Course Changed! Government says private sector has no need to order vaccines

[Jingthing]

38 minutes ago, Andy from Kent said:

 

I do hope private hospitals will be allowed to buy the vaccine.

 

I'd be happy to pay  for the chance to avoid getting this scourge.

Based on this, they won't!

Private hospital access by paying is what most expats were hoping for / counting on.

Now we're really at the back of the bus, even if we're high risk.

Exceptions are foreigners already included in the Thai social security system.

I saw this coming a mile away.

Now is the time for our embassies to step in!

Edited April 29, 2021 by Jingthing

[Sheryl]

I can't find an appropriate emoticon and any words I might use wouldn't get past the filter.

 

So this will have to do:

 

????????????

 

[Jingthing]

2 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

I can't find an appropriate emoticon and any words I might use wouldn't get past the filter.

 

So this will have to do:

 

????????????

 

Sheryl, I'm wondering if you agree with my bleak assessment of the access situation for expats who are not in the Thai social security system? I would love to be proven wrong. 

Edited April 29, 2021 by Jingthing

[Patong2021]

28 minutes ago, GarryP said:

So there was actually no necessity to change the policy, as according to you private hospitals would not be able to source alternative vaccines anyway. 

The promotion of alternative vaccine distribution was an attempt to pressure government into a bad decision. 

As pointed out in other threads, the only pfizer vaccine available in open market is counterfeit. 

Australia had its AZ vaccine shipment from Italy blocked by EU. India canceled Canada order of AZ vaccine, and Moderna has production issues and has cut deliveries to its current customers. As long as vaccine production is controlled by a few countries, those few will control who can access the vaccine.

[John Drake]

1 minute ago, Patong2021 said:

The promotion of alternative vaccine distribution was an attempt to pressure government into a bad decision. 

As pointed out in other threads, the only pfizer vaccine available in open market is counterfeit. 

Australia had its AZ vaccine shipment from Italy blocked by EU. India canceled Canada order of AZ vaccine, and Moderna has production issues and has cut deliveries to its current customers. As long as vaccine production is controlled by a few countries, those few will control who can access the vaccine.

 

The US has a massive surplus. But the US government refuses to help expats in countries such as Thailand where we are excluded from vaccination programs. Instead, they are planning to send the surplus to Mexico, Canada, and apparently India. 

[jvs]

1 hour ago, grantbkk said:

So they have sourced enough vaccine for every Thai citizen but what about the 200,000 or so expats in the country.  Personally i do not want the less effective vaccine from the government. I would like to have a choice that I would gladly pay for at a private hospital.

If all of the Thai people would be properly vaccinated and there are 200.000 expats as you say ,there would be no real need for us to get vaccinated.

The chance of getting Covid would be really small?

[Sheryl]

2 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Sheryl, I'm wondering if you agree with my bleak assessment of the access situation for expats who are not in the Thai social security system? I would love to be proven wrong. 

 

Oh I think once the rollout starts expats will have access.  It is certainly government intention to vaccinate everyone living here, not just Thais.

 

There may be problems in some locations as with everything in Thailand, different localities having different interpretations of the rules. In places where staff have not received clear instructions, they may default to that Thai favorite "Can Not".  In which case a call to government hotline is in order.  I think it will shake out fairly quickly - once vaccinations for the general public are underway.

 

But when that will be, is another question.

 

And with this new government ruling, unless there is vigorous push back, we will nto have the option of a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine. Only AZ.

 

 

 

 

[John Drake]

Just now, jvs said:

If all of the Thai people would be properly vaccinated and there are 200.000 expats as you say ,there would be no real need for us to get vaccinated.

The chance of getting Covid would be really small?

 

Except with the coming vaccine passports, we will not be allowed to fly to and from other countries. We will be permanently fixed in Thailand.

[Jingthing]

5 minutes ago, jvs said:

If all of the Thai people would be properly vaccinated and there are 200.000 expats as you say ,there would be no real need for us to get vaccinated.

The chance of getting Covid would be really small?

NO!

It will take very long for that to happen.

Sometime deep into next year.

In the meantime, you can bet the house that as soon as people are jabbed here (even the first one of two) they are going to abandon all mitigation measures.

But people vaccinated can still get the virus and infect others who are not. 

