Expats in Thailand to receive COVID-19 vaccinations free of charge

[edwarda909]

Get real all you flag wavers.  Your choice Sinovac or Sputnik

[Surelynot]

12 minutes ago, jomtienisgood said:

Whose wife????? 55555

Oooo....good point.

[Led Lolly Yellow Lolly]

On 4/29/2021 at 3:17 PM, Neeranam said:

Good on you Thailand. 

I was tired if reading all the Thai bashing paranoid foreigners' posts. 

 

A couple of weeks ago Tim Newton, a 'journalist' at Thaiger, published an article in which he stated it will be 'Thais first for vaccines, and expats will just have to get their head around that'.

This really angered me, not necessarily because it's precisely the kind of baseless Thai bashing you see on ThaiVisa, but that it came from someone will so called 'journalistic ethics'. I contacted him to highlight the fact that expats were already being vaccinated and that he should 'get his head around that'. He didn't publish my comment and instead reiterated his assertion that he stands by his comment. . .

 

A real journalist would print a self withering retraction.

 

 

 

Edited April 30, 2021 by Led Lolly Yellow Lolly

[mberbae]

Notice the secrecy with the Name of the vaccine being offered.

10 to 1 it's Sinovac.  Thanks but NO thanks.

[ThaiFelix]

7 hours ago, Jiggo said:

Believe it when I see it as always the case, not only, but mainly in Thailand, yet if it means the Chinese or Russian concoctions , I'll pass, thank you very much.

Oh yes you could turn into a communist and have to go hide under some yank's bed playing dominoes lol!

 

[poohy]

Sputnik for me please BUT he real question when ? I dont foresee it soon and that is problem.

[thailand49]

Not Thai bashing but I've been condition through reading and my own experience to say " not so fast "  I appreciate the offer but what vaccine are you planning to give Sino the Ruskie? for free. If that is the case I will continue to wait Thanks but no thanks, every Thai in my neighborhood in Pattaya particularly the Darkside have turn it down. Even the lady who stop at our house for the government to sign people up said if I can afford the other vaccine Pfizer, Moderna, J&J that is the way to go I have no problem with the AZ if Thailand doesn't make the others available.????

[taxin]

8 hours ago, ThaiFelix said:

I guess they mean it will be 'free' like residency certs are free from Immigration?

What the Thai government is actually saying:

 

“Expats are free to get the jab in Thailand, you do not need to go back to your home country to get it. Please feel free to call into your local hospital who will inform you the cost.”

[LawrenceN]

On 4/29/2021 at 3:25 PM, Puccini said:

Are you sure about that?

 

What is the Thai word or expression that has been translated as "residents"?

 Good question. So I went to Thai Rath online, Thai version, to find the answer. The stories I found only speak of people over 60 and those with seven different health conditions that increase risk. The Thai Rath articles say nothing about Thai citizenship or residency. I guess I could keep looking, but I'll find out more in person tomorrow (read below). With a little encouragement, I might even report back here.

 

Registration starts May 1 at your local (tambol) health clinic, at certain hospitals, and to a LINE account called หมอพร้อม (MawPrawm = "Dr. Ready"). Sorry for the forbidden Thai text, but I figure people can cut'n'paste it into LINE to find it. I happen to live right next door to my local government building, so I plan to mosey over there in the morning to find out more. 

[LawrenceN]

19 minutes ago, taxin said:

What the Thai government is actually saying:

 

“Expats are free to get the jab in Thailand, you do not need to go back to your home country to get it. Please feel free to call into your local hospital who will inform you the cost.”

Source?  Or is it conjecture? 

[cubism001]

On 4/29/2021 at 3:15 PM, aussie11950 said:

Great. Now it's clear.

It is?

 

[taxin]

15 minutes ago, LawrenceN said:

Source?  Or is it conjecture? 

None. I just fail to believe how a mandatory Covid test for foreigners in Phuket can be 500 baht, but a voluntary vaccine will be free.

 

Only time will tell.

[MMan]

I'm holding out for Moderna, Pfizer or J&J (with AZ a fallback option), and will be more than happy to pay out of my own pocket for any of those at a major International Hospital in BKK as soon as they become available.  Some projections say it might be the 4th quarter but I'm hoping they get here earlier.  Alternatively if TH waives quarantine requirements for those who can prove they've been fully vaccinated with one of those (or at least minimizes the quarantine to no more than 3 days), I'll jump on an airplane back to my home country ASAP & get it there.

If you are wanting a freebie from the TH government you will most likely be offered either the Chinese or Russian vaccine as it looks like those will be the primary options here over the next several months.

[CharlieH]

Reported misinformation posts and responses removed.

[Blumpie]

I would never put that Sinovac into my body.  

Thankfully I have been inoculated with Astra-zenica and it seems ok.  I had flu like side effects, but only moderate and it was gone in 30 hours.  I'd shudder to think of what the real COVID was like.  

[spidermike007]

I would presume all foreigners residing in Thailand, means with or without a pink card. 

 

It is just smart and common sense stuff. Not that smart and common sense often prevails here with anything government related. But, it is a good move and for once, the army gets it right. Let us embrace a miracle. 

