Old Croc

Will, I registered in the first days of the program's start. Beginning of September or was it August? Not sure now. Pfizer. I noted that my call up came shortly after a new batch of Pfizer (2 mill doses) was met, with much publicity, at the airport by Anutin. The first lot didn't seem to stretch very far for some reason.

You are mainly correct and my Southern Hemisphere country, Australia, meekly followed in to all those wars. The hundreds who died are just as dead as those killed in WW2. I This forum isn't yet completely Anglicized is it?

I too despaired of getting included in the program here in Loei. Then, out of the blue , I had a call to come in to the main hospital in the capital. First jab was two weeks ago, the second is next Friday. I've also paid for Moderna for sometime in the future. Unless I can convert it to a booster, and the timeline fits, that money is wasted.

I believe the Expatvac program is only available for people with Non-immi visas or similar. The OP may be on a Covid extension?

Korea, Vietnam, Kuwait, Afghanistan, Iraq. I knew people of my "golden" generation who didn't come home from these Northern Hemisphere wars.

From XE, Oct 21, 2021. 1 AUD = 25.1501 THB

This is about compulsory health insurance for O-A visa applicants. Something you're not eligible for. The insurance you bought (covid?) is not a reasonable comparison to the subject matter here relating to retirees.

So, when all these "higher quality, family friendly" tourists flood into the country from Nov 1 and head down to a restaurant to enjoy their first Thai food, are they going to find themselves caught up in an over the top police raid and slapped in irons for having a wine with their meal?

Instead of expecting readers to have knowledge of (or are in contact with people involved in) this program, why not explain what you are referring to? Not everyone has an obsession with following retirement criteria for all countries beyond this one. Presumably Malaysia has moved the goalposts?

Some here confuse anonymous, impotent, moaning and complaining with activism.

The stupid, thoughtless part of the OP was the implication in the title that nobody needs tourism any more. Not having a finger in the tourism pie, I also greatly enjoyed the scarcity of certain tourists, and their big smelly buses, polluting everything in my erstwhile home of Phuket. The recovery of environment, oceans and air. and the free flow of traffic was great to behold. However, I'm able to understand that the dearth of the tourist was (continues to be) a massive blow to the country's economy and to the millions of workers whose lives are very badly impacted by the sudden closure of their livelihoods. It's thoughtless/selfish to imply that one persons enjoyment of a day out on the beach should lead to a permanent shutdown.

I'm in my 70s and have several underlying health issues. I signed up to expatvac early and was eventually advised I was accepted and to wait for an appointment. This was some time ago, still waiting. I'm in Loei Province. I've called the Ministry of FA (!) twice where they took my details and said they would contact the health mob. Still nothing!!!! It seems I may have to wait for my paid up Moderna vax at a private hospital to arrive sometime next year. The health department and its minister are ......... Un-fn-believable! I stopped typing this post to answer the phone. Loei Hospital was ringing to offer me a Pfizer shot on Friday!!!

I had trouble getting past the headline on the newsletter. American man arrested for rape of massage worker in Khon Kaen; Stick up for yourself in Thailand - the customer can be right!