On February 23rd, 2021, the Cabinet of Thailand's Prime Minister, Dictator, Songwriter and the man of many words Prayut Chan-o-cha approved the extension of the nationwide state of emergency until March 31st, 2021, to prevent a resurgence in coronavirus infections and to help the authorities to enforce mandatory quarantines and streamline disease-control plans. The emergency was imposed during March 2020 and gives Prayut Chan-o-cha sweeping powers, including a ban on large gatherings that prevents anti-government protests.

On March 5th, The Royal Gazette announced an official ban on protests, assemblies, and mass gatherings late last night in Bangkok as well as Samut Songkhram, Samut Prakan, Nonthaburi, Nakhon Pathom, and Pathum Thani. Thailands Government officials claim the ban on protests is not political but is designed to stop the spread of the Covid-19 virus and protect the health of all residents.

According to a new study by Epidemiologists and Demographers from WorldPop at the University of Southampton, in collaboration with The Chinese University of Hong Kong, a combination of robust vaccination programmes and strict physical distancing rules could avoid recurring peaks of COVID-19 without the need to rely on stay-at-home restrictions. If you are interested, the findings are published in the journal Nature Human Behaviour.

There have been 61'662 cases of dengue fever in Thailand with 41 deaths in the first 9½ months of this year. While Thailand seems to have the corona virus under control, the situation with dengue fever, another viral disease, is extremely worrying in the Kingdom. Thailand's Public Health Officials advise people to make sure that there is no standing water around their homes, as this is a breeding ground for mosquitoes carrying the dengue virus.

October 11th: Mae Hong Son province in northern Thailand has reported the highest incidence by far with nearly 500 per 100'000 population. This is followed by Rayong, Nakhon Ratchasima, Chaiyaphum and Chainat provinces.

Another dangerous virus in this area is the Chikungunya virus. It is spread to people by the bite of an infected mosquito. The most common symptoms of infection are fever and joint pain. Other symptoms may include headache, muscle pain, joint swelling, or rash. The Chikungunya virus was found for the first time in the Americas on islands in the Caribbean in late 2013. The virus was imported by infected travellers into new areas such as Thailand. Currently there is no vaccine for prevention or medication to treat a Chikungunya virus infection.

October 16th: Health officials in Thailand are reporting 10'101 chikungunya cases in 72 provinces through October 5th. No deaths have been reported so far.

Measles is a highly contagious infectious disease caused by measles virus. Symptoms usually develop 10–12 days after exposure to an infected person and last 7–10 days. Initial symptoms typically include fever, often greater than 40°C, cough, runny nose, and inflamed eyes. Small white spots may form inside the mouth two or three days after the start of symptoms. A red, flat rash which usually starts on the face and then spreads to the rest of the body typically begins three to five days after the start of symptoms. Measles is an airborne disease which spreads easily from one person to the next through the coughs and sneezes of infected people. No specific treatment is available but the measles vaccine is effective at preventing the disease and is exceptionally safe. Through May 2nd, Thailand has seen 765 measles cases in 55 provinces. Narathiwat, Chiang Rai, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Phuket and Chiang Mai have been hardest hit by the measles.

• Wash your hands with a good soap.
  Hands are one of the most common ways that a virus spreads from one person to the next.
  Most viruses and some bacteria have lipid membranes that resemble double-layered micelles. These membranes are studded with important proteins that allow viruses to infect cells and perform vital tasks that keep bacteria alive.
  These lipid (fatty) bilayer are the weakest link of a virus.
  When you wash your hands with soap and water, you surround any microorganisms on your skin with soap molecules. Soap dissolves the fat membrane and the virus falls apart.
• The coronavirus is spread from person to person when someone with the virus coughs or sneezes. So people in close contact are at high risk.
  The influenza virus is spread in a similar way. A study shows when healthcare workers are within 1.8 metres of patients with influenza, their risk of being infected is increased.
  We therefore recommend to stay away from mass gatherings and to keep a distance of 2 meters to other people.
  Nowadays this behaviour is called social distancing and is a tool to slow down the spread of a disease that is passed on from person to person.
• There have been reported outbreaks of COVID-19 in some closed settings, such as restaurants, nightclubs, places of worship or places of work where people may be shouting, talking, or singing.
  In these outbreaks, aerosol transmission, particularly in these indoor locations where there are crowded and inadequately ventilated spaces where infected persons spend long periods of time with others, cannot be ruled out.
  Aerosols are very small droplets that can contain the COVID-19 virus and are able to stay suspended in the air for longer periods of time.
• A virus can not enter your body throught the skin. The virus get into your body through your eyes, nose or throat.
  Therefore it is important to protect your eyes, nose and mouth, at least if you are one of those people who likes to touch the face with the hands.
  Keep in mind, that the average person touches the face 23 times per hour.
• Avoid the polite but unsanitary greeting by shaking hands.
  Rather nod your head or use the WAI that is common in Thailand.
• Do not kiss your partner or any other people
• Refrain from sex or use a condom!
• Wear a face mask and/or a face shield
• Stay at home - and wait for better times!