Uncertainty over availability of COVID-19 vaccinations for expats in Thailand

[HOAX]

13 minutes ago, bwanajohn said:

I live in a small village in the the mountains in the north of Thailand .Both my wife and I are farang.

 The first winter we were here they (local govt reps) showed up with free new blankets for us . I politely ask them to give them to another family as we had enough already. Last year at the begining of the covid thing two guys from local govt showed up with syringes and a chilly bin full of vaccine vials. I was a bit freaked out until I realised  it was  rabies vaccine for any pets . At the time we had none. They didn't mention anything about money so I cant say whether it was free or not but that was the impression I had. Two years ago i had a Kidney stone episode went to the local hospital threw up all over the bed in the day room they put me . Was x rayed had a doctors consult and given the option of either Diclofenac or an opiate based pain killer. Because of my age they recommended the opiate based pain killer but because I have no compromised liver or kidney function took the diclofenac injection. My brother and his son are both doctors in Canada and this was spot on medical procedure according to them. (wasn't my first time with a kidney stone so i knew the drill) The bill was less than 500 baht

  This is my 37th winter in Thailand.. reading the Thai visa posts from members I sometime wonder if I live in another country...my experience of thai people bears no relation to what i read here

You`re right. Things on here tends to either be every exaggerated, narrowed or mental on here, though most of the criticism is often aimed at the nation`s heads, which I sometimes agree with.

 

I also get kidney stones once every few years. While I`ve been living in Thailand for around 12 years, I`ve actually never had kidney stone in Thailand, but actually twice on the airplane from Thailand.

 

However, many of my wife`s friends are nurses and doctors and they`re all super nice and helpful, and the same could be said about every Thai person I`ve ever met in Thailand, besides one police man who shot and killed two of his colleagues in a drunken rage while we were drinking, some hit and runners and a very few guys here and there (often with mental or drug issues). 99.998% of Thais are very nice people, even behind curtains. But sure, you`ll have a few behind their keyboard mirroring their own depression onto others.

[madmen]

6 minutes ago, barney42bb said:

Expats can always go back to their country of birthright and obtain the vaccine,as and when...

 

Well at least the ones sensible enough to have retained a bolthole there...And not sold all their assets.

What on earth does having a bolt hole and assets have to do with a jab.? 

I sold my assets when the oz dollar was actually worth something. 

Do I still qualify? 

[Elreeco]

3 hours ago, at15 said:

 

This is complete fear mongering nonsense. The WTTC said the other day that its discrimination and not necessary. The CEO of AirAsia backed up these statements.  No country is going to want to kill its travel industry. Personally i would never in a million years consider injecting any "covid" vaccine.

 

Correct....

[jesimps]

4 hours ago, Natai Beach said:

Exactly. I think this thread is just stirring up worry for no reason. 
 

If an expat can’t afford a covid shot, they shouldn’t be in Thailand. I am sure the 800,000 for retirement visa or 400,000 for marriage visa money will more than cover it. 
if they are on a working visa that will also cover it. 
Some will expect it for free I am sure.
 

I am happy to wait my turn and do whatever the thai authorities ask us to do. Give it to the frontline health workers first, then all the oldies and fat people.

 

If they require us all to eventually vaccinated then we will, it is their country, their rules. 
 

And they have been very successful handling it, much better than western countries, so we are not really in the position to start complaining and telling them how to handle it. 
 

I am sure some will. They then have to make a choice. Do what Anutin tells us to do or find some other country to live in.

The first "If you don't like it here you should go home" post of the day. I'm ok with you and your kind expressing your opinion, but don't patronise us by telling us where we should live.

[natway09]

Stupid article, stupid comments & scaremongering 

If you are paying SS as working here you will be eligible (if wish to wait that long ) in which case will be given what they have in stock.

If you have private medical insurance once the hospitals have available (they already have approval to purchase their own ) go along & get it.

If you do not then ring your health provider & make an advance booking 

 

 

[ttrd]

28 minutes ago, Antonymous said:

My greatest fear regarding Covid is that vaccines for expats will one day be mandatory.

 

Very happy not to be on the list...yet.

That it will be mandatory vaccination for farangs is as certain as after a night there is a day ... 

