COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand
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The COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand is part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 () caused by
severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‑CoV‑2) is a strain of coronavirus that causes COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019), the respiratory illness responsible for the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The virus previously had a ...
().
Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
was the first country to report a case outside China, on 13 January 2020. , the country has reported a cumulative total of 3,684,755 confirmed cases, with 25,318 deaths from the disease, and currently ranked fourth in the number of cases in
Southeast Asia Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, south-eastern region of Asia, consistin ...
, behind
Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
,
Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
, and
Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
. Thailand was relatively successful in containing the pandemic throughout most of 2020, but has been experiencing an uncontrolled resurgent outbreak since April 2021. An initial wave of infections, mostly traced to nightlife venues and a boxing match in
Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estima ...
, peaked on 22 March 2020 at 188 newly confirmed cases per day. As preventive measures were implemented, the outbreak subsided by May, and the country reported almost no locally transmitted infections until December, when it saw a surge of infections primarily clustered around large migrant worker communities in Samut Sakhon Province. The new outbreak spread to many provinces, with a maximum daily of 959 cases reported on 26 January 2021, before partially subsiding in February. In April, however, a new wave of infections originated from Bangkok's
Thong Lo Thong Lo ( th, ทองหล่อ, , ; also spelled ''Thong Lor''), officially named Soi Sukhumvit 55, is a road and neighbourhood in Watthana District, Bangkok, Thailand. ''Thong Lo'' literally translates as 'molten gold'. Its name comes ...
–area nightlife venues and rapidly spread in Bangkok as well as throughout the country. It was identified to be of the highly transmissible Alpha variant first reported from the United Kingdom, and by 14 April, over a thousand cases per day were being identified, causing a shortage of hospital beds as government policy required admission of all confirmed cases. The Thai government's response to the outbreak was initially based on surveillance and contact tracing, though it was late to implement clear quarantine measures. In response to the first outbreak, Prime Minister
Prayut Chan-o-cha Prayut Chan-o-cha (sometimes spelled Prayuth Chan-ocha; th, ประยุทธ์ จันทร์โอชา, ; born 21 March 1954) is a Thai politician and retired Royal Thai Army, army officer who has served as the Prime Minister of T ...
declared a state of emergency, effective on 26 March, and the Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) was established to coordinate the government's response, working in conjunction with the Department of Disease Control and issuing public communications through its spokesperson
Taweesin Visanuyothin Taweesin Visanuyothin (Thai: ทวีศิลป์ วิษณุโยธิน, RTGS: Thawisin Wisanuyothin) is a Thai psychiatrist. He is widely noted for performing the duties of spokesperson for the Ministry of Public Health and the C ...
. Lockdown measures were implemented in varying degrees throughout the country, with public venues and businesses ordered to close. A curfew went into effect on 3 April, and all commercial international flights were suspended from 4 April. The public has cooperated relatively well with health advisories, and the country's robust public health infrastructure has been credited as a contributing factor to its relatively successful initial response. Easing of restrictions was gradually implemented from mid-May. The curfew was lifted in July and academia reopened in August. However, the state of emergency remained in effect. With the subsequent outbreaks in December 2020 and April 2021, the government appeared reluctant to implement the same degree of restrictive measures for fear of further disruptions to the economy. In December, it focused instead on mass testing of migrant workers and travel restrictions from affected provinces, while in April, it allowed the
Songkran Songkran is a term derived from the Sanskrit word, ' (or, more specifically, ') and used to refer to the traditional New Year celebrated in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, parts of northeast India, parts of Vietnam an ...
(Thai New Year) holidays to go ahead (though without water-splashing celebrations), despite having cancelled the holidays in 2020 when the caseload was lower. Vaccinations began at the end of February 2021, mostly limited to healthcare workers and mainly using the
CoronaVac CoronaVac, also known as the Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine, is a whole inactivated virus COVID-19 vaccine developed by the Chinese company Sinovac Biotech. It was Phase III clinical trialled in Brazil, Chile, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Turk ...
vaccine imported from China's
Sinovac Biotech Sinovac Biotech Ltd. () is a Chinese biopharmaceutical company based in Haidian District, Beijing that focuses on the research, development, manufacture, and commercialization of vaccines that protect against human infectious diseases. The comp ...
. The majority of the country's vaccine supply is planned to rely heavily on the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine through a manufacturing deal secured by palace-owned
Siam Bioscience Siam Bioscience Company, Ltd. ( th, สยามไบโอไซเอนซ์) is a Thai drug manufacturer, owned by King Maha Vajiralongkorn. In 2009, the project started with a partnership between CPB Equity, subsidiary of Crown Property ...
company, with first batches expected in June 2021. The pandemic has heavily disrupted the country's economy, of which tourism is a significant sector. The
International Monetary Fund The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is a major financial agency of the United Nations, and an international financial institution, headquartered in Washington, D.C., consisting of 190 countries. Its stated mission is "working to foster globa ...
has predicted Thailand's GDP to shrink by 6.7 percent in 2020, a revision from a previous estimated 2.5% increase. The government has borrowed and announced several assistance measures, including cash handouts to those affected and a 1.9 trillion-baht (US$60 billion) stimulus package, though few people have actually received it. Dissatisfaction to its economic impact and government response contributed to the second wave of
2020–2021 Thai protests In Thailand, protests began in early 2020 with demonstrations against the government of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha. They later expanded to include the unprecedented demands for reform of the Thai monarchy. The protests were initially trig ...
starting from 18 July 2020. On 23 September 2022 General
Prawit Wongsuwan Prawit Wongsuwon ( th, ประวิตร วงษ์สุวรรณ, , ; born 11 August 1945) is a Thai politician who is serving as the First Deputy Prime Minister and previously served as Minister of Defence from 2008 to 2011 during th ...
, Deputy Prime Minister acting Prime Minister chair of CCSA was reported that General Supot Malaniyom Secretary-General of the National Security Council (NSC), had reported a better overview of the pandemic, new infected and the death toll decreased and the Ministry of Public Health has adjusted the COVID-19 from dangerous communicable diseases to surveillance infectious disease ;therefore resolved cancel the declared a state of emergency and collapse the Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) with effect from 30 September 2022 onwards and will use the Communicable Diseases Act B.E. 2558, which was already approved by the Cabinet in 2021, to control the COVID-19 situation instead.


