Pattaya mayor accepts ban on independent sourcing of COVID-19 vaccine

[webfact]

Pattaya mayor accepts ban on independent sourcing of COVID-19 vaccine

 

Picture: Sophon Cable TV

 

Pattaya's mayor Sontaya Khunpluem was gracious and diplomatic in accepting the decree that local authorities are to hold off on securing their own supplies of Covid vaccine. 

 

Earlier in the week word came down from the Interior Ministry via a letter from the chief of the Department of Local Administration Prayoon Rattanaseni that informed authorities nationwide that the state will handle the procurement and delivery of vaccines at first.

 

Local authorities were essentially forbidden to buy their own supplies from producers. 

 

Earlier it was reported that Pattaya had a budget of 80 million baht to begin vaccinating the local population to inspire confidence among potential tourists. 

 

Mayor Sontaya told Sophon Cable TV that he will abide by the directive and noted that the Thai government have promised to vaccinate every Thai.

 

But he said that the budget in Pattaya is still there should it be needed. 

 

Picture: Sophon Cable TV

 

Before the directive came on Monday several local authorities had hoped to have their own vaccine programs. 

 

Thaivisa reported such plans in Khon Kaen as well as Pattaya.

 

Now the Thai government is reining them in in an effort to control the situation and provide programs regulated centrally, they say. 

 

What is seen by many as the slow rollout of vaccinations and a lack of clarity in where the vaccines will come from and why, has been a hot topic in Thailand in recent weeks. 

 

Source: Sophon Cable TV

 

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2021-02-12

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

- Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

 

 

[keith101]

14 minutes ago, webfact said:

What is seen by many as the slow rollout of vaccinations and a lack of clarity in where the vaccines will come from and why, has been a hot topic in Thailand in recent weeks. 

This is why Local Authorities and Businesses should have been allowed to buy and distribute their own supplies rather than depend on a Government that seems determined to do it slowly rather than get the whole country vaccinated as quickly possible to get things back to normal .

[Solinvictus]

11 minutes ago, keith101 said:

This is why Local Authorities and Businesses should have been allowed to buy and distribute their own supplies rather than depend on a Government that seems determined to do it slowly rather than get the whole country vaccinated as quickly possible to get things back to normal .

I believe in the States there was only one state that took matters including distribution into their own hands and turns out it was for the better. Forgot which state but was SE.

[Jeffr2]

Not really sure I'd trust a local mayor on this....

[petermik]

1 hour ago, Jeffr2 said:

Not really sure I'd trust a local mayor on this....

He was appointed by the PM.... you think he's trustworthy ????

[Benmart]

9 hours ago, Solinvictus said:

I believe in the States there was only one state that took matters including distribution into their own hands and turns out it was for the better. Forgot which state but was SE.

This is not the US, and fragments do not complete the puzzle of recollection.

[mikebell]

21 hours ago, webfact said:

Pattaya's mayor Sontaya Khunpluem was gracious and diplomatic in accepting the decree

As opposed to ...?  Has he got his own army?  Tanks?  Guns (probably)?

[shackleton]

Agreed that it should come from the central Government to all Thais

Surprised to read about the amount of money he has available and yet the people of Pattaya are queueing up for food and handouts

Maybe he could put that money to better use

[Guderian]

It explains his pivot to rebranding and rebuilding Walking Street, much more money to be creamed off the top there than buying vaccines and then - presumably, though I'm not sure - giving them away, lol.