COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand
An initial wave of infections, mostly traced to nightlife venues and a boxing match in Bangkok, peaked on 22 March 2020 at 188 newly confirmed cases per day.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.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.[9] 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.On 23 September 2022 General Prawit Wongsuwan, 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 to 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.[11][12] On 12 January, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed that a novel coronavirus was the cause of a respiratory illness in a cluster of people in Wuhan, Hubei, China, who had initially come to the attention of the WHO on 31 December 2019.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.[26][27] The outbreak was traced to several transmission clusters, the largest of which occurred at a Muay Thai fight at the military-run Lumpinee Boxing Stadium on 6 March.[28] 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.On 15 July 2020, the national centre for COVID-19 has announced two new infected cases; an Egyptian soldier in Rayong Province, and a Sudanese diplomat's daughter in Asok neighbourhood of Bangkok.[36] 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.[42] 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.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.[56][57][58] On 11 February, the Holland America Line-operated MS Westerdam was refused permission to dock at Laem Chabang port by the country's Marine Department.[65] 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.[73] 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.[82] On 6 February 2020, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha warned that the stockpiling and price gouging of surgical masks and hand sanitisers could lead to legal consequences.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.[citation needed] 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.[95][97] 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.[99] Prayut ordered crackdown on social media posts that the government deemed "fake news,"[100] accusing the people who did so of hampering the authorities' effort against the pandemic.[101] 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.[107] The authorities would also imported two million doses of vaccine from Sinovac Biotech, a Chinese company which Thai conglomerate Charoen Pokphand invested in,[108] during February to April 2021.[117] Sources: Asian Development Bank (ADB)[118] Bangkok Airways 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.[132] 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.[133] The Songkran festival in Khaosan Road, Khon Kaen Province, Pattaya, Bang Saen Beach and Patong will not be held, according to each municipality's announcement.[134] Ko Pha-ngan 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.[138] Health minister Anutin Charnvirakul posted negative comments on Twitter about "dirty" Westerners, saying they "never shower" and are more likely to spread the virus than Asians.[150][151] 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.[154] 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.
COVID-19SARS-CoV-2ThailandIndex caseSuvarnabhumi Airportworldwide pandemicsevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2Southeast AsiaVietnamIndonesiaMalaysiaBangkokSamut Sakhon ProvinceThong LoPrayut Chan-o-chaDepartment of Disease ControlTaweesin Visanuyothinpublic health infrastructureSongkranCoronaVacSinovac BiotechOxford–AstraZeneca vaccineSiam Biosciencethe country's economyInternational Monetary Fund2020–2021 Thai protestsPrawit WongsuwanNational Security CouncilMinistry of Public HealthThai ChanaWorld Health Organizationnovel coronavirusSARS of 2003case fatality ratiotransmissionTimeline of the COVID-19 pandemic in ThailandStatistics of the COVID-19 pandemic in ThailandSamut Prakansocial distancingKing Chulalongkorn Memorial HospitalMuay ThaiLumpinee Boxing StadiumRayong ProvinceAsok neighbourhoodKo SamuiSurat ThaniMae Sai DistrictTachileikSamut Sakhonthe country's fishing industrymigrant workersMyanmarBangkok Metropolitan AdministrationMinistry of EducationB.1.1.7 variantField hospitalsBTS SkytrainDon Mueang International AirportPhuket International AirportChiang Mai International AirportKrabi International AirportChiang Rai International AirportHolland America LineMS WesterdamLaem ChabangMV Seabourn OvationPhuketQuantum of the SeasMinistry of Foreign AffairsMS WesterdamRT-PCROmicron variantCivil Aviation Authority of Thailandsurgical maskspolypropylenehand sanitisersIconsiamAswin Kwanmuangfalse information about the coronavirus pandemicentertainment venuesCOVID-19 vaccination in ThailandSrinakharinwirot UniversityAstraZenecaKing VajiralongkornCharoen PokphandNDV-HXP-SAsian Development BankBangkok AirwaysUnited Nations Industrial Development OrganizationImpact, Muang Thong ThaniChulalongkornMahidol UniversitiesKasetsart UniversityLumphini ParkFootball Association of ThailandMotoGPThailand Grand PrixBangkok International Motor ShowChannel 7 Boxing StadiumGrand PalaceYaowaratTourism Authority of ThailandPattayaKhaosan RoadKhon Kaen ProvinceBang Saen BeachPatongKo Pha-nganChiang MaiAnutin Charnvirakulillegal immigrationSunshine Coast University HospitalendemicTimeline of the COVID-19 pandemicTimeline and statistics of the COVID-19 pandemic in ThailandRitchie, HannahRoser, MaxOur World in DataThe New York TimesReuters.comBangkok PostReutersThai PBSMinistry of Public Health, ThailandCondé Nast TravelerThe Guardian