Background

On 12 January, the
World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of h ...
(WHO) confirmed that a
novel coronavirus Novel coronavirus (nCoV) is a provisional name given to coronaviruses of medical significance before a permanent name is decided upon. Although coronaviruses are endemic in humans and infections normally mild, such as the common cold (caused by ...
was the cause of a respiratory illness in a cluster of people in
Wuhan Wuhan (, ; ; ) is the capital of Hubei, Hubei Province in the China, People's Republic of China. It is the largest city in Hubei and the most populous city in Central China, with a population of over eleven million, the List of cities in China ...
,
Hubei Hubei (; ; alternately Hupeh) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, and is part of the Central China region. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Dongting Lake. The prov ...
, China, who had initially come to the attention of the WHO on 31 December 2019. Unlike SARS of 2003, the
case fatality ratio In epidemiology, case fatality rate (CFR) – or sometimes more accurately case-fatality risk – is the proportion of people diagnosed with a certain disease, who end up dying of it. Unlike a disease's mortality rate, the CFR does not take int ...
for COVID-19 has been much lower, but the
transmission Transmission may refer to: Medicine, science and technology * Power transmission ** Electric power transmission ** Propulsion transmission, technology allowing controlled application of power *** Automatic transmission *** Manual transmission *** ...
has been significantly greater, with a significant total death toll. However, the spread of the new and significantly impacting delta variant of COVID-19, the infection and death rate of COVID-19 has dramatically increased to a current new high of over 20,000 cases per day and over 160 deaths


