covid19

  • Thailand NewsControversy erupts as Thai doctors clash over mRNA vaccine effect

    Controversy erupts as Thai doctors clash over mRNA vaccine effect

    Thai doctor Thiravat Hemachudha sparked controversy when he shared information about the potentially fatal effect of the messenger Ribonucleic Acid (mRNA) Covid-19 vaccine, citing English YouTuber John Campbell. Thiravat shared information from the English YouTuber, and retired nurse educator, Campbell, on Facebook on February 19. Thiravat talked about a white clot that was found in people and dead bodies with…

  • Thailand NewsCovid-19 inpatients and deaths surge by 150% in Thailand after Songkran celebrations

    Covid-19 inpatients and deaths surge by 150% in Thailand after Songkran celebrations

    In the aftermath of the Songkran celebrations, which concluded on April 15, the number of Covid-19 inpatients and related deaths has seen a significant increase of 150% in just one week. According to the Department of Disease Control, there were 1,088 Covid inpatients from April 16 to 22, compared to the previous week’s figure of 435. Furthermore, the number of…

  • Covid-19 NewsFestival turns fatal: Covid surges post-Songkran

    Festival turns fatal: Covid surges post-Songkran

    A sharp increase in Covid inpatients and related fatalities was reported in the week following the Songkran Festival, with numbers soaring by 150% compared to the previous week, according to the Department of Disease Control. Between April 16 and 22, the number of Covid inpatients surged to 1,088, a stark increase from the 435 patients in the preceding week of…

  • Covid-19 NewsXBB Omicron variant rising in Thailand: New strategies deployed

    XBB Omicron variant rising in Thailand: New strategies deployed

    Approximately 52% of new Covid-19 cases in Thailand have been attributed to the XBB sub-strain of the Omicron variant, according to the Centre for Medical Genomics. As a result, a prominent doctor has urged the public to obtain booster shots before the onset of the rainy season. The XBB variant and its sub-strains have been responsible for recent surges in…

  • Thailand video newsVaccination certificate requirement dropped and effective immediately | Thailand News Today

    Vaccination certificate requirement dropped and effective immediately | Thailand News Today

    The covid 19 travel requirements into Thailand. This morning we reported that any non-Thai traveler that is 18 and above must have either two doses of covid 19 vaccines, a letter of proof of recovery from covid in the past six months or a doctor’s letter explaining why they are not vaccinated. And this letter has been given to the…

  • Thailand NewsNEW Thailand Entry Restrictions & Chinese Tourists Return | GMT

    NEW Thailand Entry Restrictions & Chinese Tourists Return | GMT

      In today’s episode, Dog-eating Thai man gets three months in prison, Covid travel restrictions return tomorrow, and Floating beach club party barge requests to anchor in Phuket.

  • Covid-19 NewsThai health authorities recommending the re-instatement of mask wearing

    Thai health authorities recommending the re-instatement of mask wearing

    The highly contagious BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron sub-variants are currently causing problems in Thailand, just like they are in other countries – more hospitalisations but no trend of a higher number of deaths. The downward trend, since April 1, has plateaued over the past month and started creeping up again. With statistics from many countries suggesting that BA.4 and BA.5…

  • Phuket NewsAfter noise complaints, Phuket venues accused of breaking Covid-19 rules

    After noise complaints, Phuket venues accused of breaking Covid-19 rules

    What began as noise complaints turned into a conflict over Covid-19 restriction violations in Phuket this week. Phuket police arrested 2 night venue operators earlier this week following complaints of loud noise after the midnight closing time. Both managers allegedly violated the curfew and Covid-19 restrictions, and one allegedly also violated entertainment employment laws for entertainment venues. Their venues are…

  • Tourism NewsHospitels close the door on Covid and hotels reopen for business as usual

    Hospitels close the door on Covid and hotels reopen for business as usual

    With Covid-19 projected to be labelled as endemic next month, hospitels and alternate quarantine sites have resumed normal operations. Hospitels are hotels that provided rooms for people who had mild Covid symptoms. They helped ease the strain on the kingdom’s hospitals during the peak period of the coronavirus pandemic. But now the service is consigned to history, according to the…

  • Visa InformationComing to Thailand from May 2022? Here’s all you need to know.

    Coming to Thailand from May 2022? Here’s all you need to know.

