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

[n00dle]

1 hour ago, 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. 

And your source?

[Justgrazing]

47 minutes ago, bluesofa said:

A lot of 'f'ing in your post!

I hope there's not yet another U-turn now. I'll be up there in the queue

 

Indeed .. the numptiness on display dealing with the vacc' issue would be enough to have a vicar FOC'd off 

[sandyf]

5 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Well if the online registration system doesn't accept passport numbers as I've found it doesn't yet then that's more significant than a random localized answer.

 

Why not just wait for the outcome? I know of 2 different registration methods already in use and another being advertised for next month. No doubt there will be more to follow. There would be something wrong if they addressed foreigners before dealing with Thai nationals.

[bluesofa]

5 minutes ago, Justgrazing said:

Indeed .. the numptiness on display dealing with the vacc' issue would be enough to have a vicar FOC'd off 

Three hail Marys for you my son.

[bluesofa]

5 minutes ago, sandyf said:

Why not just wait for the outcome? I know of 2 different registration methods already in use and another being advertised for next month. No doubt there will be more to follow. There would be something wrong if they addressed foreigners before dealing with Thai nationals.

Would you like to share the details what these methods are?

[Rhacsyn]

1 hour ago, ericdiam said:

Will be the AZ produced by Siam bioscience which I not much trust. And AZ has only 63% protection and is less effective even with the new variants, UK included. Also they only will start in June so prity sure foreigners will be maybe August-Seprember

For me if Pfizer, Moderna which are both over 90% or even J&J over 70% and that one already proven that UK variant works then I'll just go and pay for any of these

 

 

[bdenner]

1 hour ago, Crossy said:

Anyone taking bets on how long before the czar contradicts / reverses this?

 

Sorry, but until I get a needle in my arm (twice) I'm not believing anything that comes out of this government.

 

Well I will pay for the vaccine of my choice rather than being "jabbed" with some fluid the czar wants to "test" on expats.

[Crossy]

1 minute ago, bdenner said:

Well I will pay for the vaccine of my choice rather than being "jabbed" with some fluid the czar wants to "test" on expats.

 

So would I, but we may not get the chance without leaving the country.

 

Any vaccine is better than no vaccine.

[Jingthing]

22 minutes ago, sandyf said:

Why not just wait for the outcome? I know of 2 different registration methods already in use and another being advertised for next month. No doubt there will be more to follow. There would be something wrong if they addressed foreigners before dealing with Thai nationals.

Huh?

Why shouldn't high risk expats be on the same schedule as high risk Thais?

 

[Susco]

1 hour ago, Neeranam said:

Good on you Thailand. 

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

 

Watch this space, they will find another excuse for it

[Moonlover]

1 hour ago, NCC1701A said:

I hope it is not mandatory. 

Just for you I found it. It's the very last sentence.

 

'Vaccination provided by the Thai government is free and done on a voluntary basis'.

 

A guide to Thailand’s largest ever vaccination programme

[Jingthing]

35 minutes ago, Golden Triangle said:

It makes absolutely no sense to 'not' vaccinate everyone, the Burmese workers, the Vietnamese workers, the Laotian workers etc etc, who benefits from that, certainly not the Thais.

It's not a matter of sense. It's about the specific details of their policies as it impacts different categories of foreigners.

 

Which we don't know yet. 

 

Which frankly I would be shocked if they know yet.

 

This new announcement unfortunately is not yet cause for celebration.

[kynikoi]

I vividly recall this announced months ago.

 

Yes, get your Chinese Sinovac May 2022. Free. Yippee!!

 

Nothing ever as simple as it sounds here. I'm still quadruple charged for visiting my favorite national park despite being over 60, work permitted, non immigrant visa. So, I won't hold my breath.

 

 

On another note, recent TV news post stated the TAT app for incoming tourists (farang??) Still includes testing and quarantine.

[hotandsticky]

1 hour ago, rabas said:

The pink card is an ID into their Thai id system.

 

I recently bought COVID insurance at SCB.  They tried to sign me up in the computer using my passport, which failed. The manager said it requires a Thai ID so I gave them my pink card and it went through immediately.  It does not mean you are a citizen.

 

Thanks, I stand corrected on the pink card.

[hotandsticky]

1 hour ago, sandyf said:

You are free to believe anything you want.

When a document or service asks for Thai ID it means the 13 digit number used in the Thai ID system, it does not mean the number belongs to someone of Thai nationality.

Thai ID numbers for a foreigner start with the number 6. On the documents for the hospital I use the field is described as CID.

 

Thanks, I stand corrected on the pink card.

 

[jojothai]

2 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Excellent news... the only logical and fair solution as the vaccine helps all, not just the person vaccinated but those with whom that person comes into contact. 

 

As it stands: Ministry of Public Health announced:

From 1st May 60+ and those in 7 high risk groups can register - First vaccinations will strat from 7th June.

From  1st July: 18-59 can register with first vaccinations taking place in August. 

 

Thus, given this news that foreigners can also receive the vaccination one can assume that the above MOPH announcement includes foreigners. 

NO.

See post 1215456-registrations-for-vaccinations-start-may-1st and extract below.
This post clarifies what the intention is “CITIZENS (and those with Chronic Diseases)”
How would they know the expats with chronic diseases when this will be limited to health system hospitals. Its not private hospitals. Probably only going to be those registered on Social security.