We're screwed.

 

To add, the most significant benefit of vaccinations for those that get them is not prevention of infection (which is nowhere near perfect) but a great reduction in the chance of becoming seriously ill or dead if infected.  

Edited April 29, 2021 by Jingthing

[Golden Triangle]

I don't think the Christmas Turkey has ever been as stuffed as hard as us expats & other foreigners residing here. 

[Jingthing]

1 minute ago, Sheryl said:

 

Oh I think once the rollout starts expats will have access.  It is certainly government intention to vaccinate everyone niot just Thais.

 

There may be problems in some locations as with everything in Thailand, different localities having different interpretations of the rules. In places where staff have not received clear instructions, they may default to that Thai favorite "Can Not".  In which case a call to government hotline is in order.  I think it will shake out fairly quickly - once vaccinations afor the genral public are underway.

 

But when that will be, is another question.

 

And with this new government ruling, unless there is vigorous push back, we will nto have the option of a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine. Only AZ.

 

 

 

But that will

Hmm.

The way I read this for Pattaya is that they are having a priority queue. High risk conditions / over 60 in the first priority time. No mention of expat access if they're not in the Thai system! Residence in Pattaya (and I assume many places) is based on very specific criteria which I'm sure the majority of foreigners do not meet.

It's good to hear that you're more optimistic than me, but I'm not yet convinced. 

[clivebaxter]

Where there is a demand for them there is a need to order them and provide them, but these clowns have to get their so called roll out going first or it would be a loss of face for people to be paying for vaccines privately.

[Jingthing]

I wonder if the Thai authorities could get creative in a way to officially invite all foreigners here (not only those in their system already) to get a vaccine by charging us an outrageous fee? Of course most of us would be willing to pay it, and that might do a lot to mitigate the bad optics of foreigners being included before all Thais. Just an idea. I hope they get the same idea!

[RayongBudgie]

19 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Based on this, they won't!

Private hospital access by paying is what most expats were hoping for / counting on.

Now we're really at the back of the bus, even if we're high risk.

Exceptions are foreigners already included in the Thai social security system.

I saw this coming a mile away.

Now is the time for our embassies to step in!

Totally  agree. It is about time our embassies stepped in and set up a registration process for all expats. Wonder if a group could be formed to help with putting pressure on respective embassies and governments. 

[Mavideol]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

as the government would be able to provide for all vaccine needs.

the question is "WHEN""

[madmitch]

In a few days it'll probably be announced that private hospitals can order AZ from the Siam Bioscience facility through the Government.

 

This would of course enable all the relevant parties to make a profit at the expense of expats.

[connda]

2 hours ago, grantbkk said:

So they have sourced enough vaccine for every Thai citizen but what about the 200,000 or so expats in the country. 

They'll be required to purchase the vaccine for three to ten times the production cost.  No vaccine, no visa extension.  Kiss your wife and family good-bye if you don't like it. 

[CLW]

2 hours ago, Litlos said:

Someone realised if bought privately there are no kickbacks coming for government personnel.  There was an excellent opinion piece in the paper that shall not be named from a university professor on why Thailand did not join in the Covax group, with the Covax option pricing was transparent. No option for brown bags to the correct people.  Otherwise why is delivery so slow to Thailand of vaccines?

 

Cheers 

And yet the people are not out in the streets and expressing their anger because of government-made fear and repression of all public assembly or even online comments that are just slightly critical of the quasi gods above.

How much more have those people to endure? How many more people have to die or see their businesses going down the drain?

[connda]

32 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

I wonder if the Thai authorities could get creative in a way to officially invite all foreigners here (not only those in their system already) to get a vaccine by charging us an outrageous fee? Of course most of us would be willing to pay it, and that might do a lot to mitigate the bad optics of foreigners being included before all Thais. Just an idea. I hope they get the same idea!

Here the likely scenario. A law will be passed in late 2021 mandating that all long-stay foreigner will be required to show a vaccination record presented in duplicate with signed block-letters and a cursive signature on each page starting in the first quarter of 2022.  Given history, we'll all be given about one month's notice.  Obtaining a vaccination will be the sole responsibility of the foreigner who will be required to pay the going market  price for their vaccinations based on supply and demand regardless of how outrageously priced.  And given the current endorsement by the government of the AZ monopoly, don't be surprised if the 'only acceptable vaccine" for long-stay expats will be the vaccine produced by the monopoly as the government shuts the door on private hospital imports and any choice of vaccines is ripped away from the common masses and lowly expats as we are all "shown out place" in the Thai societal hierarchy - that is, slightly above ox, buffalo, and livestock.

