TallGuyJohninBKK

The wife and I each got the updated bivalent Pfizer COVID vaccine today at the MOPH's Institute of Dermatology near Victory Monument. We did that on a walk-in basis, and it was easy-peasy... The room was busy with lots of people coming in and going out, but not much waiting. Just the standard three steps: 1. fill out a questionnaire form with personal info and medical history, which they update in their system. 2. go for the shot 3. wait for about 30 minutes thereafter to make sure there's no allergic reaction. As mentioned above, the IOD is doing the Pfizer bivalent vaccinations from 9 am to 3 pm (closed on Sundays) at the IOD, 12th floor. The building is next to Rajivithi Hospital and a very short walk from Victory Monument BTS station. The vaccines are free for long-term expats, but there's a fee for tourists. Foreigners need to bring and show their passports. The 12th floor vax area today was busy with all kinds of Thais of all varying ages... Somewhat surprising to me, not any heavier weighting toward older folks, as I might have expected. However, for the hour or so we were there, I was the only farang I saw there -- probably because the new bivalent Pfizer vax program at IOD has been very sparsely publicized. When you get the vax, they place a little sticker on your paperwork giving all the lot and other details for the specific shot you get. For my bivalent Pfizer vax today, my batch was listed as having an expiration date of April 30, 2023, so my batch was nowhere near expiring. The government's announcement re the IOD seemed to say they'd only be offering the new Pfizer bivalent vaxes there thru this coming Tuesday, March 14. But their online appointments system lists available appointments at least for the next several days after that. I tried to ask the staff at IOD today just how long they're going to be offering the bivalent Pfizer vaxes there, but being a Saturday, no one in authority seemed to be around. And the nurses could only say they'd been given an allocation of 50,000 doses of the bivalent Pfizer vaccines, and they thought they would continue until they run out.

And the Chinese made ones have been shown in studies to be less effective at preventing COVID illness and deaths than their mRNA counterparts. There's a reason Thailand transitioned from using Chinese vaccines early in the pandemic.... to ultimately switching mostly to Pfizer and Moderna shots (along with their own locally produced AstraZeneca non-mRNA version, which pretty much seems to have fallen off the map).

Since last fall, Thailand no longer publicly reports mere counts of COVID cases, in part because they no longer have any campaign to test for cases, and home tests aren't reported either. What they publicly report as "cases" are in fact COVID hospitalizations, and they still report what they consider to be COVID related deaths, using a very narrow definition of that. For the most recent weekly report: The government for the week Feb. 26 to March 4 reported: --7 COVID deaths, average of 1 per day --147 COVID hospitalizations, average 21 per day And cumulative thus far for 2023: -- 249 COVID deaths -- 4,263 COVID hospitalizations https://www.facebook.com/informationcovid19/posts/pfbid02u1AocPvCZhGRbNVZcsd8ndEs7SL9vpqUibvWKZoMxKJcB4MjWGZHDpXRRL6yvvqtl

Because COVID is continuing to kill and hospitalize people around the world, for example, about 300 COVID fatalities per day in the U.S. and about 3,300 COVID hospitalizations there per day. And the risks are greater to the unvaccinated vs the vaccinated, as shown in my prior post above. Source link US CDC

Based on your post, I'd assume you're not dead and weren't hospitalized from your two bouts of COVID... So it certainly seems like the vaccines may have done exactly what they were principally designed to do, especially after newer variants replaced the original one -- help keep you alive and out of the hospital. Not everyone has been so fortunate, especially the unvaccinated. US CDC source link

Here's apparently where the original announcement was made via FB on March 6: https://www.facebook.com/CentralVaccinationCenter/posts/pfbid0P8Yx1pfhjaDei27Yr1MHvCUce8NmbycAU7Q9CfZjkwxhFjhTTikvYeN4B9anEVoel

Found this recent news link on the topic as well: https://thailand.postsen.com/live-style/106613/institute-of-dermatology-Providing-new-Pfizer-vaccination-services-How-do-I-inject-Check-it-out.html

You'll note that my 60000+ number also totals 13 digits.