 

Quote
"BANGKOK (NNT) - The Ministry of Public Health will begin registering Thais for COVID-19 vaccination, starting with those over 60 years of age and with chronic illnesses. Registration will be via the Mor Prom LINE account this May 1st, with an estimated 16 million people eligible.
Hospitals throughout the nation have uploaded lists of senior citizens and patients with chronic illnesses into the Mor Prom system in preparation for registrations starting on May 1st. Older citizens will be asked to do so using the LINE application and will have to input their 13-digit identification number and ….
Astra-Zeneca vaccines will begin being administered in June to 11.7 million senior citizens above the age of 60, and to 4.3 million people with any one of seven listed chronic illnesses."
 

[jojothai]

1 minute ago, richard_smith237 said:

The announcement is clear - Vaccination is free for everyone in Thailand (at least that is what the announcement is telling us).... the exact wording a semantic differences are irrelevant.

And when they want to get round to it.

Its not happening under the current plan according to the post

1215456-registrations-for-vaccinations-start-may-1st. See my post above.

[Somtamnication]

I will have to feel it to believe it.

Edited April 29, 2021 by Somtamnication

[anchadian]

I'm pretty certain that ALL foreigners will get the vaccination free of charge regardless of what type of visa they have.

 

As someone mentioned earlier, you will just need to show your passport data and current visa or extension.

[phetphet]

2 hours ago, 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. 

It is good news, and I think you are wrong. It will be available to all residing in Thailand.

But knowing Thai buraucracy and their affinity for paperwork, and everything in triplicate, just registering, turning up when requested, and queueing for said vaccine all sounds too easy to be true.

Let's hope it does go smoothly.

Edited April 29, 2021 by phetphet

[John Drake]

2 hours ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

Some foreigners in Thailand have already started to receive the vaccine, with some having already had two doses of the vaccine.

 

I guess this would be the Chinese, as China made its last delivery of Sinovac conditional on Chinese nationals being given priority for the vaccine.

[holy cow cm]

24 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

And pick holes in every other term translated from a Thai document into English, then spend pages and pages going off topic, with noses getting pushed out of joint....  for what... Semantics. 

 

Expats, residents, foreigners, non-Thai’s.... 

 

The announcement is clear - Vaccination is free for everyone in Thailand (at least that is what the announcement is telling us).... the exact wording a semantic differences are irrelevant.

 

 

 

 

 

Ain't nothing free here. Especially for us. They can offer the Sinovac and I will 1000% refuse. That stuff you can't even give away to a semi educated person. Simple as that.

Edited April 29, 2021 by holy cow cm

[jojothai]

4 minutes ago, anchadian said:

I'm pretty certain that ALL foreigners will get the vaccination free of charge regardless of what type of visa they have.

 

As someone mentioned earlier, you will just need to show your passport data and current visa or extension.

Yes I agree, but we have  no idea when.

At present its not going to be until after the current programs for citizens and those people registered with Chronic Diseases (we can only assume registered in the Thai Health system).

I do not want to be waiting until next year.

You are going to have millions of vaccinated Thais going around, potentially spreading the disease without concern for others.  AFAIK vaccination does not stop you getting and spreading covid 19.

If that happens its a far more serious situation and risk to older expats. Its time to get out of here.

 

[wasabi]

Based on what is currently available I'd be willing to get the AZ vaccine. If that is not available Moderna, J&J or Pfizer is acceptable based on what exists now.

[JAS21]

2 hours ago, 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. 

My wife tells me she has already registered and also registered me using my Pink card .... we will wait and see....

[digibum]

2 hours ago, Neeranam said:

Good on you Thailand. 

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

This thread isn’t done yet.  
 

Your post is only the 4th one in the thread and I haven’t read any other responses but I’m fully expecting:

 

• Why didn’t we get it sooner?
•  
• I bet it’s the cheap Chinese vaccine.  
   
• The nearest hospital is 20km from me, will the Thai government send a car to take me or am I expected to transport myself at my own expense?  Hardly free.  
   
• They should also give you a free 10 year extension on your visa for getting vaccinated.  
   
• The shot is free but the bandaid will be 10,000 baht.  
   
• Sure, after they make sure all the Thais are vaccinated first.  They only care about Thai people.  

Let’s hit submit and then see how many responses I guessed correctly ???? 

[4MyEgo]

2 hours ago, bluesofa said:

Double shots of everything for you.

 

You ringing the bell ?

[RobMuir]

2 hours ago, Neeranam said:

Good on you Thailand. 

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

That is correct Neeranam.

 

However it will not stop the complainers as you can see by the other posts. Their brains are simply not wired to be positive on anything Thai.

 

It just confuses them.

They don't have it in them, it just doesn't exist.

 

[digibum]

1 minute ago, RobMuir said:

That is correct Neeranam.

 

However it will not stop the complainers as you can see by the other posts. Their brains are simply not wired to be positive on anything Thai.

 

It just confuses them.

They don't have it in them, it just doesn't exist.

 

In the list I made of things people will complain about in this thread, I almost mentioned dual pricing but I thought that that would be too difficult to work in.  
 

However, someone did it.  
 

How pathetic are the lives of some people that they’ve chosen to live in a country they think so poorly about?  LOL.  
 

 

[4MyEgo]

2 hours ago, taxin said:

If foreigners in Phuket are being forced to pay for a Covid test, you can pretty much guarantee they will be charged for the vaccine.

 

I doubt that there will be a charge, that said, if you have private health cover, you can send your insurer an email as I did earlier in the year and see what reply you might receive. 

 

The below is what my health provider replied with, noting the insurers name has been dotted out by me: 

 

We are happy to inform you that if the full expenses of vaccinations are not covered by your country of residence, we at .................. will bear the costs.  Coverage is subject to the terms and conditions of your policy and the customary rates in your country of residence.

 

The above said, if you don't have any health cover, you can either wait and see, or start saving your baht ????