[hotchilli]

5 hours ago, lopburi3 said:

Thailand has authorized importation of approved vaccine by private hospitals (when there is an approval) so it should be available for those who can afford.

It should be available for free to everyone.... why should those who "cannot afford" for whatever reason strike out?

[Lacessit]

2 hours ago, madmen said:

He is right its not up to airline CEOs to determine the conditions of entry or exit especially in OZ. 

Assistant PM came down hard on Joyce for his comments 

In Thailand it will be farang that are at the end of the que. Why would anyone think any different? When was the last time farang got any good news that benefit the expat? Never happened! 

Politicians can come down as hard as they like, Qantas is a private company. If Joyce or any other CEO decree you can't get on one of their aircraft without a vaccination, what are you going to do? Sue them?

Joyce is not determining the conditions of entry or exit to Oz. He's determining the conditions of boarding one of the aircraft he is responsible for..

No-one insists on their right to smoke on a plane anymore, please explain how this is different.

[Rockhound]

I'm sure it will be available to us - at a price...   Personally I think I'll reach my three score and ten comfortably without it - 99.7% of us will at the last count.  But I don't think we'll have the choice:  If we want to stay here - or if we want to go anywhere - we will all have to prove we've been vaccinated.  Vaccinated against a virus that struggles to kill anyone who is still younger than the average life expectancy and who doesn't have a co-morbidity or two.

[superal]

The UK Gov stipulate anyone returning to the UK must have a covid 19 inoculation cert . So I guess there is no return to the UK for the foreseeable future unless the embassy steps in . 

[HashBrownHarry]

3 hours ago, Dialemco said:

Thailand still has not managed to secure sufficient vaccines for its own citizens. Expats are unlikely to be able to secure a covid vaccine privately in Thailand this year as all vaccines are in short supply. This is one of the perils of living abroad

The private hospitals will buy their own and vaccinate anyone willing to pay their premium price i would imagine.

[dinsdale]

I'll be quite happy not to have any vaccine that has been rushed through. Extremely happy not to have the Chinese one.

 

[nrasmussen]

Surely it is in any government's best interest to have as many people as possible within its borders vaccinated, irrespective of nationality. Not making it free for all will be counterproductive.

[mrfill]

8 minutes ago, superal said:

The UK Gov stipulate anyone returning to the UK must have a covid 19 inoculation cert . So I guess there is no return to the UK for the foreseeable future unless the embassy steps in . 

No it doesn't. This is just false information.

 

A certified negative covid test done within 72 hours of departure is required. Much like Thailand.

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/mandatory-covid-19-testing-introduced-to-bolster-border-measures

 

[steevjee]

5 hours ago, Natai Beach said:

Exactly. I think this thread is just stirring up worry for no reason. 
 

If an expat can’t afford a covid shot, they shouldn’t be in Thailand. I am sure the 800,000 for retirement visa or 400,000 for marriage visa money will more than cover it. 
if they are on a working visa that will also cover it. 
Some will expect it for free I am sure.
 

I am happy to wait my turn and do whatever the thai authorities ask us to do. Give it to the frontline health workers first, then all the oldies and fat people.

 

If they require us all to eventually vaccinated then we will, it is their country, their rules. 
 

And they have been very successful handling it, much better than western countries, so we are not really in the position to start complaining and telling them how to handle it. 
 

I am sure some will. They then have to make a choice. Do what Anutin tells us to do or find some other country to live in.

When you say " they have been very successful handling it"  I presume you mean their ability to hide the real figures, due to almost no testing and a vast increase in deaths caused by Influenza ;)

Are you just having a tickle to see how many here react? I mean "Do what Anutin tells us to do" that's seriously funny  555

 

[Jeffr2]

1 hour ago, hotchilli said:

It should be available for free to everyone.... why should those who "cannot afford" for whatever reason strike out?

Sure. Free to all Thai citizens. Who are you talking about who can't afford a life saving jab at some 6k to 10k Baht?

[Burma Bill]

4 hours ago, Natai Beach said:

2. If they are vulnerable it might be time to return to the safety net of their home country.

 

Are you a friend of Mr Anutin by any chance???

[mr mr]

think of the vaccine like the borg from star trek. 

