bradiston

Not sure of the procedure outside Thailand, but if you did this in Thailand, with the new passport your embassy would include a letter to Thai immigration requesting the visa and re-entry permit be transferred to the new passport (or some such, I forget the exact wording). At immigration offices here in Thailand, they will do that for you free of charge. Maybe the SA passport office will supply a similar document.

One question which keeps nagging away at my overactive "brain". China appears to have no interest in developing its own mRNA vaccine. Which you'd think would be easily within its grasp given that, back in March 2020, Fosun Pharma provided funding for the BioNTech research of $135 million, a month before Pfizer. With it came development and marketing rights in China of BNT162b2. So what happened to the development of an mRNA vaccine the rights to which they appear to have secured way back when? Looks like they are going to need something like a miracle right now. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pfizer–BioNTech_COVID-19_vaccine

It's moot as to what real protection Moderna and Pfizer offer against initial infection. A phrase such as "appear to have" is hardly convincing. I'm not arguing their efficacy at reducing the risk of serious illness. Most in the west will have had at least one jab of either or both Moderna or Pfizer by now, yet the infection rates are mind boggling.

Not as I recall. The proof of vaccination is on the certificate, along with lot numbers, type of vaccine, dates, location etc etc.

I'm not going to dispute any of what you say, but I'm just going to post a link to an NY Times article that covers a lot of ground. I'm a Brit BTW, so I'm not pushing their line because I'm an American citizen. The situation world wide is dire. Africa - 13% vaccinated. Most of the poorer nations, that's the whole of South America, most of SE Asia, most of India, and incidentally, the whole of China, were vaccinated with what is constantly reviled and disparaged on this forum, ie Sinovac, Sinopharm and Sputnik. You can add to that AstraZaneca as that seems to have fallen also out of favour with the rich westerners. This downputting of the trio of vaccines is a source of growing apathy towards vaccination in its entirety amongst poorer nations. Why vaccinate yourself with what the educated westerners are calling diluted salt water/totally ineffective/Chinese junk/blah blah blah? These nations never got near a Moderna or a Pfizer jab. These were all reserved for the likes of you and me. It's all fxxxxx up. So what's new. That's it. Times up! End of. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/19/health/omicron-vaccines-efficacy.html

No vaccine currently available claims to prevent infection. Why does this misunderstanding keep coming up? It gets repeated a hundred times every week.

I'm done arguing with the Sinovac ranters. It served its purpose when there was nothing else around, and in mix and matches, which is where we've been for a while, and where we're at now, it was deemed highly effective. I'm not going to give any links or references. I've been there and done that. Why keep picking at this? I'm bored with it. You don't like it, just don't take it. I'm happy. I've had 2 shots of it and an AstraZaneca. I've got a Moderna lined up. And your Pfizer and j and j are equally insipid. All need boosters. If you mean a red rag to a bull, then it looks like the matador has got your number.

Apologies, but how confusing! So glad to be going nowhere right now. Staying put - the only game in town.

I could be wrong but I think you're using fake websites. Spelling PASS as PSAS is a bit of a giveaway. https://tp.consular.go.th/ is the official site for Thailand pass I think. But, I've no experience applying for it.

Put it on a USB stick and take it to a print shop. Or email it to them when you're in the shop. Or or or....

I'm aware most of Thailand doesn't function as in Bangkok and Pattaya, but living out in the sticks, if that's where we're talking, will always involve travelling to provincial capitals, or wherever the vaccinations are taking place. Maybe a major schlep, but such is life. Here in Pattaya, getting a single jab of Sinovac back in May was a MAJOR hassle. The online registration was a complete disaster. For walk ins, you need an ear to the ground, even here in Pattaya. I went to Bangkok for my first Sinovac (and second) and felt like I'd won the lottery, then a walk-in here in Pattaya for an AZ booster, tipped off by a nice Thai lady. I've been reading the various threads on this forum concerning vaccinations for about 9 months. Plus FB pages like Barrow. Plus googling, visiting and phoning hospitals here in Pattaya and in Bangkok. Not always easy, I agree! But if you can get the first one done, the hospital or Vax centre should let you know when to come back for the second. A lot easier.