Timeline

On 13 January 2020, the Ministry of Public Health announced the first confirmed case, a 61-year-old Chinese woman who is a resident of
Wuhan Wuhan (, ; ; ) is the capital of Hubei, Hubei Province in the China, People's Republic of China. It is the largest city in Hubei and the most populous city in Central China, with a population of over eleven million, the List of cities in China ...
. She arrived at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Samut Prakan on 8 January, where she was detected using thermal surveillance and then hospitalised. Thailand's second case occurred in a 74-year-old Chinese woman who arrived in Bangkok on a flight from Wuhan on 13 January 2020. Several more cases were detected in arrivals from China throughout January. On 31 January 2020, an additional five cases were reported, bringing the cumulative number of confirmed cases to 19. One was a local taxi driver who had no records of travelling to China and was thus suspected to have been infected by a Chinese tourist he picked up, making this the first case of human-to-human virus transmission within the country. The other cases were Chinese nationals. The number of cases remained low throughout February, totaling to 40 confirmed by the end of the month. On 1 March 2020, MOPH reported the first confirmed death in Thailand. The number of cases surged around mid-March, with 89 new cases reported on 21 March, the largest single-day rise since the virus reached the country. The outbreak was traced to several transmission clusters, the largest of which occurred at a
Muay Thai Muay Thai ( th, มวยไทย, , ), sometimes referred to as Thai boxing, is a combat sport that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques. This discipline is known as the "art of eight limbs", as it is characterised ...
fight at the military-run
Lumpinee Boxing Stadium Lumpinee Boxing Stadium ( th, สนามเวทีมวยลุมพินี) is a sporting arena in Bangkok, Thailand. The stadium is named after Lumbini, the birthplace of the Buddha. Opened more than a decade later than Rajadamnern ...
on 6 March. Confirmed cases rose to over a hundred per day over the following week, and public venues and businesses were ordered to close in Bangkok and several other provinces. The abrupt closure of Bangkok businesses prompted tens of thousands of workers to travel to their hometowns. Prime Minister
Prayut Chan-o-cha Prayut Chan-o-cha (sometimes spelled Prayuth Chan-ocha; th, ประยุทธ์ จันทร์โอชา, ; born 21 March 1954) is a Thai politician and retired Royal Thai Army, army officer who has served as the Prime Minister of T ...
declared a state of emergency, effective on 26 March, and a curfew went into effect on 3 April. All commercial international flights were suspended from 4 April, and lockdown measures were implemented in varying degrees throughout the country. The rate of new cases gradually dropped throughout April 2020, and by mid-May, locally transmitted infection rates had fallen to near-zero, and easing of restrictions was gradually implemented. The curfew was lifted in July 2020 and academia began rereopening in August. On 15 July 2020, the national centre for COVID-19 has announced two new infected cases; an Egyptian soldier in
Rayong Province Rayong province ( th, ระยอง, ) is one of seventy-six Provinces of Thailand, provinces (''changwat'') lies in Eastern Thailand#Administrative divisions, eastern Thailand. Neighboring provinces are (from west clockwise) Chonburi province, ...
, and a Sudanese diplomat's daughter in Asok neighbourhood of Bangkok. Both of them were the government's exceptions for "VIP guests," not requiring to comply with several COVID-19 measures. Many criticised the government's failure to contain the disease from those VIPs. Even though there had been no new domestic cases since mid-May, on 21 August 2020, the CCSA announced that it decided to extend the Emergency Degree until 30 September, claiming that it was necessary to use its power to prevent incoming aliens from overseas in many routes, and that Thai people' daily lives were not affected, since CCSI had already loosen its restriction on activities such as academia reopen. International rights groups have criticized the emergency decree being employed to suppress free speech. In September 2020, a prison inmate who had not been abroad was Thailand's first locally transmitted case in 100 days. Another domestic case was detected on 7 November, though neither cases were not traced to any further outbreaks. In October, foreign tourists entered Thailand for the first time in seven months under the Special Tourist Visa program. A total of 1,201 visitors arrived in the month, compared to 3.07 million in the same month a year earlier. A French tourist on
Ko Samui Ko Samui (or Koh Samui, also often locally shortened to Samui; th, เกาะสมุย, ) is an island off the east coast of Thailand. Geographically in the Chumphon Archipelago, it is part of Surat Thani Province, though as of 2012, Ko ...
in
Surat Thani Surat Thani ( th, สุราษฎร์ธานี, ) is a city in Amphoe Mueang Surat Thani, Surat Thani Province, southern Thailand. It lies south of Bangkok. It is the capital of Surat Thani Province. The city has a population of 1 ...
contracted the disease after passing the 14-day state quarantine. She developed a fever 17 days after arriving in the country. In November, the government extended the coronavirus emergency decree for the eighth time, approving a 45-day extension until 15 January 2021. Starting at the end of November 2020, at least ten cases were detected in women who had illegally crossed the Myanmar border into Mae Sai District from
Tachileik Tachileik (also spelt Tachilek; my, တာချီလိတ်, ; shn, တႃႈၶီႈလဵၵ်း, ; th, ท่าขี้เหล็ก, , ), is a border town in the Shan State of eastern Myanmar. It is the administrative seat of Tac ...
. They made long-distance travels, including by bus and by air, and some attended large gatherings, prompting authorities to impose quarantine on people who may have come into close contact with them. In mid-December, an outbreak occurred in
Samut Sakhon Samut Sakhon ( th, สมุทรสาคร, Pronunciation is a City in Thailand, capital of Samut Sakhon province. It is a stop on the Maeklong Railway. Samut Sakhon is 48 km from Bangkok. It is part of the Bangkok Metropolitan Region ...
, just southwest of Bangkok, increasing the country's total confirmed cases by at least 20%. Cases in the province, which is the center of the country's fishing industry, primarily impacted
migrant workers A migrant worker is a person who migrates within a home country or outside it to pursue work. Migrant workers usually do not have the intention to stay permanently in the country or region in which they work. Migrant workers who work outsi ...
from
Myanmar Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John C. Wells, Joh ...
, a major source of labour in the seafood industry. Over 1,300 cases were traced to a seafood market in Samut Sakhon, as cases were detected in 27 provinces. Before the surge, Thailand had recorded about 4,300 COVID-19 cases and just 60 deaths, while Myanmar had registered about 117,000 cases. The 576 cases reported on 20 December was Thailand's biggest daily increase and caused the nation's overall total to climb 13%. A new cluster emerged in Rayong, linked to a gambling den. On 28 December, a worker at the den died, Thailand's first COVID-19 death in nearly two months. With the clusters starting to spread into Bangkok, the
Bangkok Metropolitan Administration The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration ( th, กรุงเทพมหานคร; ) (BMA) is the local government of Bangkok (also called ''Krung Thep Maha Nakhon'' in Thai), which includes the capital of the Kingdom of Thailand. The governme ...
announced that the city would close schools and daycare centres 4–17 January 2021. Soon after, the
Ministry of Education An education ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for education. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of Education, Department of Education, and Ministry of Pub ...
ordered all schools closed for the month of January. A third, more serious wave occurred in April 2021 following the emergence of clusters in entertainment districts in and around Bangkok early in the month. Thought to be exacerbated by the presence of the highly-transmittable B.1.1.7 variant in Thailand, the wave led to the largest surge in cases in the country to date, with sharp increases in daily cases over the course of the month. On 14 April, Thailand detected 1,335 new cases, the first time the country reported a four-figure case count; by 24 April, the number of new cases peaked at 2,839. Thailand required anyone testing positive for the virus to be hospitalized, even those who were asymptomatic. This led to a shortage of hospital beds.
Field hospital A field hospital is a temporary hospital or mobile medical unit that takes care of casualties on-site before they can be safely transported to more permanent facilities. This term was initially used in military medicine (such as the Mobile A ...
s were established in several cities. By May, almost 30,000 patients were in the country's hospitals and field hospitals.