[condohope]

Is it justified to pay tax and have no right to get a vaccinated? This goes for taxpayers in Thailand and US taxpayers left alone by their collectors. SHAME

[bkk6060]

1 hour ago, hotchilli said:

It should be available for free to everyone.... why should those who "cannot afford" for whatever reason strike out?

And why can't those that cannot afford the financial requirements for a retirement Visa just be able to stay here for free?

I imagine ex-pats will be last on the list for vaccines.

Money buys privilege, but I guess if one cannot afford it once everyone is vaccinated in a year or so they will have some China vaccine leftovers free for ex-pats.

[rayw]

6 hours ago, Natai Beach said:

Exactly. I think this thread is just stirring up worry for no reason. 
 

If an expat can’t afford a covid shot, they shouldn’t be in Thailand. I am sure the 800,000 for retirement visa or 400,000 for marriage visa money will more than cover it. 
if they are on a working visa that will also cover it. 
Some will expect it for free I am sure.
 

I am happy to wait my turn and do whatever the thai authorities ask us to do. Give it to the frontline health workers first, then all the oldies and fat people.

 

If they require us all to eventually vaccinated then we will, it is their country, their rules. 
 

And they have been very successful handling it, much better than western countries, so we are not really in the position to start complaining and telling them how to handle it. 
 

I am sure some will. They then have to make a choice. Do what Anutin tells us to do or find some other country to live in.

What a silly comment about not being able to afford it.  Of course you need a minimum amount of annual income to retire in Thailand or have a spouse / family visa and that is quite sensible and correct. However it does not mean that private rip off hospitals should steal from these people who many have enough to live here in Thailand but certainly many I know have not any spare extra money to be available to be stolen by racketeers and profiteeers unacceptably annd obscenely getting rich on the backs of those unfortunately sick. Sure most sennsible falangs here have a good Thai helath insurance probablyy sinnce they first moved here and IO know many of those insurance companies do issue free annnual; flu vaccines to their customers as it is deemed by their accuaries that it saves them money in the long term.  So I hope the same will apply wihtthe CV19 vaccine for their more vulnerable customers.  

 

When the vaccines are being sujpplied at cost by such decent countries as China and Russia who have a good sensible national health service for theri people then other than the cost of distribution and the nurses time for the jab it should not be costing more than about 1000 Baht top whack for say Sputnik V or Sinovac both of which are known to be available at under US$10.  So I truly condemn your comments about not being able to afford a vaccine should not be living here, utter RUBBISH.  Affording it and being silly enough to allow yourself to be ripped off by greedy private hospitals are two separate issues entuirelyy.

 

Of course as a 75 year old Brit retiree here I do not expect to be given the vaccine free and do not want to jump any queue in front of care workers and those more vulnerable than myself, but I do of course sensibly want to get my rightful rational place in the queue wherever that is deemed to be solely judged by my health and age vulnerability factors and not on my nationality. It is vital for all vulnerable people to be vaccinated ASAP who live here whether Thai or foreign nationals if they are legally living here under normal visa rules. 

 

We all pay taxes like on all that we buy here and thus help the Thai economy too, so just as a Thai or any non British person living legally in the UK would get the same equal treatment as a Brit so should falangs be equally treated here IMHO as thery mostly are, but without as I say any rights to jump any queues or to get it supplied at anything other than the fair realistic cost.  I must say I use state hospitals here and apart from long queues, like we see in the UK too, I am very impressed with the treatment here and nothing like the rip off costs of private profiteering hospitals, excellent though many of them indeed are when not taking the ridiculous obscene level of their charges into account.

 

Anyway stay safe all and lets hope we all can get the good non big pharma vaccines like Sinovac, Sputnik V and the Oxford one very soon now as it is urgent if we are to make lock downs a distant necessary nightmare of the past. 

[Hoppyone]

6 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

I imagine vaccination will be a part of a new visa requirement , 'so get it or go home' will be the new immigration mantra. 

Hopefully you won’t be flying Qantas you’ll need a jab to get on plane ,one day in the future 

[shackleton]

Let's wait and see what happens when the vaccine is available

As the UK Embassy was saying they will advise Accordingly when information is received from the Thai Government about us expats here retired working  ect 

Getting the vaccine injection ?