 

I hope it is Moderna or Phizer. Those are really the only two I am interested in getting. And I am willing to pay for it, if need be, and if available. 

[Jingthing]

3 hours ago, sandyf said:

You really need to brush up on the word "context".

There are significantly more Thai nationals in Thailand than foreigners. Only irrational thinkers would be of the opinion that the vaccination rollout procedures should address the minority first.

I never said first. Stop lying.

[Jingthing]

40 minutes ago, cubism001 said:

It is?

 

It isn't.

[asiaexpat]

8 hours ago, Pib said:

 

Below snapshot shows the Thai ID card number system as relating to the first digit used. 

 

My Thai wife's Thai ID card number starts with a 3......my Pink ID card/Yellow Book number starts with a 6.  Easy for the govt to focus on selected individuals by using the Thai ID national database which also includes a person birthdate which allows them to determine a person age. 

 

Current Doctors Ready app is suppose to preloaded for those people 60 years of age an old as that's the portion of the population most at risk of serious problems or death from COVID.   My Thai wife is preloaded in the Doctors Ready app database; my data is not.   We are both over 60.  

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thai_identity_card

Same for me and my wife, both well over 60.

[Kadilo]

Thank goodness. 
The last thing Thailand needs is another bunch of bankrupt foreigners forced into having to pay to  be vaccinated. 

Edited April 30, 2021 by Kadilo

[asiaexpat]

8 hours ago, Neeranam said:

I suspect you have to be registered in the national system already. 

If one has an ID number issued by the district office and a Pink ID I would assume that number is in the national system somewhere. Like many government and bank online systems that ID number starting with 6 is not recognized.

[aboctok]

On 4/29/2021 at 3:35 PM, Naroge said:

The key words are "reside in Thailand". Until that is clarified there is no point to speculate.

To call tourists residents would be an unusual sense of the word 'resident.' To pretend that it would be natural to suddenly adopt such a meaning is inane. Wait a second... Sorry, forgot where I was.

[JJNThailand]

And when/if you finally get a vaccine, start thinking about a possible 3rd dose that may be required within 6-12 months after your second dose depending on the vaccine you were given.

 

Those thinking about herd immunity taking care of this China Virus will need to consider the herds of Chinese, and others, traveling to Thailand and what vaccine they may or may not have been given.

 

 

[Abmong]

"expatriates and migrant workers"

Ain't they the same thing?

[Sheryl]

1 minute ago, Abmong said:

"expatriates and migrant workers"

Ain't they the same thing?

 

The term expatriate is usually used for people who have chosen to take up long term residence in another country. Whether for work or retirement or whatever.

 

Migrant workers here refers to Burmese, Cambodians etc who come for work. They usually  do not establish a long term residence here.

 

there are substantial differences between the groups in terms of type of legal document/permission to stay etc

[mikosan]

14 hours ago, PEE TEE said:

Not True ALL who reside will be those on long stay visas . you have to have the app in your phone to register. i have it and have registered already . The app will be translated to English asap the 1st of June for those who are over 60 and those who have underline problems .  first shots from July. I could get mine done in May as i have ID and yellow house book but only sinovac  ,will wait for AZ 

Where did you get the app, please?

[clivebaxter]

5 hours ago, LawrenceN said:

 Good question. So I went to Thai Rath online, Thai version, to find the answer. The stories I found only speak of people over 60 and those with seven different health conditions that increase risk. The Thai Rath articles say nothing about Thai citizenship or residency. I guess I could keep looking, but I'll find out more in person tomorrow (read below). With a little encouragement, I might even report back here.

 

Registration starts May 1 at your local (tambol) health clinic, at certain hospitals, and to a LINE account called หมอพร้อม (MawPrawm = "Dr. Ready"). Sorry for the forbidden Thai text, but I figure people can cut'n'paste it into LINE to find it. I happen to live right next door to my local government building, so I plan to mosey over there in the morning to find out more. 

No line account comes up with Dr Ready in Thai, maybe tomorrow? oh it does come up as an app on playstore, with a 2.8 rating!

Edited April 30, 2021 by clivebaxter

[PeeJayEm]

On 4/29/2021 at 3:17 PM, NCC1701A said:

I hope it is not mandatory. 

I hope it is mandatory.

[Russell17au]

"to a LINE account called หมอพร้อม (MawPrawm = "Dr. Ready")." This is not the correct translation. The correct LINE account is "Mor Prom"

There has been many posts that state that the registration starts on 1st June. This is incorrect, the registrations start on 1st May with the injections starting in June.

AstraZeneca is the vaccine that is listed for over 50's and the Thai version is due to be released in June.

Sinavac is for use for under 50's

A shipment of Pfizer has been purchased but it has not arrived yet with a further shipment to follow.

The vaccine is FREE to all people that LIVE in Thailand, I am not sure about those on Tourist Visa's.

[PeeJayEm]

On 4/29/2021 at 3:21 PM, audaciousnomad said:

It's RESIDENTS ONLY.  If you do not possess a Thai ID, you are not eligible.  You can only go the private route, which at the moment the hospitals have yet to receive any stocks of vaccine. 

Wrong.  You have just invented that yourself.  The article says exactly the opposite of what you wrote.