Bangkok: Warning of “hand, foot, and mouth” disease outbreak in young children, reveals 65.7% of cases in 8 months, with the highest number of cases in the southern region, Bangkok, and the central region, with a tendency for the outbreak to continue.

According to Thai News Agency, Ms. Sasikarn Wattanachan, Deputy Government Spokesperson, revealed that the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC)’s quarterly social movement report for the second quarter of 2025 indicated that the overall number of patients with suspected diseases increased by 27.2 percent compared to the same period in 2024, from 202,879 to 258,105.

Diseases with significant increases in patients include influenza, pneumonia, and hand, foot, and mouth disease. Considering the growth in patient numbers, hand, foot, and mouth disease patients increased by 65.7 percent year-on-year, or a 1.7-fold increase. The outbreak began in April 2025 and is expected to continue through September 2025. According to the Epidemiology Division, from January 1 to August 5, 2025, there were 48,154 cases of hand, foot, and mouth disease, with the highest number of cases in the southern region, followed by Bangkok and the central region. The majority of cases are children under 5 years old.

“The government is concerned about the spread of hand, foot, and mouth disease among young children. We urge special vigilance among young children and school-aged children, as they have low immunity and live together in large numbers in daycare centers and schools, making them more susceptible to infection. This is especially true during this period where heavy rain and humid conditions in many areas of Thailand make the disease more susceptible to spread,” said Ms. Sasikarn.