 

 

[welovesundaysatspace]

5 hours ago, at15 said:

I read travel news everyday. I saw that weeks ago. Tyrannical nonsense , some airlines CEO giving his opinion on the matter. Its not up to airlines, only governments. Who will follow what the IATA, WTTC, and WHO put out. Which is always testing remains the only way.

If the airline doesn’t want to fly people that didn’t get vaccinated, what you gonna do? The governments won’t be able to do anything; in fact, it’s more likely that they will set incentives like this for people to get vaccinated. I.e., we won’t force you to get a vaccination, but you won’t be able to do a, b, and c (while, of course, it’s absurd that they actually have to set additional incentives on top of the protection the vaccination itself provides, just because people like you choose to believe the conspiracy nonsense they read on dubious blogs). 

[RichardColeman]

9 minutes ago, Hoppyone said:

Hopefully you won’t be flying Qantas you’ll need a jab to get on plane ,one day in the future 

Well, if my UK keeps rolling out the vaccination program. I'm in line March/April - then again, getting a flight and back in without quarantine might be harder than getting the jab

[stuandjulie]

7 minutes ago, welovesundaysatspace said:

If the airline doesn’t want to fly people that didn’t get vaccinated, what you gonna do? The governments won’t be able to do anything; in fact, it’s more likely that they will set incentives like this for people to get vaccinated. I.e., we won’t force you to get a vaccination, but you won’t be able to do a, b, and c (while, of course, it’s absurd that they actually have to set additional incentives on top of the protection the vaccination itself provides, just because people like you choose to believe the conspiracy nonsense they read on dubious blogs). 

true, also it will all depend on the Country you are flying to, if they demand it as a condition of entry then you have it, same as quite a few vaccines in various Countries such as Yellow Fever, you have to carry documentation and have done since I was a lad, so much for the it is all about control nutters ????

[Why Me]

The Thai Govt. has zero obligation to non-citizens though it may be argued that vaccinating all residents is in their own interests (see Myanmar work force).

 

No biggie either way. As a news item from yesterday says private hospitals will be allowed to import vaccines approved by the Thai FDA. Which means hospitals are working on approval/shipments as we speak. Give it a couple of months and we should be able sign up for a jab at Bumrungrad, Samitivej, etc.

[VBF]

47 minutes ago, stuandjulie said:

true, also it will all depend on the Country you are flying to, if they demand it as a condition of entry then you have it, same as quite a few vaccines in various Countries such as Yellow Fever, you have to carry documentation and have done since I was a lad, so much for the it is all about control nutters ????

Thank you - I've been suggesting that would be the case for a couple of months now.

@Jeffr2 mentioned this earlier in the thread and the other day, I got my old vaccination booklets out: the original yellow one and a later blue one. I'd forgotten just how many vaxxes I'd had to have in the 80s and 90s when I was travelling for work - added up to 27 different vaxxes; PLUS those that my parents had taken me for in the late 50s/60s!

 

But that was in the good old days....before stupid conspiracy theories!

 

And for those foreigners who seem to think they're entitled to be vaccinated free in Thailand - why? What other medical facilities are free to you? Please remember that unless you have PR, the Thai Government see you all as visitors on renewable extensions of what were once Non-Immigrant visas.  Presumably when you chose to live in a foreign land you made provision.......you did, didn't you?

Edited January 14, 2021 by VBF
Extra thoughts

[VBF]

5 hours ago, Jim P said:

I`m from the UK and currently as things stand I can`t get in without a vaccine. My only option will be to spend a night in Ireland I`m thinking. Not too worried right now but do have to go back for a few weeks in June.

Untrue - if you want to get into UK you will need to get a TEST before travelling, and, depending upon where you  are travelling FROM, may need to quarantine at home for 10 days.

[davidstipek]

Hey Dummies...

They took our 1,900 Baht, did they not? Now they owe to in this Case America to take care of us while we are here. This includes Vaccine!

 

If Thai Visa Holders start Dying because of the lack being able to get Vaccine. Maybe a International Law Suit is in order....

 

As Our Embassy is telling us to follow Host Country...

 

Maybe a 2 or 3 pac (series) could be made available to be shipped to Citizens who are Outside the U.S. (They can keep my last Stimulus Check to pay for it (and secure shipping)

Edited January 14, 2021 by davidstipek