covid-19

  • Thailand NewsSunday Update: 5,916 new infections, provincial totals, news briefs

    Sunday Update: 5,916 new infections, provincial totals, news briefs

    Today the public health department has announced 5,916 new infections and 44 Covid-related deaths. 39 of the total are attributed to Thai prisons. The report indicates a stabilisation of numbers after 3 days hovering around the 6,000-per-day level of new cases. But Sundays often return lower-than-usual reports. Since April 1, 2021 there’s been 254,204 people infected, 2,132 dead (+44 today), 59,938 remain in care, 2,147…

  • Phuket NewsFlights and passenger numbers slowly rising in Phuket Sandbox

    Flights and passenger numbers slowly rising in Phuket Sandbox

    As we enter day 4 of the Phuket Sandbox reopening, while numbers aren’t anywhere near earlier estimates or historical totals, they are steadily growing day by day. Each day has brought a few more flights and passenger numbers to Phuket and the arrivals are steadily creeping up. By today, the original first-day estimate of 1,500 arrivals, should be surpassed. Today’s…

  • Thailand NewsSunday COVID Update: 5,916 new infections, 44 deaths

    Sunday COVID Update: 5,916 new infections, 44 deaths

    Today the public health department has announced 5,916 new infections and 44 Covid-related deaths. 39 of the total are attributed to Thai prisons. The report indicates a stabilisation of numbers after 3 days hovering around the 6,000-per-day level of new cases. But Sundays often return lower-than-usual reports. • The Delta variant has been identified in 70% of Bangkok patients falling sick…

  • Thailand NewsSunday COVID Update: 5,916 new infections, news briefs

    Sunday COVID Update: 5,916 new infections, news briefs

    Sunday morning the public health department has announced 5,916 new infections and 44 Covid-related deaths. 39 of the total are attributed to Thai prisons. The report indicates a stabilisation of numbers after 3 days hovering around the 6,000-per-day level of new cases. But Sundays often return lower-than-usual reports (let’s hope we’re wrong on that today). Around the world the drastic…

  • Tourism NewsSandbox: 6000 registered, no positive Covid-19 tests, new land restrictions

    Sandbox: 6000 registered, no positive Covid-19 tests, new land restrictions

    Now that the Phuket Sandbox is up and running, international travellers are trickling back in to enjoy the Thai tropical island. More than 6,000 people have reportedly registered for the Phuket Sandbox so far, no arrivals have tested positive for Covid-19 yet, and officials are tightening up the land entry borders to the island. The Director-General of the Department of…

  • Covid-19 NewsCCSA says no new restrictions are needed to fight Covid-19

    CCSA says no new restrictions are needed to fight Covid-19

    With Covid-19 infections surging and spreading throughout the country, and daily infection numbers rising along with an increasing death toll, officials have decided what additional measures need to be taken to cope with the situation: none. The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration has announced that the rules and restrictions in place now are adequate in the fight against the increasing…

  • Covid-19 NewsVietjet urges testing after Phuket passenger gets Covid-19

    Vietjet urges testing after Phuket passenger gets Covid-19

    Budget airline operator Vietjet Air put out a statement addressing an incident involving one of their passengers being diagnosed with Covid-19. The passenger travelled last week, and 2 days ago the airline put out a call for those seated near the infected passenger to come forward and seek testing and treatment. The flight in question was Vietjet Air flight VZ314…

  • Thailand NewsThailand still plans to fully reopen on October 15, despite Covid-19 uptick

    Thailand still plans to fully reopen on October 15, despite Covid-19 uptick

    Despite the recent and most severe wave of Covid-19 infections still peaking, Thailand is on track to reopen on October 15 to those travelling from overseas who have been vaccinated against the coronavirus. The “Phuket Sandbox” model, which launched yesterday, will serve as a pilot project for the nationwide reopening plan. The “Samui Plus” travel model next on the list,…

  • World NewsEmergency restrictions to be imposed in Indonesia as Covid infections surge

    Emergency restrictions to be imposed in Indonesia as Covid infections surge

    The Indonesian government is introducing emergency measures aimed at curbing the spread of Covid-19 as infection rates rise steeply. President Joko Widodo says the restrictions are aimed at reducing new daily cases to below 10,000 and avoiding a collapse of the country’s healthcare system. “This situation has forced us to take stricter steps. I have decided to impose emergency restrictions.”…

  • Covid-19 NewsPolice warn of Covid-19 vaccine booking scam by fake insurance company

    Police warn of Covid-19 vaccine booking scam by fake insurance company

    Police are warning people about a Covid-19 vaccine booking scam after 20 people in the Isaan province Udon Thani were defrauded by a fake life insurance company promising Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccines. A spokesperson for the Royal Thai Police says the fraudulent group claimed they could obtain the Chinese-made vaccines from the Federation of Thai Industries, which had ordered the doses…

