Thailand, Singapore and China mask up as COVID-19 reemerges

Songkran festival partly to blame as Thai authorities report 46 deaths from virus

People are donning masks again in Bangkok as Thailand reports 187,000 COVID-19 cases and 46 deaths from the virus this year. © AP

APORNRATH PHOONPHONGPHIPHAT, WATARU SUZUKI and DYLAN LOH

May 29, 2025 08:42 JST

BANGKOK/SHANGHAI/SINGAPORE -- Parts of Asia are on alert as hundreds of thousands of COVID-19 cases have been reported in countries including China and Singapore, killing at least 46 people in Thailand alone.

Thailand reported 187,031 COVID-19 cases from January through mid-May and 46 COVID deaths. From May 18 through Saturday, 53,597 people were reported to be infected in Southeast Asia's second largest economy.