They may have different numbering systems for what type/class of foreigner the person is.... I just know I'm here on a retirement extension, and I got the 600000+ version ID number on all my MoPH vax certificates... I think they also refer to it as a "CID" number....

The government's post above says they will accept walk-ins. But by adding the IOD's LINE address -- @SKINTHAILAND -- my wife got a weblink to an online appointments system for their COVID vaccines. But it's entirely in Thai language, no English.... And, it shows no hour specific appointment times for tomorrow/Saturday, Monday or Tuesday... However, I was able to schedule a specific time appointment for Wednesday in their system and there were other times available on subsequent days through next Saturday -- even though the govt's Facebook post above says the program there only will run thru Tues., March 14. Which considering they only announced it today, seems like that date reference may have been some kind of mistake. At any rate, here's the link to their online appointments website: https://covid19.iod.go.th/vaccine/ Not very expat friendly, to say the least.... There's one section in there where they ask for the person's ID number. From the Thai explanation posted there, it seems to say that if a foreigner has never received a Thai government issued COVID vaccine before, they should use their passport number. But if the person has received a Thai government issued COVID vaccine before, they should enter the separate ID number listed on their prior government vaccination certificates, which may begin with "600000" and then have seven more digits thereafter.

Institute of Dermatology Address : 456 Rajavithi Road, Thung Phaya Thai, Ratchathewi District, Bangkok 02-354-5222 https://www.iod.go.th/en/ https://www.google.com/maps/place/Institute+of+Dermatology/@13.7657344,100.5358388,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x30e29eb179f4f45b:0x1c3449acdde35515!8m2!3d13.7657344!4d100.5358388!16s%2Fg%2F1hc4340dq?hl=en-TH

Just found this posted earlier today from the TH government re them now offering the new bivalent Pfizer COVID vaccines at a government facility near Victory Monument for those who haven't had a booster for the past 4 months or longer. The new vaccines are gonna be out there for expats as well...but the offer below appears to only be valid through March 14, which would be this coming Tuesday. (Though I'd assume, but can't guarantee, they'll offer other locations after that...) "The Institute of Dermatology (IOD) in Bangkok is now offering the bivalent COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer as a booster shot. ... The vaccine is free of charge for Thai citizens and foreign nationals who reside long-term in Thailand. Visitors can also purchase the vaccine for 1,380 baht per dose. ... The IOD offers the bivalent COVID-19 vaccine for Monday through Saturday, from 9AM to 3PM, until March 14. Reservations can be made one day prior to the appointment, while walk-ins are accepted during the service hours. (more) https://www.facebook.com/nbtworld/posts/pfbid02YXj9WKQUiznvkfJ6X1HQK5kECUybZFiGYi7Dwj1tWD8HrRk17jcDmigQ92EnLzc3l

Re the donation of the newer bivalent Pfizer vaccines by South Korea... I now see there was a second article Feb. 18 in the BKK Post, which we cannot link or quote here under the forum's rules, that says the Thai MoPH planned to begin rolling out the newer vaccines first to what they call the high risk "608" group -- those age 60 and above and those with 8 various chronic health conditions -- during March. Also included will be medical workers and so-called front-line government personnel, which in the past has meant police and others. But the article also says members of the general public outside the abovementioned groups also will be able to receive the newer vaccines upon request. But nowhere in the article is there any mention made or distinction between eligibility for Thais vs resident expats. The Post article also mentions the follow-on vaccine donation by France, which kind of suggests those might also be the newer bivalent vaccines, but doesn't specifically say so. The article also quotes the head of Thailand's Department of Disease Control as saying Thailand now has an adequate supply of COVID vaccines and is "unlikely" to make further purchases.

Well, part of what Thailand does, is not buy the latest, newly released vaccines for their own people... and instead hope to be bailed out by donations from others. That's what occurred with the original vaccine campaign here for expats that started out pretty much entirely with U.S. and European donated Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. And the pattern seems to be repeating itself again now with the latest iteration.

