Covid-19 cases. In Bangkok, the epicentre of Thailand’s latest wave, the CCSA reported 3,231 new Covid-19 cases…

  • Covid-19 NewsSurvey shows Singaporeans making travel plans as country eyes re-opening

    Survey shows Singaporeans making travel plans as country eyes re-opening

    The findings of the latest Finder’s Travel Index show that 44% of adults in Singapore are planning to travel within the next 3 months. The Finder’s Travel Index is a series of surveys, conducted across 12 countries, to gauge travel sentiment. The latest findings show an increase of 20% in the number of Singaporeans planning to travel imminently, compared to…

  • Covid-19 News21 of yesterday’s Covid-related deaths died at home

    21 of yesterday’s Covid-related deaths died at home

    The number of new infections in the most severe wave to hit Thailand since the start of the pandemic continues to rise. And of 165 Covid-related deaths reported yesterday, 21 of them died at home. The Bangkok Post reports that the highest number of infections is in the capital, with 3,963 new cases reported yesterday, followed by the neighbouring provinces…

  • Covid-19 NewsVaccine hesitancy testing the patience of fully inoculated Americans

    Vaccine hesitancy testing the patience of fully inoculated Americans

    As the Delta variant prompts a new wave of infections in the US, fully vaccinated Americans are running out of patience with fellow citizens who refuse to be inoculated. The issue of vaccine hesitancy, driven by factors such as conspiracy theories and mistrust of the government, could lead to restrictions being re-imposed, rather than the return to normality people are…

  • Covid-19 NewsFriday Covid Update: 17,345 new cases and 117 deaths

    Friday Covid Update: 17,345 new cases and 117 deaths

    17,345 new Covid-19 cases and 117 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. In the latest and most severe wave of the virus in Thailand, first recorded on April 1, the CCSA has reported 549,512 confirmed Covid-19 infections. Out of the new cases reported today, 681 were found in correctional facilities. The latest wave of…

  • Covid-19 NewsDespite Covid-19 Phuket Sandbox continues at least 2 weeks

    Despite Covid-19 Phuket Sandbox continues at least 2 weeks

    With Covid-19 infections surging in Phuket, many have questioned if the Phuket Sandbox scheme would continue or be shut down as the original provisions of the Sandbox said that thresholds like over 90 infections a week could trigger revisions or cancellation of the programme. Now the Deputy Director of the Department of Disease Control has confirmed that, despite the rise…

  • Covid-19 NewsChulalongkorn University progressing on domestic mRNA vaccine

    Chulalongkorn University progressing on domestic mRNA vaccine

    With Covid-19 battering Thailand and the third wave bringing the Sinovac-resistant Delta variant to the forefront of the pandemic, Thailand’s slow vaccine rollout is further burdened by the ineffectiveness of the Chinese made traditional vaccine that a majority of inoculations are using. AstraZeneca provides more protection, and talk of booster shots have come after mixing vaccine doses has begun. But…

  • Covid-19 NewsThursday Covid Update: Record high of 17,669 new cases; provincial totals

    Thursday Covid Update: Record high of 17,669 new cases; provincial totals

    Record highs of both new Covid-19 infections and coronavirus-related deaths were reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. 17,669 new Covid-19 cases were recorded today, including 3,963 in Bangkok, the epicentre of the latest and most severe wave of infections. Since the start of the pandemic last year, the CCSA has recorded a total of 561,030 confirmed Covid-19…

  • Bangkok NewsSleeper trains in Bangkok to become isolation facilities for Covid-19 patients

    Sleeper trains in Bangkok to become isolation facilities for Covid-19 patients

    Sleeper trains in Bangkok are being converted into isolation facilities for Covid-19 patients who are waiting for a hospital bed to become available. With the surge of Covid-19 cases, today hitting a record high of 17,669 new cases, hospitals in Bangkok, the epicentre of infections, have run low on beds to treat patients infected with the coronavirus. At Bang Sue…

  • Koh Samui NewsSurge in new Covid infections on Koh Samui

    Surge in new Covid infections on Koh Samui

    Koh Samui has recorded its highest 1-day jump in Covid-19 infections since the southern island re-opened to international tourism. According to a Bangkok Post report, officials have confirmed 20 new cases but insist the development will not affect the island’s Samui Plus re-opening programme. 16 of the new infections are a cluster linked to a cashier at a local gym.…

  • Covid-19 NewsPrivate clinics in Bangkok enlisted to help with home isolation Covid patients

    Private clinics in Bangkok enlisted to help with home isolation Covid patients

    Privately-run clinics in Bangkok are being enlisted to help treat and monitor patients in the Covid-19 “green” group – those who are home isolating with mild or no symptoms. According to a Bangkok Post report, the National Health Security Office is inviting the clinics to sign up to the programme to increase the number of facilities helping home isolation patients.…