Government response


International travel restrictions

The screening of passengers arriving from China is ongoing at six airports, beginning on 3 January: Suvarnabhumi Airport,
Don Mueang International Airport Don Mueang International Airport ( th, ท่าอากาศยานดอนเมือง, , , or colloquially as , ) is one of two international airports serving the Bangkok Metropolitan Region, the other one being Suvarnabhumi Airp ...
,
Phuket International Airport Phuket International Airport ( th, ท่าอากาศยานภูเก็ต, ) is an international airport serving the Phuket Province of Thailand. It is in the north of Phuket Island, from the centre of Phuket City. The airport ...
,
Chiang Mai International Airport Chiang Mai International Airport ( th, ท่าอากาศยานเชียงใหม่, ) is an international airport serving Chiang Mai, the capital city of Chiang Mai Province in Thailand. It is a major gateway to Northern Thail ...
and
Krabi International Airport Krabi International Airport ( th, ท่าอากาศยานนานาชาติกระบี่ , is an international airport serving Krabi, Thailand. It is about east of the city center. The airport opened in 1999. In 2017, the ...
, with the addition of Chiang Rai International Airport since 24 January. A number of suspected cases have been found to have other common respiratory conditions. On 11 February, the
Holland America Line Holland America Line is an American-owned cruise line, a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation & plc headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. Holland America Line was founded in Rotterdam, Netherlands, and from 1873 to 1989, it operate ...
-operated was refused permission to dock at
Laem Chabang Laem Chabang ( th, แหลมฉบัง, ) is a port city municipality (''thesaban nakhon'') in Si Racha and Bang Lamung districts of Chonburi Province, Thailand. It includes Thung Sukhla subdistrict (''tambon'') and parts of subdistricts Buen ...
port by the country's Marine Department. The ship was previously denied entry to the Philippines, Japan, South Korea, and Guam due to similar fears. On 13 February, two cruise ships, the anchored at the
Phuket Phuket (; th, ภูเก็ต, , ms, Bukit or ''Tongkah''; Hokkien:普吉; ) is one of the southern provinces (''changwat'') of Thailand. It consists of the island of Phuket, the country's largest island, and another 32 smaller islands of ...
Deep Sea Port and the ''
Quantum of the Seas ''Quantum of the Seas'' is a currently operated by Royal Caribbean International and is the lead ship of her class. At her time of delivery in 2014, ''Quantum of the Seas'' was the third largest cruise ship in the world by gross tonnage. She ...
'' docked at Phuket's Patong pier. Unlike the , the two ships were allowed because both had planned to make their first stop in Thailand and would depart to Singapore afterwards. The passengers on board were screened by public health officials before being given permission to step ashore. On 17 February, a meeting between
Ministry of Foreign Affairs In many countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the government department responsible for the state's diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral relations affairs as well as for providing support for a country's citizens who are abroad. The entit ...
, Ministry of Public Health, AOT and the Immigration Bureau came to the conclusion to disallow entry of all foreigners from
MS Westerdam MS ''Westerdam'' is a owned by Holland America Line. She is the third ship of the class to be operated by the line, as well as being the third ship to bear the name ''Westerdam''. Her sister ships are , , and . The beginning of the four ships ...
to the country after an American woman tested positive for COVID-19 in Malaysia. The number of passengers who entered Thailand before the ban was 95, 91 were transferred to connecting flights and had already left the country. On 18 February, the health authorities had extended COVID-19 screening to cover visitors from Japan and Singapore. Passengers from these countries were treated with the same method as passengers on flights from Mainland China. The Ministry of Public Health also raised measures against COVID-19 to level 3 in preparation for a surge in transmission. Every province must have at least one hospital capable of testing for COVID-19. The Department of Medical Sciences is currently developing a virus test kit that will deliver a result in five minutes, which is planned to be available within two months. On 21 February, the Ministry of Public Health announced a new screening criteria, with additional surveillance for visitors from Hong Kong, Macau, South Korea and Taiwan. People developing pneumonia due to unknown causes and living in eight provinces that were popular among Chinese tourists including Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Chon Buri, Krabi, Phuket, Prachuap Khiri Khan and Samut Prakan, would be automatically considered as COVID-19 suspected cases. Further restrictions were announced on 19 March, requiring medical certification for international arrivals, and also health insurance for foreigners. On 3 April, the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand ordered that there would be a ban on all passengers flights landing in Thailand from the morning of 4 April to the evening of the 6 April. On the evening of 6 April, the flight ban was further extended to 18 April, and now to 30 April. On 15 July 2021, it became possible for vaccinated holidaymakers from overseas to visit three islands in the Surat Thani province; Koh Samui, Koh Tao and Koh Phangan. The decision follows the reopening of Phuket, Thailand's largest island, on Thursday, July 1. Prior to October 2022, prior to arrival foreign tourists were required to obtain a Certificate of Entry, travel insurance of at least US$100,000 for medical expenses and prepaid reservations at a government-approved hotel. Once on the ground, travelers were subject to several PCR tests at their own expense. These restrictions were lifted inOctober 2022. Starting on 1 November 2021, arrivals from 63 countries designated as low-risk were allowed to enter with only a one-day quarantine, while they awaited a negative test result. The Test and Go program required travellers to be fully vaccinated and have received a negative
RT-PCR Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) is a laboratory technique combining reverse transcription of RNA into DNA (in this context called complementary DNA or cDNA) and amplification of specific DNA targets using polymerase ch ...
test result before travel. On 21 December, the program was suspended in response to the first reported local transmission of the
Omicron variant Omicron (B.1.1.529) is a variant of SARS-CoV-2 first reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) by the Network for Genomics Surveillance in South Africa on 24 November 2021. It was first detected in Botswana and has spread to become the ...
a day earlier. On 1 February 2022 Thai authority resume Test & Go program with additional rule that travelers will be required to take two RT-PCR tests, one on the first day and another on the fifth day. and from 1 March 2022 Thailand revised COVID-19 test requirement from 2 PCR Test (1st Day, 5th Day) to 1 PCR and 1 Self-ATK (PCR 1st day, ATK 5th day). Starting 1 May 2022, fully-vaccinated travellers will NOT require RT-PCR on arrival but still need Thailand Pass. ATK is voluntary only.