Can't see a reason for not having/getting a 2nd shot here, and even 3rd shots are relatively easy to come by, in Bangkok and Pattaya, at least. If people don't come forward and sort out their jabs, what can the government do? Check the vaccine registers and remind the single jabbed to get a 2nd shot? Home visits? There are millions I believe.

Any reason it was free? I mean, somebody had to pay, right? Why would the government cover him, if that was the case?

I'm intrigued. Pingxiang Port's nearest border point is with northern Vietnam. So how do Thai exporters (aka Chinese importers) get their fruit to the train station there? From southern Thailand maybe a container to Haiphong? Then road up to the Chinese border? Or from, say, Chantaburi, road through Laos and Vietnam? Vientiane or Nakhon? Who knows???

Its senses

I had English friends (and a Thai friend) who managed to get jabs at Sirivej, but only by spending a couple of days ringing the hospital and finding somebody who spoke decent English. I believe there were only 320 shots available. Hard to fathom how your friend is still unvaxxed here, unless by choice. Now he's prepared to pay, doesn't want to queue, wants an appointment. Good luck with that! Nearest walk-in would be either Pattaya or Bangkok I guess. Trad might just have something, but they have a (to date, very minor) break out on one of the islands.

As with bookmakers, aren't the bets (aka policies) all laid off?

I also had 2 Sinovac, then an AstraZaneca. Same timescales. Have a Moderna available, but can postpone. I'll give it 3 months between the Astra and the Moderna.

It's an interesting article, but as it states at the end "Conclusion We have summarized published results on the inhibition of multiple viral and host targets that could be involved in SARS-CoV-2 replication and the disease COVID-19. Although multiple antiviral and host target activities have been reported for ivermectin in SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19, it is still unclear if any of these activities will play a role in the prevention and treatment of the disease. The controlled clinical trials that are underway will reveal if these activities will translate into clinical efficacy." And "This is a revised version of the previously retracted article below. The article has been revised to remove references to clinical studies, focusing exclusively on the mechanisms of action of ivermectin. The article has undergone peer review independent of the original article’s review process." So it seems the jury is still out.

Well @Danderman123 needs to calm down, step away from the keyboard, and put the frigging gun down! And yes, your response didn't help, but at least you've reread the thread. Cheers!

The short answer is no, I don't disagree. What made you think I did? What is there in my original post to make you think I did? I was replying to somebody who was lamenting the apparent absence of a test for both the flu virus and SARS-COV-2. I said there was one, and it had been announced by the CDC, and I provided the link. It is, in part, an announcement to testing labs that "After December 31, 2021, CDC will withdraw the request to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) of the CDC 2019-Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) Real-Time RT-PCR Diagnostic Panel, the assay first introduced in February 2020 for detection of SARS-CoV-2 only. CDC is providing this advance notice for clinical laboratories to have adequate time to select and implement one of the many FDA-authorized alternatives." OK? Nothing to do with any assertion on my part about the test itself. I also provided links to 2 of many articles reporting on and exposing the misinterpretation of the CDC announcement, by covid deniers, who seem to be claiming it suggests the original RT-PCR test is/was not fit for purpose. Why you think I'm a party to that I cannot fathom. You just got the wrong idea.

The article I quoted is dated 07/07/2021. It says the RT-PCR test in question was first introduced in February 2020, not discontinued then. I make no suggestion that this refers to all RT-PCR testing. You're just adding insult to injury.

It won't have much of an effect in Pattaya. 7/11s here have been renamed 7th heaven for alkies and their chums.

Not quite sure what has happened to my original post. @Danderman totally got the wrong end of the stick and I'm still waiting for his apology after his misdirected steam of invective. I've read the whole article and several of the links therein. He assumed I was somebody involved in denouncing the test on the completely false premise the CDC had announced it was flawed. I seem to waste an awful lot of time and energy fighting off accusations such as this. People have become ludicrously hair triggered. A couple of key words and they're off. Try quoting "Sinovac" and witness the deluge of stupidity that avalanches your way. Post-trumpian stress disorder I guess.

Never fear, all is as it should be. 1. Always check docs before leaving the building. 2. Return to BRG and ask them to correct your vaccine certificate details. 3. The 13 digit ID number is generated by the vax registration system, for use by foreigners. It starts 60000 right? 4. You can get a yellow vax passport quite easily. Ask at BRG, or Google it. Not sure where in Bangkok, I'm in Pattaya.