BANGKOK, THAILAND – Thailand’s Department of Disease Control (DDC) warned at the start of the hot season that heatstroke posed a life‑threatening risk, especially for outdoor workers, older people and other vulnerable groups.
Hot season brings rising health risks
Thailand’s hot season typically lasted from late February to mid‑May and was considered a period when heat‑related illnesses increased significantly.
The DDC called for particular caution, saying that in extreme heat the body could lose its ability to regulate temperature and emergencies could escalate quickly.
182 recorded cases, young men most affected
According to Dr. Montien Kanasawat, director‑general of the DDC, the Digital Disease Surveillance system recorded 182 heat‑related illnesses in 2025.
Most patients were men, accounting for 59.3 percent of cases, and the largest age group was 15 to 34 years with 78 cases, or 42.8 percent, followed by 29 cases among people aged 60 and over, or 15.9 percent.
Outdoor work identified as key driver
More than half of the recorded illnesses involved people working outdoors, including soldiers and general labourers.
The agency stressed that prolonged exposure in direct sunlight and on hot asphalt were central drivers of the reported cases.
Most common heat illnesses in 2025
The most frequently diagnosed condition was heat exhaustion, with 62 cases, or 34.07 percent.
This was followed by heat syncope, or fainting due to heat, with 43 cases, or 23.63 percent, and heat cramps, which were reported 26 times, or 14.29 percent.
Heatstroke, described as the most dangerous progression of heat illness, accounted for 17 cases, or 9.34 percent.
The DDC highlighted heatstroke as the condition with the highest risk of severe complications and death.
21 deaths, Northeast worst affected
The epidemiology division’s surveillance system also recorded 21 heat‑related deaths in 2025.
Of those who died, 18 were men and three women, aged between 27 and 79, with an average age of 51.
The fatalities were reported from 16 provinces, with Udon Thani at the top with five deaths, followed by Nakhon Ratchasima with two.
Regionally, 52 percent of deaths occurred in the Northeast, while the Central and Western regions together accounted for 24 percent.
April peak, alcohol and prior illness increase danger
The DDC said underlying conditions such as hypertension and diabetes were present in 24 percent of the deaths.
It also pointed to alcohol as an important risk factor and noted that 67 percent of fatalities occurred outdoors.
April formed the peak month, with 57 percent of all deaths, when temperatures could reach up to 41 degrees Celsius.
The agency linked the combination of extreme heat, alcohol consumption and chronic illness to a sharply increased risk of fatal outcomes.
Warning signs and when to seek urgent help
According to the DDC, heatstroke occurred mainly at very high temperatures, especially above 40 degrees Celsius, when the body could no longer adequately dissipate heat.
Warning signs listed by the agency included very high body temperature, hot reddened skin, absence of sweating, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, rapid heartbeat, confusion, weakness and loss of consciousness.
Severe neurological symptoms such as seizures or incoherent speech were also cited as critical indicators.
“If such warning signs appear, immediate medical assessment is essential.”
said DDC officials.
First aid steps and emergency numbers
In suspected heatstroke cases, people were advised to go straight to a hospital or call the emergency medical service on 1669.
As first aid, the DDC recommended laying the affected person flat, loosening tight clothing and cooling the body with cold, wet cloths on the neck, armpits, head and torso.
Using a fan to enhance cooling was advised, while unconscious individuals should be placed in the recovery position.
These measures were intended to reduce body temperature while waiting for professional medical help.
Protection measures and high‑risk groups
Dr. Anek Mung-Om-Klang, deputy director‑general of the DDC, identified older people, young children, pregnant women, outdoor workers, athletes and people with chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease and obesity as high‑risk groups.
The agency recommended avoiding outdoor activities between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., taking regular breaks in the shade and drinking plenty of clean water.
People were urged to avoid alcohol, caffeine and highly sugared drinks, and to wear loose, light‑coloured clothing.
The DDC further warned that children or animals must never be left in parked cars in the sun, as interiors could heat up dangerously within 10 to 20 minutes.
Heat as an underestimated health hazard
The figures showed that heat in Thailand was not only uncomfortable but posed a concrete health risk for specific groups.
According to the DDC, this risk was often taken too lightly in everyday life despite the recurring extreme temperatures each year.
“Heat remains an underestimated danger that can turn deadly within minutes if early symptoms are ignored.”
said public health officials.
The authorities used the start of the hot season to reiterate their call for preventive behaviour and close attention to vulnerable people in both households and workplaces.