Restrictions on travellers from risk areas

As of 22 March, the Ministry of Public Health defined two types of risk areas: Dangerous Disease Infected Zones The
Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT; th, สำนักงานการบินพลเรือนแห่งประเทศไทย), is an independent agency of the Thai government under the oversight of the Minister of Tr ...
(CAAT) is requiring travellers from all countries to show medical certificates prior to boarding their flights to Thailand and after arriving in Thailand when entering immigration checkpoints or their journey will not be allowed. Also, the traveller must seek quarantine in government-managed places for 14 days with no exception.


Medical supply regulations

On 4 February 2020, the government announced that four products, namely
surgical mask A surgical mask, also known by other names such as a medical face mask or procedure mask, is a personal protective equipment used by healthcare professionals that serves as a mechanical barrier that interferes with direct airflow in and out of re ...
s,
polypropylene Polypropylene (PP), also known as polypropene, is a thermoplastic polymer used in a wide variety of applications. It is produced via chain-growth polymerization from the monomer propylene. Polypropylene belongs to the group of polyolefins and ...
, alcohol-based
hand sanitiser Hand sanitizer (also known as hand antiseptic, hand disinfectant, hand rub, or handrub) is a liquid, gel or foam generally used to kill many viruses/bacteria/microorganisms on the hands. In most settings, hand washing with soap and water is gen ...
s and toilet paper, are to be designated as controlled goods under the Price of Goods and Services Act, B.E. 2542 (1999) following a cabinet resolution. On 6 February 2020, Prime Minister
Prayut Chan-o-cha Prayut Chan-o-cha (sometimes spelled Prayuth Chan-ocha; th, ประยุทธ์ จันทร์โอชา, ; born 21 March 1954) is a Thai politician and retired Royal Thai Army, army officer who has served as the Prime Minister of T ...
warned that the stockpiling and price gouging of surgical masks and hand sanitisers could lead to legal consequences. On 12 March 2020, health officials encouraged people to make face masks at home out of cloth, stating that cloth masks can prevent droplets bigger than one micron from spreading.


Lockdown, curfew, and inter-provincial travel ban

On 21 March 2020, Bangkok City Hall authorities declared a wide-ranging shutdown of various businesses. Bangkok Governor Aswin Kwanmuang disclosed after the City Hall meeting that the board had passed a resolution to close establishments under Section 35 of the Communicable Diseases Act B.E. 2558 (2015), effective for a period of 22 days from 22 March to 12 April 2020. This was then extended from 12 April 2020 to 30 April 2020. Only supermarkets, pharmacies, and takeaway restaurants will be allowed to stay open at the malls. The government issued a curfew to take effect on 3 April 2020 between 10pm-4am in order to limit the spread. The government has additionally issued a travel ban for all foreigners entering Thailand. Some critics of the government have been arrested for allegedly spreading false information about the coronavirus pandemic. The curfew was cut from 10–4 to 11–4, then 11-3 and officially ended on 15 June 2020. Early April 2021, Bangkok's
entertainment venue Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perform ...
s were ordered to be closed for 2 weeks. Mid-April 2021, schools were ordered to be closed for 2 weeks, taking the 2000+ daily cases into consideration. Since 26 April, more businesses including
gyms A gymnasium, also known as a gym, is an indoor location for athletics. The word is derived from the ancient Greek term " gymnasium". They are commonly found in athletic and fitness centres, and as activity and learning spaces in educational ins ...
closed for 2 weeks.


Tracking application

Since May, the authority adopted a tracking application named "Thai Chana" (lit. Thai wins) to track people who had entered an enclosed building, then would send a notice to anybody who were in there at the same time with a COVID-19 patient if later tested positive. However, critics questioned its benefits and there were reports of
spam Spam may refer to: * Spam (food), a canned pork meat product * Spamming, unsolicited or undesired electronic messages ** Email spam, unsolicited, undesired, or illegal email messages ** Messaging spam, spam targeting users of instant messaging ( ...
.