  • Covid-19 NewsThursday Covid Update: Record high of 17,669 cases and 165 deaths

    Thursday Covid Update: Record high of 17,669 cases and 165 deaths

    A new record high of 17,669 new Covid-19 cases and 165 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. Since April 1, in the latest and most severe wave of cases, the CCSA has reported a total of 532,167 Covid-19 infections since the start of the pandemic. The number of daily new cases hit a new…

  • Covid-19 NewsPhetchabun sugar factory closes with Covid-19 cluster

    Phetchabun sugar factory closes with Covid-19 cluster

    After a cluster of 90 workers was discovered to be infected with Covid-19, a factory in Phetchabun producing sugar has been instructed by government officials to close down for a week. The Thai Roong Ruang Industry Co in the Si Thep district received the orders yesterday to close from now until August 2. The provincial communicable disease committee made the…

  • Covid-19 NewsPolice investigate hackers selling stolen vaccine appointments

    Police investigate hackers selling stolen vaccine appointments

    Amid vaccine scarcity in Thailand’s slow rollout, and a tumultuous registration process with changing systems and tiny sign-up windows, people have taken to desperate means to get vaccinated. People posing as doctors online sold fake vaccine appointments, and authorities accused members of the Hi-So elite of renting motorbike taxi vests to pose as taxi drivers who are given priority for…

  • Covid-19 NewsDespite low riders, Covid-19 train to continue

    Despite low riders, Covid-19 train to continue

    Despite a rocky start, the special train service the Transport Ministry arranged with the State Railway of Thailand to help bring Covid-19 infected patients in Bangkok to their hometowns for treatment will continue. The train, dubbed the “Covid Express”, will schedule more trips from Bangkok to the North and Northeast provinces even though the first train ended up with less…

  • Covid-19 NewsWednesday Covid Update: 16,533 new cases; provincial totals

    Wednesday Covid Update: 16,533 new cases; provincial totals

    A record high of 16,533 new Covid-19 cases, including 3,997 in Bangkok, was reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. In the latest and most severe wave of infections in Thailand, first recorded on April 1, the CCSA has reported 514,498 Covid-19 cases. The latest wave accounts up for the majority of Thailand’s total case count of 543,361…

  • Covid-19 NewsGirls infected with Covid after mother dies at home; public criticises healthcare system

    Girls infected with Covid after mother dies at home; public criticises healthcare system

    The story of the two Thai girls who woke up to find their 44 year old mother dead in their bedroom, possibly due to Covid-19, grabbed public attention and shed light on the death toll of the current wave of cases where more than 4,000 people infected with the virus have died. Medical examiners have not declared the Apaporn Suntarachon’s…

  • Covid-19 NewsCrowds rush to Bang Sue for vaccination ahead of walk-in registration ending

    Crowds rush to Bang Sue for vaccination ahead of walk-in registration ending

    There were scenes of overcrowding reported at Bangkok’s Bang Sue station yesterday as people rushed to try to get a vaccine before walk-in registration ends. According to a Nation Thailand report, the rush was sparked by the announcement that walk-in registration for the elderly ends on Saturday. The following day, registration opens for everyone over the age of 18 but…

  • Covid-19 NewsThai PM predicts current Covid crisis will be over in 2 or 3 weeks – 4 at the most

    Thai PM predicts current Covid crisis will be over in 2 or 3 weeks – 4 at the most

    The Thai PM says the country’s worst Covid-19 outbreak since the start of the pandemic should be over in 2 or 3 weeks, maybe 4. The Bangkok Post reports that Prayut Chan-o-cha was addressing a Cabinet meeting yesterday and has instructed all relevant agencies to keep the public updated on the ongoing crisis. Thailand has continued to report new cases…

  • Covid-19 NewsStudy confirms mixing AstraZeneca and mRNA vaccines as good as 2 mRNA doses

    Study confirms mixing AstraZeneca and mRNA vaccines as good as 2 mRNA doses

    A recent study of Covid-19 vaccines shows that using AstraZeneca for the first dose, followed by an mRNA vaccine for the second, is as effective as 2 mRNA doses. The AstraZeneca vaccine is a viral vector vaccine, whereas vaccines such as Pfizer and Moderna use mRNA technology. Thai PBS World reports that the study was carried out in Germany, using…

  • Covid-19 NewsWednesday Covid Update: Record high of 16,533 new cases

    Wednesday Covid Update: Record high of 16,533 new cases

    A record high of 16,533 new Covid-19 cases were reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. In the latest and most severe wave of infections in Thailand, first recorded on April 1, the CCSA has reported 514,498 Covid-19 cases. Today, the CCSA also recorded another 133 coronavirus-related deaths. Out of the new cases, 202 were found in correctional…