  • Covid-19 NewsICU beds full at Bangkok’s Siriraj Hospital

    ICU beds full at Bangkok’s Siriraj Hospital

    The head of the respiratory disease and tuberculosis division at Siriraj Hospital says the facility has run out of beds in its intensive care unit. Dr. Nithiphat Chiarakun says at least 5 Covid-19 patients have been left waiting for an ICU bed as healthcare workers try to juggle what’s available. The Bangkok Post reports that one Covid patient whose symptoms…

  • Covid-19 NewsFriday Covid Update: Another record high, 61 deaths and 6,087 new cases

    Friday Covid Update: Another record high, 61 deaths and 6,087 new cases

    Another record high in Covid-related deaths and an uptick in new coronavirus cases were reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. The CCSA recorded 61 more deaths involving Covid-19 patients, the highest daily death count in Thailand since the start of the pandemic last year. 6,087 new Covid-19 cases were also reported, an uptick in cases over the…

  • Bangkok NewsEntertainment and nightlife reps submit petition for aid, reopening

    Entertainment and nightlife reps submit petition for aid, reopening

    At 10 o’clock this morning a rally of owners, staff, musicians and entertainment sector workers gathered at the House of Representatives to submit a petition for support after long-term Covid-19 closures or permission to reopen August 1. Dozens of representatives from the entertainment industry took part in the demonstration after 3 continuous months of shuttered businesses due to the pandemic…

  • Covid-19 NewsUptick in Covid-19 in Isaan as workers flee Bangkok construction camps

    Uptick in Covid-19 in Isaan as workers flee Bangkok construction camps

    With numerous workers fleeing to their home provinces to avoid Bangkok’s recent disease control restrictions sealing off construction camps for the next month, there has been an uptick in Covid-19 cases in other various provinces, particularly in the Isaan region. This week, 129 people in 32 provinces tested positive for the virus after travelling from Bangkok. 84 people tested positive…

  • Thailand NewsMore than 30 children at Isaan care centre test postive for Covid-19

    More than 30 children at Isaan care centre test postive for Covid-19

    More than 30 young children at a care centre tested positive for Covid-19. Health officials say a 2 year old boy, who was first infected by this mother, spread the virus to the childcare centre in the Isaan province Khon Kaen. Altogether, 8 teachers and 34 students at the centre tested positive for the virus. The 2 year old boy’s…

  • World NewsLaos reports first Delta variant cases, patients had returned from Thailand

    Laos reports first Delta variant cases, patients had returned from Thailand

    Laos has reported its first Covid-19 cases involving the rapid-spreading Delta variant of the virus. The patients who tested positive for the variant had returned to Laos from Thailand, according to the National Taskforce for Covid-19 Prevention and Control. Since the mutated strain, which was first found in India, is the most transmissible Covid-19 variant identified, Laos health officials are…

  • Thailand NewsThai researchers to study animal antiparasitic drug for treating Covid-19

    Thai researchers to study animal antiparasitic drug for treating Covid-19

    Thai researchers are studying whether an antiparasitic medication, which is typically used for animals, can be used to treat humans infected with Covid-19. Reports on the new study come after a warning from Thai Food and Drug Administration advising people not to use the drug Ivermectin as it is typically used for veterinary treatment and not for human use, especially…

  • Covid-19 NewsThursday Covid Update: Cases and deaths spike amid Phuket reopening

    Thursday Covid Update: Cases and deaths spike amid Phuket reopening

    Just as Phuket is reopening to foreign tourists, Thailand’s current and most severe wave has hit a high of 52,052 active Covid-19 cases, according to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. The daily death toll has set a record high with 57 coronavirus-related fatalities today, raising the total Covid fatality count since the start of the pandemic to 2,080. 5,533…

  • HealthTop virologist Yong faces backlash for Covid-19 suggestions

    Top virologist Yong faces backlash for Covid-19 suggestions

    Dr Yong Poovorawan, head of the Centre of Excellence in Clinical Virology at Chulalongkorn University and Thailand’s top virologist has recently come under fire for missteps in the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic. A petition on Change.org has garnered about 10,000 signatures calling for his removal from the University Centre as those opposed to his recent actions and suggestions question…

  • Covid-19 NewsThailand’s virology expert: give Sinovac to children over 3

    Thailand’s virology expert: give Sinovac to children over 3

    Thailand’s top virologist Yong Poovorawan has suggested that the Sinovac vaccine be given to children older than 3 years old by the end of 2021 in an effort to reach Covid-19 herd immunity. The doctor who heads the Centre of Excellence in Clinical Virology at Chulalongkorn University said he believes that the Chinese vaccine has the least severe side effects…