    On April 22, CCSA announced major changes for everyone who will enter Thailand, whether Thai or foreigner, vaccinated or not vaccinated. We have covered a lot about this on video for our YouTube channel and in written form here on The Thaiger. But here is everything you need for returning to Thailand in one post. Registration for the revised Thailand…

  • Covid-19 NewsTeenagers in Thailand will be eligible to receive Pfizer booster jabs from May

    Teenagers in Thailand will be eligible to receive Pfizer booster jabs from May

    Starting in May, teenagers in Thailand aged 12-17 will be allowed to get a Pfizer booster shot for Covid-19, provided they’ve received their second dose of a Covid vaccine within the past 6 months. The move is to boost students’ immunity to the virus ahead of new school year, which is set to begin next month, according to Dr. Opart…

  • Thailand NewsThai durian shipment to China detected with Covid 19 on packaging

    Thai durian shipment to China detected with Covid 19 on packaging

    After signs of the coronavirus were detected on the surfaces of boxes of Thai durian, the delivery to China was blocked from entering for 3 days. Companies in Thailand’s fruit export industry have been advised to follow strict Covid-19 guidelines. A shipment of the famous King of Fruits, aka. Durian, from Thailand was reported to be infected at China’s Mohan…

  • Covid-19 NewsShorter quarantine times proposed for Thailand. From 7 days down to…?

    Shorter quarantine times proposed for Thailand. From 7 days down to…?

    Starting in May, high risk groups who have been in close contact with Covid 19 will still have to self isolate at home, but the time will be shortened from 7 days to 5 days. While the self isolation period is shorter, they will need to monitor their health for another 5 days, according to the Director-general of the Department…

  • Crime News80 year old woman dies after falling from the seventh floor of a hospital

    80 year old woman dies after falling from the seventh floor of a hospital

    In Nakhon Si Thammarat, southern Thailand, an 80 year old woman has died after falling from her room on the seventh floor of a hospital where she was being treated for Covid-19. She was taken to the emergency room but it was too late. The incident happened at the Maharat Nakhon Si Thammarat Hospital in Nakhon Si Thammarat last Monday.…

  • Covid-19 NewsOmicron BA.2 projected to become Thailand’s dominant strain within 2 weeks

    Omicron BA.2 projected to become Thailand’s dominant strain within 2 weeks

    The BA.2 sub-variant of Omicron will take over Thailand and become the new dominant strain of Covid-19, according to the Thai Medical Science Department. Last week, the department did a diagnosis of Covid-19 infections and discovered that the BA.2 sub-variant accounted for 96% of reported cases, while the BA.1 sub-variant accounted for a mere 4% of cases, according to the…

  • Covid-19 NewsThailand extends expiration dates of Covid-19 vaccines, after 3 companies re-register

    Thailand extends expiration dates of Covid-19 vaccines, after 3 companies re-register

    The Public Health Ministry has directed hospitals to adjust the expiration dates of Covid-19 vaccines in their inventory according to each company’s new registration rules. Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Sinovac vaccines will all be extended. Deputy permanent secretary for Public Health, Thongchai Lertwilairatanapong, notified all public health chiefs last week, instructing them to reset the expiration dates of vaccine doses and…

  • Thailand NewsInternational travellers trickle back into Bangkok, but hoteliers say it’s not enough

    International travellers trickle back into Bangkok, but hoteliers say it’s not enough

    Suvarnabhumi International Airport has seen a significant increase in international travellers since Thailand scrapped its pre-travel PCR test requirement last Friday. Well that’s the general narrative that’s been published in some media, although the published numbers don’t stand up to close scrutiny. Bangkok’s aviation hub saw an average of more than 11,600 daily arrivals from abroad touch down in the…

  • Covid-19 NewsOmicron BA.2 is expected to dominate infections in Malaysia

    Omicron BA.2 is expected to dominate infections in Malaysia

    Malaysia’s health director-general warned in a statement on Monday that the BA.2 subvariant of Omicron will likely become dominant in the country, raising concerns about its possible high rate of transmission. Omicron has started to overtake Delta as the major coronavirus strain in Malaysia, according to continuing research and tracking. Cases that involve BA.2 increased to 27% between March 1…

  • Thailand NewsCarl’s Jr. says goodbye to Thailand, stores in Bangkok and Pattaya close next week

    Carl’s Jr. says goodbye to Thailand, stores in Bangkok and Pattaya close next week

    The American fast-food chain, Carl’s Jr., is saying goodbye to Thailand. All six of its stores in Bangkok and Pattaya will close by the end of the month. The R&R Restaurant Group, which owns the franchise rights to run Carl’s Jr. chains in Thailand, says that it can no longer afford to operate it. The group says it was forced to…

  • Thailand NewsThai prisons ban alcohol-based gel after inmate dies, others hospitalised from drinking hand sanitiser

    Thai prisons ban alcohol-based gel after inmate dies, others hospitalised from drinking hand sanitiser

    Alcohol-based hand sanitiser is being banned at Thai prisons after one inmate died, another blinded, and 31 others injured from mixing the hand gel with soft drinks to get drunk. All forms of alcohol products are typically prohibited on prison grounds, but during the Covid-19 pandemic, with major outbreaks at Thai prisons infecting tens of thousands of inmates, rules were…