[Emdog]

Put all the eggs in one basket, then leave it in the hen house to be guarded by foxes. What possibly could go wrong?

[brucegoniners]

Freaking control freaks! This stuff is why I have to risk my life and travel to the states to get vaccinated.

 

Then I have to sit in a hotel in Bangkok for 8 days after my trip, besides being fully vaccinated and tested. It's a money grab by the hotels because the government has so horribly mishandled the crisis.

 

And now this.

 

All 3 of the vaccines being offered here are garbage. AstroZeneca is eh, but the Chinese and Russian ones are a complete and utter joke.

 

They say they're talking to Pfizer. I'm not planning on waiting around to find out.

 

I doubt foreigners will get vaccines before 2022 or beyond.

 

Funny how all the politicians are already vaccinated. Coincidence I guess.

[pixelaoffy]

56 minutes ago, Golden Triangle said:

I don't think the Christmas Turkey has ever been as stuffed as hard as us expats & other foreigners residing here. 

Just take a flight back to home country . Called repatriation..that's not being stopped 

[Banana7]

Lots of Pfizer vaccine is available, delivery available in May or later. Canada was able to get 8 million doses of Pfizer for May delivery, ordering in April, because of delayed delivery of other vaccines. Story is here:

 https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/moderna-delay-1.5990166

 

Thailand could get quick delivery of vaccines like Pfizer, J&J, etc., if they truly wanted. It seems the politicians are blocking quick delivery of the best vaccines to Thailand.

 

<snip>

 

 

 

 

Edited April 29, 2021 by Jai Dee
Lese majeste speculation removed as per Forum Rules

[rabas]

1 hour ago, Sheryl said:

I can't find an appropriate emoticon and any words I might use wouldn't get past the filter.

So this will have to do:

????????????

Here, take mine.

 

[EricTh]

I think the Thai government should allow the public to determine what type of vaccine they want rather than force Astrazeneca on the public.

 

People should have the choice to choose what vaccine goes into their bodies.

[Megasin1]

1 hour ago, Patong2021 said:

The promotion of alternative vaccine distribution was an attempt to pressure government into a bad decision. 

As pointed out in other threads, the only pfizer vaccine available in open market is counterfeit. 

Australia had its AZ vaccine shipment from Italy blocked by EU. India canceled Canada order of AZ vaccine, and Moderna has production issues and has cut deliveries to its current customers. As long as vaccine production is controlled by a few countries, those few will control who can access the vaccine.

precisely put, also dont forget everything is on "emergency approval" only so private companies could never order vaccines directly anyway their only route would be by purchasing off their government and that would be a minefield of public opinion.

[Venom]

1 hour ago, Sheryl said:

Oh I think once the rollout starts expats will have access.

I agree but with stipulation that foreigners pay for it themselves for the very simple reason that they are not covered under Thai healthcare system.   Private hospitals will be forced to purchase from the government but I believe they will be front of the cue as they will have cash in hand. 

[J Town]

The "leaders" have had over a year to come up with a plan. Ferchrissake can't someone make a decision that protects the population and makes them look like heroes rather than the direct opposite? Pfah!

[Banana7]

AstraZeneca (AZ) in Thailand is manufactured by Siam Bioscience (SB). Use Google to determine the owner of SB and soon you will understand why Thai politicians don’t want better products than AZ into Thailand. A VPN maybe needed to obtain a complete understanding and most relevant articles.

[ukrules]

3 hours ago, grantbkk said:

So they have sourced enough vaccine for every Thai citizen but what about the 200,000 or so expats in the country.  Personally i do not want the less effective vaccine from the government. I would like to have a choice that I would gladly pay for at a private hospital.

 

Yeah me too - I'm currently liking the the look of the Moderna vaccine but that might change over time

 

As I'm in my 40's I will likely be way down the list unless I can buy it privately which is something I would like to do.