  • Covid-19 NewsPM orders 1,500 extra field hospital beds as infections surge in central Thailand

    PM orders 1,500 extra field hospital beds as infections surge in central Thailand

    The Thai PM, Prayut Chan-o-cha, has ordered an additional 1,500 beds for a field hospital in the central province of Nonthaburi. According to a Nation Thailand report, the beds are to accommodate patients in the red and yellow groups at the Bussarakham Field Hospital. Red group patients are those who have severe symptoms and are in need of respirators. Yellow…

  • South Thailand News30-day curfew for Songkhla following a surge in Covid-19 cases

    30-day curfew for Songkhla following a surge in Covid-19 cases

    Officials in Songkhla have announced a 30-day curfew in an effort to fight a surge of Covid-19 infections in the southern province. According to a Bangkok Post report, the provincial communicable disease committee has confirmed the curfew, which came into effect last night and is in place until July 29. Governor Jaruwat Kliangklao says residents must remain home between the…

  • Covid-19 NewsGovernment urged to provide booster shots in sandbox destinations

    Government urged to provide booster shots in sandbox destinations

    Tourism representatives are calling on the government to provide vaccine boosters for people who live in sandbox destinations. Chamnan Srisawat, president of the Tourism Council of Thailand, says the country can’t wait for the virus to disappear completely and the only solution is for residents in sandbox areas to get maximum protection against new variants and outbreaks. “Herd immunity across…

  • Covid-19 NewsThursday Covid Update: Record high of 57 deaths; 5,533 new infections

    Thursday Covid Update: Record high of 57 deaths; 5,533 new infections

    5,533 new Covid-19 cases and a record high of 57 Covid-related deaths were reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. Since April 1, the latest and most severe wave of the virus in Thailand, the CCSA has reported 235,971 Covid-19 cases. Out of the new cases, 44 were reported in correctional facilities, showing an improvement in the Covid…

  • Covid-19 NewsOfficials defend dine-in ban amid fears of a fourth wave

    Officials defend dine-in ban amid fears of a fourth wave

    The government’s Covid-19 task force has defended new restrictions that ban dining in at restaurants, saying the country is heading into a fourth wave of the virus. According to a Bangkok Post report, Natthapol Nakpanich from the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration says the Delta variant is now spreading across the country. Acting on the advice of healthcare experts, the…

  • EntertainmentNightlife, restaurants suggest opening in defiance of restrictions

    Nightlife, restaurants suggest opening in defiance of restrictions

    After a year and a half of closures and lockdowns and restrictions and regulations that often start and even end with the nightlife and entertainment industry, some bar and restaurant owners are sick of it and growing defiant. Citing the lack of government assistance and the sporadic and last-minute closure decisions that through livelihoods into chaos, some owners are urging…

  • Thailand video newsThailand News Today | Tourist predictions, Sinovac batch problem, Tak cluster | June 30

    Thailand News Today | Tourist predictions, Sinovac batch problem, Tak cluster | June 30

    A man used a knife to rob a gold shop in the Lam Luk Ka district, Prathum Thani province, Tourism Council of Thailand says we’ll get 3 million foreign tourist arrivals for the rest of the year, Food and Drug Administration says it has found 110 faulty bottles of the CoronaVac vaccine from Sinovac Biotech that they claim contain lumps…

  • Northern Thailand News2 illegal Chinese immigrants in Tak arrested eluding quarantine

    2 illegal Chinese immigrants in Tak arrested eluding quarantine

    In the northwestern province of Tak, where Covid-19 cases are surging, 2 illegal Chinese immigrants who snuck out of quarantine were arrested in Mae Sot Town today. The pair were found wandering in town and taken into custody by army members of the 4th Infantry Regiment. In Tambon Mae Ku, the two migrant workers, Zhang Yong Lyu and Liu Wei,…

  • Tourism NewsTourism jobs continue to be lost – nearly 1 million in 2021

    Tourism jobs continue to be lost – nearly 1 million in 2021

    It’s easy to look scornfully at the government and tourism industry’s rose-tinted predictions of the Phuket Sandbox reopening and further return of international tourism to Thailand by the end of the year. But a look at the current statistics for the battered tourism industry helps explain the need for hope. This quarter, 550,000 jobs were lost in the tourism industry.…

  • Covid-19 NewsWednesday Covid-19 Update: 4,786 new cases; provincial totals

    Wednesday Covid-19 Update: 4,786 new cases; provincial totals

    A record high of 53 Covid-related deaths was reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 2,023. The vast majority of Covid patients died over the past 3 months with the daily fatality count in the 20s to 40s. 4,786 new Covid-19 cases were reported today, with most infections reported in…