Wastewater surveillance

Study from Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University report SARS-CoV-2 RNA was present in the human wastewater collected from both the Bangkok city center and suburbs with increasing concentrations from October to December. This is the first dataset related to SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater in Bangkok. Except for July, August and December there were no statistically significant differences in RNA copy numbers from the city center or suburbs. Between October and November, a sharp rise in copy number was observed in both places followed by two to three times increase in December, related to SARS-CoV-2 cases reported for same month. Interestingly, in December, the number of SARS-CoV-2 RNA copies from the city center and suburbs in wastewater increased, reflecting the increased number of positive SARS-CoV-2 patients. Study result suggests that a higher copy number of the viral genome could correlate with an elevation in infected people in the community and positive cases may be much higher than the reported numbers.


Health education

Public education focused on self-monitoring for at-risk groups, practising hygiene (especially hand washing), and avoiding crowds (or wearing masks if avoidance was not possible).


Communication

Prayut ordered crackdown on social media posts that the government deemed "fake news," accusing the people who did so of hampering the authorities' effort against the pandemic. The police also stressed that the crime may faced with a maximum of two years imprisonment under the Emergency Decree. In July 2021, after numerous reports of homeless people dying in the streets of Bangkok, some officials blamed the incidents as being set up to discredit the authorities.


Vaccine

In November 2020, the authorities ordered 26 million doses of vaccine from
AstraZeneca AstraZeneca plc () is a British-Swedish multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology company with its headquarters at the Cambridge Biomedical Campus in Cambridge, England. It has a portfolio of products for major diseases in areas includin ...
, which reported 70% overall efficacy. It requires two doses of vaccine per person, so the quantity ordered would only cover 13 million people. Prayut cabinet later approved budget for ordering 35 million additional doses in January 2021. Siam Bioscience, a company owned by
King Vajiralongkorn Vajiralongkorn ( th, วชิราลงกรณ; , ; born 28 July 1952) is the King of Thailand. He is the only son of King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit. In 1972, at the age of 20, he was made crown prince by his father. After his ...
, will received technological transfer for co-investment. The authorities would also imported two million doses of vaccine from
Sinovac Biotech Sinovac Biotech Ltd. () is a Chinese biopharmaceutical company based in Haidian District, Beijing that focuses on the research, development, manufacture, and commercialization of vaccines that protect against human infectious diseases. The comp ...
, a Chinese company which Thai conglomerate
Charoen Pokphand The Charoen Pokphand Group Company, Ltd. (CP) (; ) is a Thai conglomerate based in Bangkok. It is Thailand's largest private company and the largest privately held Royal Warrant holder of the Thai Royal Family. The company describes itself as havi ...
invested in, during February to April 2021. Likewise, the Thai government also stepped up its attempt to produce its homegrown vaccines amidst criticism, with "ChulaCov19" and set to begin trials in May 2021. Phase I testing of the NDV-HXP-S vaccine began at Mahidol University in March 2021. The 1.5 million dose of Pfizer vaccine donated by the US government arrived in Thailand in early August 2021. Half of the said amount were allocated to health workers, even though the Ministry of Public Health said earlier that all would be allocated to them. Some hospitals reported allocation cuts.


Impact


Economy

Sources: Asian Development Bank (ADB)
Bangkok Airways Bangkok Airways Public Company Limited ( th, บางกอกแอร์เวย์ส) is a regional airline based in Bangkok, Thailand. It operates scheduled services to destinations in Thailand, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, India, Laos, ...
announced a plan to cut their executives' salaries, reduce the number of flights, and cancel some routes; staff will be on leave without pay for 10–30 days starting from 1 March 2020 due to the economic downturn and the outbreak of COVID-19. The
United Nations Industrial Development Organization The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) (French: Organisation des Nations unies pour le développement industriel; French/Spanish acronym: ONUDI) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that assists countries in e ...
released a report in June 2020 reported that 90% or more of firms expect revenue loss of more than 50% compared to last year. Automotive sectors had a drop in manufacturing performance index (MPI) in April 2020, about 82% year on year, showing the lowest production since 1987. Four other leading negatively affected sectors include petroleum and petroleum products, malts and malt beverage, air conditioning systems, and sugar. On the other hand, sectors which had an increase in MPI include concrete and cement, medicine, electronic circuitboard, frozen seafood, and animal feeds, of which MPI increased ranging from 10% to almost 40% year on year. In September 2020, World Bank forecast that Thai economy would contract 8.9% by the end of the year.


Education

On 29 February, The 38th Thailand National Book Fair and 18th Bangkok International Book Fair at
Impact, Muang Thong Thani Impact, Muang Thong Thani ( th, ศูนย์แสดงสินค้าและการประชุม อิมแพ็ค เมืองทองธานี) is a commercial complex consisting of an arena, convention centre and ...
were cancelled. It was instead hosted online, making it the first "online national book fair" of Thailand.
Chulalongkorn Chulalongkorn ( th, จุฬาลงกรณ์, 20 September 1853 – 23 October 1910) was the fifth monarch of Siam under the House of Chakri, titled Rama V. He was known to the Siamese of his time as ''Phra Phuttha Chao Luang'' (พร ...
and Mahidol Universities, following the confirmation of COVID-19 cases among its staff and student body, began suspending classes on 16 March, while
Kasetsart University Kasetsart University ( th, มหาวิทยาลัยเกษตรศาสตร์; ), commonly known and referred to as Kaset or KU, is a public research university in Bangkok, Thailand. It is the largest university in Thailand. I ...
took the same action as a precautionary measure.


