Likely cost of the vaccine for foreigners?

[Hal65]

You guys think it'd be worth buying a year of health insurance right now solely to use for the vaccine? Or are vaccine prices pretty reasonable in Thailand?

[Surelynot]

Not sure that price will be the major concern....availability and source might be more of a worry.

[sammieuk1]

One thing for sure there will be money to be made from fish in a barrel ????

[Lacessit]

Health insurance won't necessarily cover the cost of a vaccine, it depends on the fine print in the policy.

I would have thought it would be in the interest of all governments to get their people and foreigners vaccinated. As cheaply as possible to encourage uptake. TIT, who knows how the generals will handle it.

[Surelynot]

Just now, Lacessit said:

I would have thought it would be in the interest of all governments to get their people and foreigners vaccinated.

Good one.....let's see how it pans out......be interesting to see the priority list.

[Sheryl]

Most health insurance would not cover this.

 

Impossible at this time to say what cost of vaccine will be  for foreigners who will most likely have to pay privately for it.

[Oxx]

12 hours ago, Lacessit said:

I would have thought it would be in the interest of all governments to get their people and foreigners vaccinated. 

 

But the government has only made provision for 13 million people to be vaccinated, and that's not until the middle of next year.

 

12 hours ago, Lacessit said:

who knows how the generals will handle it.

 

I think my previous comment answers that.

[shdmn]

The mRNA vaccines just becoming available cost about $30 US a shot.  The cheap ones coming soon are going to cost about $3 a shot.  Why would you need insurance for something that cheap?

Edited December 12, 2020 by shdmn

[Oxx]

2 hours ago, shdmn said:

The mRNA vaccines just becoming available cost about $30 US a shot.

 

That's before you add on the cost of transporting the vaccine to Thailand, import charges, an inevitably high market up a private hospital, plus doctor and nurses fees for administration.  And you have to have two shots.  I think you'd be lucky to get change from $300.  And if this is an annual thing, like the 'flu shot, the costs mount significantly.

 

(Also, will private hospitals be able to buy the vaccine at the same price? They're not buying in massive bulk as governments are.)

[internationalism]

The highest price for covid vax is one of chinese one for $60. Possibly need 2-3 shots. Private hospitals will make 100% mark up on them. 
Thailand has signed 20 mutual agreements for production and distribiution of covid vax, but it’s now know when and which would be first and how good it will be. 
personally i would chose the most expensive one, it possibly will be the best one. 
 

in the meantime you can get MMR, pneumonia vax, which are cheap.
Consider also dengue vax, which is $100 per shot (need 3, but even one would serve the purpose).

All of them would boost your immune system.

Also would prevent co-infection. 

Don’t rush to get covid vax, unless it would be mandatory to have one, in order to travel internationally or if employer would ask. 
The socond wave is coming,  but vax won’t be ready yet. So wait for the next waves and get vax in a timely manner several weeks before. 
 

insurance is a different matter. I would get one, if you are in a risk group. But vaccinations, as well as stocking on medications, would be priority

[shdmn]

29 minutes ago, Oxx said:

 

That's before you add on the cost of transporting the vaccine to Thailand, import charges, an inevitably high market up a private hospital, plus doctor and nurses fees for administration.  And you have to have two shots.  I think you'd be lucky to get change from $300.  And if this is an annual thing, like the 'flu shot, the costs mount significantly.

 

(Also, will private hospitals be able to buy the vaccine at the same price? They're not buying in massive bulk as governments are.)

They ship thousands of shots at a time so it's a small part of the cost.  They also said they will crack down on anyone trying to price gouge for it.

Edited December 13, 2020 by shdmn

[Lacessit]

15 hours ago, Surelynot said:

Good one.....let's see how it pans out......be interesting to see the priority list.

My guess would be people in the most vulnerable situations, e.g. the elderly, health workers, and dental clinics would get priority.

[Pilotman]

14 hours ago, Sheryl said:

Most health insurance would not cover this.

 

Impossible at this time to say what cost of vaccine will be  for foreigners who will most likely have to pay privately for it.

I think availability is going to be the problem rather than cost. 

[scubascuba3]

They won't miss an opportunity to fleece the Falang. I won't bother getting it unless fairly priced I. e. not Falang price. If I was an at risk group then I'd have no choice

[Moonlover]

Why bother with getting a vaccine shot in a country that has proved it can handle an outbreak?

 

Were a cluster to develop in the area in which I live, which is IMO highly unlikely, I'll simply 'hunker down' until it's all over.

[daviddunham]

16 hours ago, Hal65 said:

You guys think it'd be worth buying a year of health insurance right now solely to use for the vaccine? Or are vaccine prices pretty reasonable in Thailand?

 

Probably same as a normal flu-vaccine and probably funded for low-income people (not falang) somehow...