  • Visa InformationTravelling to Thailand in 2022? Here’s all you need to know from March

    Travelling to Thailand in 2022? Here’s all you need to know from March

    Thailand is regarded by travellers the world over as one of the best countries to visit for countless reasons… We need not remind you about the beaches, the bars, the Buddha… But there’s o-so-much more to the Land of Smiles. With the pandemic entering year 3, many countries in Southeast Asia are changing their approach to the virus in an…

  • Thailand video newsThailand News Update | Thai evacuees from Ukraine test positive

    Thailand News Update | Thai evacuees from Ukraine test positive

    Thai police raided a home suspected of being the headquarters for an illegal gambling website that swindled more than 100 million baht from South Korean victims. Officers arrested four South Korean men and a Thai woman who was renting the home in Samut Prakan, just southeast of Bangkok. The suspects face charges of organising, advertising, and inviting people to gamble…

  • Covid-19 NewsThai scientists say “anti-Covid-19” nasal spray will be available later this year

    Thai scientists say “anti-Covid-19” nasal spray will be available later this year

    A new “anti-Covid-19” nasal spray is being developed by Thai scientists and the medication, which is said to prevent a coronavirus infection, is expected to be available to the public later this year. In studies using lab animals, the nasal spray has been shown to block the virus from entering the body. The Health Systems Research Institute, Silpakorn University, Chulalongkorn University,…

  • Covid-19 NewsMor Prom’s chatbot gives you free Covid-19 advice and online diagnosis

    Mor Prom’s chatbot gives you free Covid-19 advice and online diagnosis

    A chatbot has been added to the Covid-19 application, Mor Prom. The update allows users to examine information about their Covid-19 symptoms, and it’s about 85% accurate according to an assistant to the public health minister. “The Mor Prom chatbot is not a medical diagnosis but it helps those who are infected with Covid-19 if they should seek urgent treatment.” Users…

  • Thailand NewsBA.2, Covid-19 “stealth” subvariant of Omicron spiking in Thailand

    BA.2, Covid-19 “stealth” subvariant of Omicron spiking in Thailand

    The so-called “stealth” subvariant of Omicron, BA.2, has now surged to make up 18.5% of new Covid-19 cases in Thailand. A top and vocal Thai virologist says that although the symptoms of BA.2 are no more severe than BA.1, it spreads faster. The Public Health Ministry says BA.2 is called a stealth variant because PCR tests don’t always detect it.…

  • World NewsSingapore’s Formula 1 Grand Prix takes steps to reduce carbon footprint this year

    Singapore’s Formula 1 Grand Prix takes steps to reduce carbon footprint this year

    Organisers of Singapore’s Formula 1 Grand Prix are taking steps to reduce the event’s carbon footprint. One step is using sustainable fuels to replace fossil fuels as part of their sustainability goals in the upcoming night race at Marina Bay Sands this September. The tournament is reportedly developing its own 100% “sustainable” fuel, including components derived from carbon capture, municipal…

  • World NewsFormer Malaysia PM tests positive for Covid-19 after ministers’ meeting

    Former Malaysia PM tests positive for Covid-19 after ministers’ meeting

    Malaysia’s former prime minister tested positive for Covid-19 just a day after he chaired a meeting of the National Recovery Council, which advocated reopening the country’s borders to vaccinated travellers as soon as March 1. Former PM Muhyiddin Yassin says he will be quarantined at home in compliance with the health ministry’s protocols and urged those who may have been his…

  • Thailand NewsChanges in Covid-19 laws impact house plant sales

    Changes in Covid-19 laws impact house plant sales

    Changes in Covid-19 have impacted house plant sales, and plant growers bear the brunt of this across the country. Growers say now that lockdown rules have lifted, people don’t have time to care for plants anymore, and their sales have gone down. One plant company owner told Thai PBS in an interview that his sales have dropped between 20-30% since…

  • World NewsIndonesia tightens restrictions as Covid-19 cases rise in the capital

    Indonesia tightens restrictions as Covid-19 cases rise in the capital

    As the spread of the Omicron variant in Indonesia has led to a spike in cases in Jakarta, officials are tightening restrictions in the capital, Bali, Bandung in West Java, and Yogyakarta in Central Java. Reports initially said foreign tourists would be barred from entering Jakarta, but the transport minister released a statement today saying that tourists with the proper…

  • Covid-19 NewsThailand’s DDC director says Covid may enter post-pandemic phase this year

    Thailand’s DDC director says Covid may enter post-pandemic phase this year

    As Thailand has seen a downswing of daily new Covid-19 infections, which have remained below 10,000 since the beginning of January, the country’s Department of Disease Control director-general Dr Opas Karnkawinpong says the widespread virus may enter the post-pandemic stage this year. The global outbreak has three stages: pre-pandemic, pandemic, and post-pandemic, the director says, adding that the world may…