Sports

left, Lumphini Park, a public park in
Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estima ...
closed due to restrictions imposed in 2021 The "THAI FIGHT" boxing tournament in Chiang Rai has been postponed indefinitely due to concerns of COVID-19. On 1 March 2020, the Football Association of Thailand decided that all Thai League professional football matches in T1, T2, T3 and T4 between 7 and 31 March will be played behind closed doors as broadcast only events. However, on 4 March 2020, the decision was changed to postpone all matches prior to 18 April indefinitely. The 2020
MotoGP Grand Prix motorcycle racing is the premier class of motorcycle road racing events held on road circuits sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). Independent motorcycle racing events have been held since the start ...
Thailand Grand Prix was postponed due to the spread of the virus. The event has been put off until the outbreak has abated. The 41st
Bangkok International Motor Show The Bangkok International Motor Show is a motor show located in Bangkok, Thailand. It is also known as the "Thailand Motor Show" among automotive enthusiasts. The show takes place annually at the Challenger 1-3, Impact, Muang Thong Thani Center ...
, which was originally scheduled between 7 March to 5 April, has been postponed. The new schedule will be announced later. Channel 7 Boxing Stadium will continue fights behind closed doors as broadcast only events, according an official statement by the channel.


Tourism

Thailand's tourist industry, which accounts for one-fifth of GDP prior to the pandemic, has been severely affected; the
Tourism Authority of Thailand The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) ( th, การท่องเที่ยวแห่งประเทศไทย) is an organization of Thailand under the Ministry of Tourism and Sports. Its mandate is to promote Thailand's tourism in ...
anticipates total tourist arrivals for 2020 to decline by as much as 65%. In the January–March period, foreign tourist arrivals fell by 38% to 6.69 million; Chinese arrivals, the largest source of inbound tourists, plunged 60% to 1.25 million. With its border closed and most international flights cancelled since 4 April, tourist arrivals and spending have both dropped to zero in April, compared to 3.2 million arrivals and $4.6 billion's worth of receipts in the same month last year. Legend Siam, a theme park in
Pattaya Pattaya ( th, พัทยา, , ) is a city in Thailand. It is on the east coast of the Gulf of Thailand, about southeast of Bangkok, within, but not part of, Bang Lamung district in the province of Chonburi province, Chonburi. Pattaya City ( ...
, will temporarily close from 3 March because of the lack of tourists during the spread of the virus. The park management promised to hire all staff back when it eventually reopens. On 16 March, the Ministry of Public Health announced that Songkran holidays and celebrations will be postponed until further notice as the number of cases continued to rise by 33 to 147. The
Songkran Songkran is a term derived from the Sanskrit word, ' (or, more specifically, ') and used to refer to the traditional New Year celebrated in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, parts of northeast India, parts of Vietnam an ...
festival in
Khaosan Road Khaosan Road or Khao San Road ( th, ถนนข้าวสาร, , ) is a short ( long) street in central Bangkok, Thailand constructed in 1892 during the reign of Rama V. It is in the Bang Lamphu area of Phra Nakhon District about north o ...
, Khon Kaen Province,
Pattaya Pattaya ( th, พัทยา, , ) is a city in Thailand. It is on the east coast of the Gulf of Thailand, about southeast of Bangkok, within, but not part of, Bang Lamung district in the province of Chonburi province, Chonburi. Pattaya City ( ...
,
Bang Saen Beach Bang Saen Beach ( th, หาดบางแสน, , ) is in Tambon (subdistrict) Saen Suk, Mueang Chonburi district, Chonburi province, eastern Thailand. It is about 108 km (67 mi) east of Bangkok. Regarded as a very popular beach because i ...
and
Patong Patong ( th, ป่าตอง , ) refers to the beach and town on Phuket's west coast. It is the main tourist resort on the island of Phuket, and is the centre of Phuket's nightlife and shopping. The beach became popular with Western tourists, e ...
will not be held, according to each municipality's announcement. The dates of the holiday are to be postponed as well.
Ko Pha-ngan Ko Pha-ngan ( th, เกาะพะงัน, , ) is an island in the Gulf of Thailand in Surat Thani Province of southern Thailand. Ko Pha-ngan is best known for its Full Moon Party at Hat Rin Beach. Ko Pha-ngan has two sister islands: ...
District Chief Somchai Somwong made the decision to suspend a party on Rin Beach to avoid the gathering of tourists, which could pose a risk of virus outbreak. The party had originally been scheduled on the full-moon night of 8 March. Brian Tan and Shreya Sodhani at Barclays argued that the need for quarantine would mean "the return of tourists could be relatively slow".