[carlyai]

I can't see a problem here in Isaan. Every little village has a government clinic. When the flu vaccine was being distributed the PhuYaiBaan announced it over the village PA system and anyone who wanted got the shot free. Falangs as well. I'd expect the same for Covid vaccine. They have a great infrastructure system here in Thailand.

[Sheryl]

22 minutes ago, carlyai said:

I can't see a problem here in Isaan. Every little village has a government clinic. When the flu vaccine was being distributed the PhuYaiBaan announced it over the village PA system and anyone who wanted got the shot free. Falangs as well. I'd expect the same for Covid vaccine. They have a great infrastructure system here in Thailand.

 

Not all government clinics do this. In fact, most do not.

 

My impression is that they have no specific instructions regarding foreigners, so each official has to guess as to what is allowed and for many it is easiest to say "cannot".

[DavisH]

1 hour ago, scubascuba3 said:

They won't miss an opportunity to fleece the Falang. I won't bother getting it unless fairly priced I. e. not Falang price. If I was an at risk group then I'd have no choice

I can almost guarantee it will be a requirement for extending a visa. But certainly a requirement for a work permit renewal and international travel. So either get a shot or have onerous quarantine and insurance requirements, that I hope would be waived if vaccinated.

[DavisH]

It's beneficial if we have to wait months. Others in other countries can take it and we can observe efficacy and side effects. I plan to hold off as long as possible, assuming it is available, until it becomes a requirement or the pandemic explodes out of control. 

[shackleton]

The Thai government will no doubt rightly give their Thai people first priority 

Foreigners  I can imagine will have to go to private hospitals .

Who no doubt will be wringing their hands as to what price they will charge

Interesting times coming up

[Jingthing]

Do you think embassies might offer vaccine services to their nationals?

 

Asking this in the context of different countries getting different vaccines at different times.

 

Also surely embassies will want at least their officials to get vaccinated asap.

 

Also based on my reading Thailand is going to get the doses much later than western countries and in short supply as well. 

 

But if they even wanted to, could they legally?

 

For example a specific vaccine may be officially approved in our home countries but not here so thus not even legal here. Of course embassies are somewhat sovereign but the doses would have to be transported to them.

Also I assume it would anger Thais to see this happen even if possible. 

 

[ravip]

How much is it, where available at present?

(Big Pharma has been fleecing the public world-wide (mainly targeting the innocent sick people) for decades, even now, so why blame any particular country!)

[ravip]

9 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Do you think embassies might offer vaccine services to their nationals?

 

Asking this in the context of different countries getting different vaccines at different times.

 

Also surely embassies will want at least their officials to get vaccinated asap.

 

Also based on my reading Thailand is going to get the doses much later than western countries and in short supply as well. 

 

But if they even wanted to, could they legally?

 

For example a specific vaccine may be officially approved in our home countries but not here so thus not even legal here. Of course embassies are somewhat sovereign but the doses would have to be transported to them.

Also I assume it would anger Thais to see this happen even if possible. 

 

Also based on my reading Thailand is going to get the doses much later than western countries and in short supply as well. 

 

Segregating foreigners seems to be the International norm!

 

 

[Sheryl]

1 hour ago, ravip said:

How much is it, where available at present?

(Big Pharma has been fleecing the public world-wide (mainly targeting the innocent sick people) for decades, even now, so why blame any particular country!)

It is nto available yet.

 

Unknown what price will be when it is.

 

it is likley to be several months at least.

[Neeranam]

On 12/13/2020 at 9:28 AM, scubascuba3 said:

They won't miss an opportunity to fleece the Falang. I won't bother getting it unless fairly priced I. e. not Falang price. If I was an at risk group then I'd have no choice

I think you mean foreigner, not farang. 

Do Thais get it free?

 

[Neeranam]

23 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Also I assume it would anger Thais to see this happen even if possible. 

Why do you assume that? 

Would you actually care if a Thai person was angry at you getting it?

[Nowisee]

Probably too much to ask embassies and consulates to assist for maybe that violates their protocol.  

[bkk6060]

Thailand purchased the cheapest questionable Oxford vaccine with even its best results, showed lower protection then Pfizer or Moderna.

I will not take that vaccine.

I hope that private hospitals offer the other options.

I have a good Aetna plan they sent me messages for a free flu vaccine.

But, if I have to pay for Covid could care less how much is your life worth?

Edited December 15, 2020 by bkk6060

[internationalism]

Thailand hasn’t bought any vax yes. They have assigned factories and laboratories to start production as soon as agreements are going to be finalised. Any financial matters were not disclosed publicly yet. 
Probably thailand won’t pay for licences - they will send large part of production back to company or to neighbouring countries. 

From china they might have on credit (like africa and south america) or heavily discounted (as some 2mln vials shipped already to Indonesia, west Java).
That’s why thai government has signed so many agreements, allocated resources, but not finances. 

All purchasing will be done on government level, I don’t think there would be free market for importing any vax from around the world, as it is with medicines or medical supplies
 

Edited December 15, 2020 by internationalism