Thailand reports rising Covid cases but no increase in severity

Thailand is experiencing an increase in Covid-19 cases during the rainy season, but the disease has not become more severe, with the case fatality rate falling to 0.02%, according to the Department of Disease Control (DDC).

At a briefing on Tuesday (September 1), the DDC reported 99,691 cases between January 1 and August 31, 2026, equivalent to 151.34 cases per 100,000 people. Fifteen deaths were recorded during the period.

The year-to-date total remains considerably below the annual figures recorded over the previous three years:

• 2023: 618,793 cases, 852 deaths and a case fatality rate of 0.14%
• 2024: 777,730 cases, 219 deaths and a case fatality rate of 0.03%
• 2025: 614,601 cases, 274 deaths and a case fatality rate of 0.04%

DDC spokeswoman Dr Jurai Wongsawat said infections were increasing and were likely to continue rising as Thailand entered the rainy season, when respiratory diseases generally become more common.

“Although Covid-19 cases are increasing, the total remains lower than two or three years ago,” she said. “The severity has not increased and appears to be declining, as reflected in the case fatality rate of 0.02%.”

Bangkok records highest infection rate

Bangkok had the country’s highest Covid-19 incidence at 643.65 cases per 100,000 people, followed by Chonburi at 530.52 and Phuket at 514.85.

The other provinces with the highest rates were Lamphun at 345.10, Nonthaburi at 304.06, Nakhon Pathom at 301.07, Rayong at 236.68, Saraburi at 227.90, Chiang Mai at 216.75 and Ang Thong at 215.01 cases per 100,000 people.

Infants record highest infection rate

Cases were detected across all age groups, but infants aged under one had the highest incidence, at 686.33 cases per 100,000 people.

They were followed by children aged one to four, adults aged 30–39 and those aged 20–29.

Jurai said the pattern could reflect transmission within households. Parents or guardians may contract the virus in the community while experiencing only mild symptoms, while older siblings could bring infections home from school.

As a result, babies and young children who rarely leave home could still become infected by family members.

Fourteen of 15 deaths among people over 60

Of the 15 deaths recorded this year, three were in Nakhon Ratchasima, two each in Phitsanulok and Bangkok, and one each in Phrae, Nakhon Nayok, Samut Songkhram, Chachoengsao, Samut Prakan, Krabi, Surat Thani and Trang.

Fourteen of those who died were aged over 60.

The fatalities also involved people with underlying conditions, including cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, chronic kidney failure, chronic respiratory disease and cancer.

Twenty clusters reported since June

The DDC received reports of 20 Covid-19 clusters in 2026, comprising one in June, seven in July and 12 in August.

Eight outbreaks occurred in prisons and involved a combined 761 cases. Five were reported in educational institutions, with 400 cases.

Two hospital clusters involved 37 cases, while two outbreaks at residential centres for older people accounted for 32 cases. Two workplace clusters involved 52 cases, and one military-camp outbreak recorded 27 cases. 

Maternal immunity offers some protection to babies

Asked about protection for children aged under one, Jurai said babies generally receive some maternal antibodies during the first six months of life.

Mothers who have previously had Covid-19 or received vaccination may pass some immunity to their children. However, infants can still become infected as those antibodies decline or when their mothers have little immunity.

Jurai said Covid-19 among young children treated in hospital was generally not severe, adding that respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, tended to pose a greater risk of severe illness to infants.

She said favipiravir was available as a five-day treatment when clinically indicated. Many young patients improved sufficiently to return home before completing five days as hospital inpatients and could continue recovering at home.

No Covid-19 deaths among young children had been reported in the figures presented at the briefing.

Jurai noted that Covid-19 and influenza were among the respiratory viral infections for which antiviral medicines were available. Many other respiratory viruses had no specific antiviral treatment and were managed according to symptoms.

She also warned that claims circulating online that Thailand was facing a severe new Covid-19 outbreak were based on old information.

The public should not panic and should continue following appropriate personal hygiene measures, she said.

NB.1.8.1 remains Thailand’s dominant variant

Dr Weerawat Manosutthi, a senior DDC physician and spokesman, said the lower case fatality rate showed that currently circulating variants had not increased the severity of the disease.

Genomic surveillance conducted between January 1, 2025, and August 21, 2026, found that approximately half of the samples analysed between July 21 and August 21 were the Omicron subvariant NB.1.8.1.

The subvariant began increasing in Thailand towards the end of 2025 and remains the dominant strain. JN.1 and BA.3.2 were the next most frequently detected lineages. 

Thailand has also detected one case of PQ.16.1.1, a descendant of NB.1.8.1, although it is not the country’s dominant variant.

The World Health Organization has classified PQ.16.1.1 as a variant under monitoring. 

“NB.1.8.1 may spread more easily, but it has not caused greater severity, as shown by the death rate,” Weerawat said.

Loss of smell and taste becomes less common

Symptoms remain broadly similar to those caused by earlier variants, although loss of smell and taste appears to have become less common.

Patients generally experience upper-respiratory symptoms such as coughing, a sore throat, a runny nose and a low-grade fever. For many people, the illness resembles a common cold or influenza.

Symptoms differ according to each person’s health, while the incubation period is generally around two to three days, Weerawat said.

People at higher risk of severe illness should avoid crowded and poorly ventilated places wherever possible.

Post-Covid complications decline

Weerawat said complications had become less common as the virus caused less severe illness.

Severe pneumonia and short-term complications such as respiratory failure and blood clots in the lungs were now reported less frequently, although pulmonary embolism remained a condition requiring medical attention.

Long Covid had also become much less common. It was previously estimated to affect between 30% and 50% of patients, but the proportion had fallen considerably.

Medium- and long-term complications continuing for more than three months after infection were also being detected less often, he said. 

Influenza and RSV also rising

The DDC warned that influenza and RSV were also increasing during the rainy season.

Thailand recorded 333,032 influenza cases and 48 deaths between January 1 and August 31, representing a case fatality rate of 0.014%. Cases were continuing to rise. 

A total of 7,020 RSV cases were reported in 2026, mostly among children aged up to four, followed by those aged five to nine.

No RSV deaths were recorded, although 2,762 patients, or 39.34%, required hospital treatment.

RSV infections were increasing but remained below the level recorded during the same period of 2025.