Xenophobia and racism

A restaurant in
Chiang Mai Chiang Mai (, from th, เชียงใหม่ , nod, , เจียงใหม่ ), sometimes written as Chiengmai or Chiangmai, is the largest city in northern Thailand, the capital of Chiang Mai province and the second largest city in ...
displayed a sign which read "We apologize we are not accepting CHINESE customers. Thank you", after a customer left the restaurant upon noticing a group of Chinese people inside. The police demanded that the sign be taken down, but suggested that it could be rewritten in Chinese as "We ran out of food". A similar sign was seen outside a restaurant in Ao Sane Beach in
Phuket Phuket (; th, ภูเก็ต, , ms, Bukit or ''Tongkah''; Hokkien:普吉; ) is one of the southern provinces (''changwat'') of Thailand. It consists of the island of Phuket, the country's largest island, and another 32 smaller islands of ...
. Health minister
Anutin Charnvirakul Anutin Charnvirakul ( th, อนุทิน ชาญวีรกูล, ; born 13 September 1966 in Bangkok) is a Thai politician. , he is a Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand and is also the Minister of Public Health. Notably, he is the promin ...
posted negative comments on Twitter about "dirty" Westerners, saying they "never shower" and are more likely to spread the virus than Asians. The post attracted negative reaction in Thailand and the UK and was quickly removed. Mr. Charnvirakul stated the tweet was posted by his staff and not by him personally. Online hate speech against Myanmar surged after the December outbreak among migrant workers in Samut Sakhon. Prayut blamed the COVID-19 resurgence on
illegal immigration Illegal immigration is the migration of people into a country in violation of the immigration laws of that country or the continued residence without the legal right to live in that country. Illegal immigration tends to be financially upwar ...
.


Criticism of government response

The government has been criticised for various aspects of its response to the crisis, especially over its early handling of the pandemic, slow procurement of vaccines, and the April 2021 outbreak. In early February 2020, in response to concerns over hoarding and price gouging of face masks, the government issued price controls and intervened in their distribution. The move failed to prevent shortages among hospitals, and became a scandal over perceived corruption and siphoning of supplies. Criticism was also aimed at the government's inconsistent policy over international travel and quarantine requirements, indecisiveness and slowness to act, and poor communication—many official announcements were made available to the public, only to be quickly retracted or contradicted by other government units, and later changed. The abrupt closure of Bangkok businesses prompted tens of thousands of workers to travel to their hometowns, reflecting the failure among agencies to coordinate a unified response. After the virus's third wave in April 2021, the government was criticized for failing to acquire a suffient stock of vaccines.


Possible spread to other countries

;South Korea On 4 February 2020, a South Korean woman, who recently visited Bangkok on a vacation, was tested positive and confirmed as the 16th case of the country ;Germany On 4 March 2020, Cologne city government announced five confirmed cases, including a woman who was previously on vacation in Thailand and is believed to have been infected there. ;Australia On 5 March 2020, Queensland government confirmed that an 81-year-old man who has recently returned from Thailand tested positive and was admitted to
Sunshine Coast University Hospital The Sunshine Coast University Hospital is a hospital on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, affiliated with the University of the Sunshine Coast and Griffith University. History In July 2012, Minister for Health Lawrence Springborg from the Newman ...
. ;India On 6 March 2020, India reported its 31st confirmed case. The patient is an Indian national who has a travel history from Thailand and Malaysia. ;Egypt In May 2021, the UK authorities reported that they found a COVID-19 variant that was first discovered in Thailand from immigrants from Egypt.


Transition to endemic management

On 1 June 2022, the Ministry of Public Health shut down its COVID-19 location tracking app MorChana in anticipation of
endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...
classification of the disease. The decision was made given improvements in the local situation, and since arriving people are no longer required to use the app. The Ministry plans to declare COVID-19 an endemic disease on 1 July, with that from 23 June 2022, mask wearing is optional outdoors at the countryside areas (such as Phuket and Don Mueang) whereas mask wearing is still mandatory at indoors and at crowded areas such as Bangkok and on public transport. On 8 August 2022, Anutin Charnvirakul, the chair of the National Communicable Disease Committee announced that COVID-19 would be downgraded from a "dangerous communicable disease" to a "communicable disease under surveillance" as part of the country's plan to enter a normal endemic period.


Statistics


Charts


Cumulative number of confirmed cases, recoveries, active cases and deaths


Confirmed new cases per day


Confirmed deaths per day


Confirmed recoveries per day


See also

*
Timeline of the COVID-19 pandemic The timeline of the COVID-19 pandemic lists the articles containing the chronology and epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and is responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic. The first human case ...
* Timeline and statistics of the COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand


Notes


References


External links


รายงาน COVID-19 ประจำวัน (Digital Government Development Agency)
– Details of COVID-19 patients in Thailand
รายงานสถานการณ์ โควิด-19 (Department of Disease Control)
– Map of COVID-19 patients in Thailand by province and relation network of patients
CoronaTracker
– Statistics on the coronavirus cases in Thailand
Coronamapper
– Map of the virus spread

and ttps://github.com/CSSEGISandData/COVID-19 historical databy
Johns Hopkins University Johns Hopkins University (Johns Hopkins, Hopkins, or JHU) is a private university, private research university in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1876, Johns Hopkins is the oldest research university in the United States and in the western hem ...
{{Portal bar, COVID-19, Thailand, Medicine, Viruses
Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
Disease outbreaks in Thailand 2020 in Thailand 2021 in Thailand 2020 disasters in Thailand 2021 disasters in Thailand