macnmotion

I've never heard of that but I can look, thanks.

Yes there is a Makro nearby, I'd never noticed containers but I'll look, I have to go there soon.

I've looked. They have some but they are mostly transparent which isn't good, it allows algae, and most of them are ridiculously expensive. I get my 20L containers there for 200 baht each, I don't want to pay 700 or more for a 5L. However I'll have one of my Thai staff search Lazada and Shopee in Thai.

Hi. Anyone have any midsized plastic protein powder containers they don't need? I have a couple that I use for mid-sized hydroponic plants, and need some more. I'm in Bangkok, happy to compensate you and arrange the shipping. Containers cannot have cracks/holes (they will hold water for the plants). I'm currently using 5 lb. Optimum Nutrition containers, to give you an idea of size. I'm attaching a photo to show you what I'm looking for. Thanks.

Anyone know where in Thailand I can buy solid plastic buckets with lids, preferably a dark color? I need mid-sized containers to use for hydroponic pepper plants. thx.

The fact that under-skin vaccinations for rabies is effective has no bearing on whether or not it will be effective with any of the various COVID-19 vaccines. As one poster mentioned, a (very) small Leiden University study (not really a study, more like initial tests) has indicated that a 1/10-1/5 dose under the skin produced antibodies in similar amounts to having previously had a COVID infection (although I haven't seen any indication of how long after an infection they are comparing the antibody levels to), and their tests were performed with Moderna which isn't being used here. Leiden University has yet to do a full large-scale study and is in fact crowdsourcing funding to help pay for such a study (a fact in itself which gives me pause). Their work has neither been published nor peer reviewed. I have to wonder which vaccine is being considered for this type of use in Thailand. In my opinion, the knee jerk reaction is not being displayed by those of us questioning this tactic, but by those considering its widespread use without scientific data to back it up.

I got the call as well. I asked why they called, they said they got my name from ExpatVac. However, I'd already been vaccinated through ExpatVac last week. I guess they're just using master lists that haven't been updated.

I received my ExpatVac appointment at Samitivej in BKK by email last week and had my first dose of Pfizer last Thursday. This morning I received a phone call from Bumrungrad offering me Pfizer. I asked why they were calling, they said they got my number from ExpatVac. I am not sure why Bumrungrad didn't know I had already received the vaccine, since both communications were a result of ExpatVac (the only site I've been eligible to sign up at). In any case, as others have said, answer every call.

Can you try going to this site? https://www.imgonline.com.ua/eng/combine-two-images-into-one.php They say you can upload 2 images and combine them into one. Of course, it will depend on whether you trust uploading this info to an unknown site LOL.

That's fantastic! Happy to hear this.

I agree with you. I encourage you to contact your representative in Congress, and ask them to contact the State Department and the US Embassy here on your behalf. And I encourage you to contact your Senators and ask them to back the bipartisan letter sent from 25 Senators to Secretary of State Blinken in June, as well as pending legislation proposed by Sen. Chris Murphy, to vaccinate Americans overseas.

I'll end my participation in this thread with a final update. The ExpatVac appointment which I mentioned in my original post in this thread was this morning at Samitivej Hospital. It was a very well run operation, not a ton of people, I'd say I saw less than 100 in the time I was there at various stages of the process. Most were European expats, with many being British. I saw a smaller number of Americans. The few Americans I saw, including myself, received Pfizer, as did many of the Europeans. The others received AZ. I didn't see anyone outwardly unhappy with what they were given. The few people I spoke with were all under 60, and a few who shared said they had no underlying conditions. I have no idea how or why the allotment was done as it was done. I'm grateful to have a vaccine, and pleased that it's Pfizer. Vaccine recipients all had their own stories to tell, the trouble they or loved ones here have had finding vaccines. I will continue my efforts to reach my representatives in America to push for change in how America treats its overseas citizens during extreme and unique circumstances such as this pandemic. My efforts may have begun because I couldn't get a vaccine, but there is a bigger issue that I'll remain involved with. I hope everyone who signed up with ExpatVac receives notification soon.