We also had some prior threads on this subject:

Youtube crackpots and right-wing conspiracy & misinformation purveyors... I know who I'm going to listen to .... experts and authorities in the public health field.

In general, it's the older population groups and anyone with any number of high-risk conditions -- overweight, high blood pressure, respiratory problems, diabetes, etc etc... -- that have the strongest case for staying current with COVID vaccination recommendations/schedules. Because they're most at risk from bad health outcomes, should they come down with the virus. Though even milder cases of COVID in non-elderly populations have been linked to a wide range of ongoing post-infection chronic health issues, including fatigue, mental foggyness, chest pain and respiratory issues, and increased risks of things like late onset diabetes, strokes and heart problems.

Here's the detail about the recent South Korean donation of the newer bivalent Pfizer vaccines. Korea Provides Thailand Additional Covid-19 Vaccine FRIDAY, February 17, 2023 The Republic of Korea decided to provide 501,120 doses of Pfizer, the BA.1 bivalent Covid-19 vaccine, to help Thailand fight variants more effectively. The vaccines reach Thailand on Feb 15th. This is the second time that Korea provides vaccines to Thailand, after the delivery of 470,000 doses of AstraZeneca in October 2021. This donation is expected to contribute to mitigating the worldwide Covid-19 crisis and to promote the two countries further cooperation, marking the 65th anniversary of Korea-Thailand bilateral ties. https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40024966

The original versions of the vaccines are still available for free to expats here, generally through Thai public hospitals and certain medical clinics. The part that's unknown for now, AFAIK, is what's become of the newer bivalent vaccines that recently have been donated to Thailand. I haven't seen ANYTHING from the TH government about that. Generally, the original vaccine boosters are recommended anytime 5-6 months after a prior dose. Thailand, AFAIK, doesn't have any published policy yet on the timing for getting the newer bivalent vaccines, because they haven't been making them available, thus far. But in the U.S., a booster with the newer bivalent vaccine is recommended anytime two months or more after a person's last prior COVID vax shot. And the U.S. is moving toward pretty much using the newer bivalent vaccines exclusively for everyone, and phasing out the original ones. The UK just announced plans for a spring COVID booster campaign there with the newer vaccines. But unlike the U.S., the UK is only aiming its government sponsored vaccinations at those age 75 and above, people with weak immune systems and other high-risk individuals.

US CDC source link And COVID hospitalizations: US CDC source link

It's better to be waking up... than not waking up because you died or got sick from COVID. Monovalent COVID booster protects well against Omicron, but it wanes over 6 months March 3, 2023 "The monovalent (single-strain) COVID-19 vaccine booster was 74% effective against Omicron infection compared with the primary vaccine series for 3 months, but protection waned to 42% from 3 to 6 months and 36% after 6 months, estimates a study published yesterday in Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses. ... The results, the authors said, confirm that vaccine-induced protection against COVID-19 infection is temporary and influenced by evolving pandemic conditions. "Increasing bivalent booster uptake should be a priority to increase protection likely lost due to waning immunity and antigenic change of circulating viruses," they wrote." https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/monovalent-covid-booster-protects-well-against-omicron-it-wanes-over-6-months

Side effects from the COVID vaccines are rare and mostly minor.... Your odds of some health issue are far greater from COVID the disease than anything relating to the vaccines... especially if you're in the older age groups.

It's a shame the OP article doesn't seem to clarify whether the France donated Moderna doses are the older, original version or the newer bivalent version specifically tailored against the current Omicron strains. The separate recent donation by South Korea was, if memory serves, the newer bivalent doses... But.. unless I missed something, there's been NADA from the Thai government since they received the SK doses of just how and where they're going to be used.

Don't think I didn't notice what you were doing with the sly comment above... "CUT and dry case....."

This is an interesting thread and topic. Glad to see the various responses above from folks saying you can apply for a Thai DL in a different province from where you may be currently staying... for example, live in BKK but apply to a DLT office elsewhere. For the folks above who did so, when you went to the other DLT office away from the province where you live, were you handing them a residence certificate for where you actually live in your home province...and not for somewhere in the province where the DLT office you were applying to was located?