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Based on information from the Bangkok Post and the Thai Department of Disease Control (DDC), the COVID-19 epidemic situation in Thailand is showing remarkable developments in 2025. Specifically, in the period from January 1 to May 10, the country recorded a total of 53,676 COVID-19 infections, accompanied by 16 deaths.
Notably, the detailed report from DDC shows a significant increase in the week of May 4-10 with 16,607 new confirmed cases. This number shows an escalation compared to the previous week, when there were 14,680 cases. The situation is more serious when the number of deaths this week has doubled, up to 6 cases compared to 3 cases last week.
Since the beginning of May, Thailand has recorded a high number of Covid-19 cases, even many deaths.
The capital Bangkok is identified as the hot spot of this outbreak, with a total of 16,723 infections in 2025. Medical experts say that the Omicron sub-variant XBB.1.16 is the main cause of this strong spread in Bangkok.
Covid-19 variants cause this turbulence
The Thai Ministry of Health has made an assessment of the possible causes of the recent increase in the number of infections. Accordingly, this time may coincide with the incubation period after the Lunar New Year, a period when many people tend to gather in large numbers. In addition, the emergence and rapid spread of the XBB.1.16 sub-variant is also considered an important factor.
The increase in cases during peak tourist season has many tourists worried.
Despite the rising number of COVID-19 cases, the Thai Ministry of Public Health has reassured the public that the disease has become endemic in the country. The majority of reported cases have only mild symptoms. The Thai Public Health Minister has also urged people to remain calm and not panic over concerns about a possible resurgence of the disease, stressing that COVID-19 is now considered a common infectious disease.
Thailand's Ministry of Health calls on residents and tourists to remain calm.
However, the current pandemic situation still poses many challenges for the Thai government in maintaining social stability and protecting public health. In response to this situation, Thailand has announced specific measures to prevent the spread of SARS-CoV-2 virus, especially in kindergartens across Bangkok. In addition, the government is also implementing many other measures to protect the health of both residents and tourists.
Regarding the XBB.1.16 sub-variant, the World Health Organization (WHO) said that this variant has appeared since 2023 and has the ability to spread rapidly. However, so far, there is no evidence that this variant causes more severe symptoms than previous variants. WHO has also not issued any new warnings about the COVID-19 epidemic situation on a global scale.