It's a long thread and I've put most information in the discussion as it came up. I cannot go back to edit my original post with all that additional info. In short: I'm under 60. No medical conditions. I work here and have a family, so going to the USA to get vaccinated is a major time undertaking considering quarantines and time between injections. If I went to the US to visit family, including my mother, without having been vaccinated I would self quarantine for 10-14 days even as I would get a first dose on my first day back. I have a very clear understanding of the disease, the vaccines, breakthrough infections, etc. While everyone in my family has been vaccinated I will not put them at an unnecessary extra risk of a breakthrough infection before I am vaccinated (or until I am done with self quarantine), especially after 30 hours of travel being around a lot of people. And since it has now been 2 years since I've been home to visit, my preference would be to be fully vaccinated before I go so that my limited time home would be spent with family, not in isolation. I have prepaid for Moderna at 2 hospitals, and can take that if I am not vaccinated before October (if they truly come in October). The reason for my initial post was partially to vent, and partially to raise awareness among Americans as to options for making change. In June, 25 US Senators sent a bipartisan letter to Secretary of State Blinken asking him to commit to vaccinating American citizens overseas. Chris Murphy, one of the authors of that letter, has also introduced legislation concerning this. My desire for my government to help their citizens overseas isn't the lone voice of an angry American in Thailand, it's one of many in America and around the world who understand the unique and dangerous situation our fellow citizens are in. I am in no way suggesting that Americans are more important than any other foreigner here, and I'm pleased American-donated vaccines are reaching expats, but my efforts for change are directed at my own country. My heart truly breaks for you having been kept away when your mother died. I have woken up many nights this past year dreading that same possibility. I vent because I am losing time I won't get back. My venting doesn't prevent me from actively pursuing a vaccine as well as advocating for my government to assist it's citizens during this unique crisis.

And by "preferential" you mean "equal," right?

I'm under 60 with no underlying conditions. Medpark will not vaccinate me, I'm not months out of date. And yes I can enter the USA and get vaccinated but until I'm vaccinated I'm not going anywhere my 86 year old mother. Pretty much makes such a trip pointless. Thanks though.

"Proportional to the adult population of each." However, vaccines were given to family members and personal staff of foreign service workers around the world as well. A bipartisan letter penned by Senators Chris Murphy and Jerry Moran was sent to Secretary of State Anthony Blinken in June asking him to take concrete steps to vaccinate the 9 million Americans living abroad. You can read it here: https://www.murphy.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/vaccinating_amcits_letter.pdf

Thanks. Most change has begun with just a few voices. Fortunately there are not just a few voices, there is quite a chorus in countries around the world.

The reason your logic doesn't hold is because this isn't business as usual, this is an extraordinary situation. Actually, the Government has no more duty to care for their health than they would if they were working in the US. This is not a "Government Program" that provided vaccines to embassy workers, this was the State Department choosing to use public funds to vaccinate their employees. No program. This was a management decision. I'm sure that every one of these embassy workers has health insurance supplied by the State Department which works just as well as my insurance in Thai hospitals, and they would be treated just the same as me when they attempted to sign up for a vaccine. While I can only guess, I would bet that there is nothing in their employment contracts about vaccines being shipped to them overseas during a pandemic (or any vaccine for that matter). They are certainly vaccinated as required before departing the US depending on where they are heading, but surely you can't think the State Department is sending annual flu vaccines to employees around the world, or dengue vaccines if there is a local outbreak. They rely on local medical care just as we do -- except during this pandemic. Are you suggesting that if an Embassy employee had a heart attack here that the US would fly in a surgeon and nursing team to take care of them? Of course not. Same if they were posted in the US -- their insurance would cover their care, not the State Department. Calling this a government employee benefit likens this to giving them a car or health insurance as a benefit of employment. That is not what this was. This was preferential and self serving use of public funds to provide vaccines to a selected group of Americans overseas while ignoring the rest.

I shared that information earlier in the thread, but as it's a long thread I'm sure many didn't see it. I agree, I'm not trying to get a vaccine from the US Government at this point. However, I am continuing to pursue oversight of US policy where some US citizens overseas are worthy of a vaccine with public money while many more are not. It's a policy I don't agree with, and because of that I'm working through my representative to question it. In my opinion there are many Americans here in much greater need of vaccines due to age and medical condition than some embassy workers.

The problem with the general principle that we are responsible for our own healthcare once we leave America is that this isn't business as usual. This is a once in a hundred years global pandemic, and we unfortunately happen to be in a country woefully unprepared to provide us with the tools to provide for our own health care. This isn't a flu shot we need, this is a vaccine that just isn't being made available to all Americans here. I know of one American who is dead here from COVID. It may be more. Look, I'm sure there are many Americans here willing to be more patient than me. I'm sure there are those who don't agree with me that embassy employees are not at any special risk that public funds should provide them vaccines but deny them to others. I feel strongly about this issue and will continue to pursue policy changes.

Well we will just have to disagree on this. There is no comparison between treatment for a heart attack and access to vaccines during a worldwide pandemic. As for which cost center will pay for this, I really don't care. This is a policy matter not a cost center matter. If policy stated all citizens overseas would receive equal treatment then funds would be found. The issue is a double standard of how American citizens overseas are treated by our government. I assure you that there are Americans the world over who don't agree with your assessment that this is fair.

While I understand your logic, it doesn't wash. Funds for the vaccines that went to the Embassy came from public funds, not some private employer funds. In fact I paid for the embassy workers to be vaccinated. Employees of the State Department are my employees, not the State Department's. When the employer is the government, there is no issue with mixing anything up. The two are one and the same. If in fact the State Department sees themselves as a discrete employer as you suggest, then it's even that much more important for oversight to correct this deficient way of thinking about the use of public funds.

The fact that they are government employees is moot. If US policy is not to provide health care services to citizens overseas, which is what the embassy has told me, then there is no difference between embassy employees and the rest of the Americans here. The only thing that gives embassy workers special access to vaccines from the US government is a self serving double standard. Embassy workers are not front line workers in the fight against this disease, they are no more exposed to risk than any American here (in fact I would suggest they are likely more isolated from the general public than many of us).

Thanks for the thoughtful post. I have a reservation for an October Moderna vaccine. If I have to wait for that I will. When I say I'm under the 60 year old threshold, I'm one year under. Yes I'm healthy, but an essentially arbitrary number leaves me unprotected. I have a small company here, and my staff didn't register us for vaccines under the social security scheme. In fact I knew nothing about that (my fault) until just recently. I had originally planned to return to the US in July to visit family and get vaccinated but an emergency here has kept me in-country. However, I really shouldn't have to spend thousands of dollars on airfare and ASQ upon my return, spending weeks in quarantine, to receive a vaccination. I appreciate the info about Democrats Abroad, I will look them up. Have a nice evening.

ACS (American Citizen Services) replied to me today. First they summarized the automated email, telling me that they do not interfere with the Thai government's disbursment of the vaccines. When I replied that they need to do something, as vaccines aren't going where they are supposed to, and an American died here on August 9th from COVID, I received this reply: --- These policies come from the highest level of U.S. Government in Washington, DC and congressional representatives are aware of these policies. The U.S. Government does not provide health care for U.S. citizens overseas. The Embassy has been in contact with the Thai Government regarding the Pfizer vaccines, however, ultimately, they will decide on the distribution of the vaccine. --- We all know that workers at the US Embassy in Bangkok received Pfizer vaccines months ago sent to them by the US Government, thanks to an employee posting a photo of their Pfizer certificate online (see attached photo). So in fact the US Government DOES provide healthcare services for US citizens overseas. They have just arbitrarily decided that some Americans overseas are more deserving of a vaccine than others. It is exactly this type of arbitrary and self serving behavior of the Executive Branch for which we have Congressional oversight. I will continue to pursue this by continuing my discussions with my Congressman's office. I will also reach out to media outlets in the States looking for a story. I encourage all Americans who are facing the same problems to write their member of Congress and demand oversight.