Expats getting a Covid-19 vaccine in Pattaya for dummies with emphasis on expats outside the Thai system

[Guderian]

Ugh, and so it begins!

I read on another site that if you know the right people in Pattaya (and no names were mentioned, though I suppose you could send a PM to ask if you wanted to) then you can get an AZ vaccine that's been flown here from Singapore. The cost is 20,000 Baht.

It was predictable that this would happen, and the current offer might well be legit, but we're soon going to end up with every crooked Tom, Somchai, Lee and Vladimir in the city trying to sell doses of something-or-other liquid as AZ, or Sinopharm, or whatever.

[Jingthing]

8 minutes ago, Guderian said:

Ugh, and so it begins!

I read on another site that if you know the right people in Pattaya (and no names were mentioned, though I suppose you could send a PM to ask if you wanted to) then you can get an AZ vaccine that's been flown here from Singapore. The cost is 20,000 Baht.

It was predictable that this would happen, and the current offer might well be legit, but we're soon going to end up with every crooked Tom, Somchai, Lee and Vladimir in the city trying to sell doses of something-or-other liquid as AZ, or Sinopharm, or whatever.

Not surprising but I'm assuming such an enterprise would be black market, illegal, and with no assurance of product legitimacy.

Edited July 4, 2021 by Jingthing

[Harry2]

46 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

I'm sorry but I'm not buying your narrative.

Too many assumptions to support your conclusion.

Some contrary evidence.

I watched the CCSA announcements about thailandintervac.com. Not once did they say they were inviting non Bangkokians to book jabs in Bangkok. 

In fact they.mentioned that a national rollout was in the works and to expect regional hospitals to be announced later.

That at least strongly implies they intended to link vaccine sites with provincial residence.

Of course that didn't happen. 

However its entirely possible that the access given to non Bangkokians happened unintentionally and wasn't policy.

Consider the fact that Thailand is prioritizing infection hot spots and also Phuket. Bangkok area still the major hot spot.

Remember Mor Phrom with pink cards?

It's obvious by now that even though such bookings have been honored that system wasn't designed with the idea of inviting any non Thais.

So the past is the past but whatever happened in the past can't be assumed to predict the future.

 

It is not a 'narrative' but a reality. Nowhere was it stated in writing or elsewhere that the national Thailand Intervac process was open to eligible registrants from only one province. , You clearly did not have to be in BKK. to register as the registration process allowed you to legitimately register from any province & went down to district level. A national registration process that intended only BKK residents to apply would likely only allow that as a registration possibility - a very simple method of stopping non BKK registrants. As has been pointed out the Thailand Intervac site could easily have simply stated 'Bangkok Residents Only' just as it specified other age & ailment criteria. The ability of non-BKK residents to legitimately apply via Thailand Intervac was intended all along - & residents of Chonburi & many other provinces have travelled to BKK to get their entirely legitimate & intended jabs.

 

The Mor Phrom example is a good one, they did not intend foreigners to use this method & many foreigners who used this method found their appointments cancelled. The Intervac controllers have had very chance to cancel non-BKK applicants, by simply checking their database or even refusing at the hospital. I have not come across any registrants yet who have been cancelled due to a 'wrong address'.

 

However I do entirely agree with you that the national Thailand Intervac site likely did intend to open vaccination hospitals in other provinces, hence including BPH as a possible centre. However vaccination supplies only initially made it to BKK hospitals where all those who secured appointments seem to have received their jabs - legitimately & regardless of provincial address, exactly as intended in the registration process. 

 

There are actually 2 separate vaccination processes taking place one  a national process via Thailand Intervac & the second a provincial program that is intended by the provincial authorities to be specifically for the residents of those provinces. ie see Chiang Mai, &  Phuket. If as a resident of Chonburi I applied to the Chiang Mai programme that would be illegitimate, but applying from any province for the national Thailand Intervac programme is both legitimate & an action intended by those in charge of the programme.

[scubascuba3]

Here's the best idea which i said months ago, find some drug pushers and see if they can get some vax

[Leaver]

10 hours ago, jacko45k said:

Or go to where your choice can be met......

 

Yes, and that will take some research for costing and viability, with the journey itself assessed for risk.  

[VaccineHunter]

1 hour ago, Jingthing said:

I'm sorry but I'm not buying your narrative.

Too many assumptions to support your conclusion.

Some contrary evidence.

I watched the CCSA announcements about thailandintervac.com. Not once did they say they were inviting non Bangkokians to book jabs in Bangkok. 

In fact they.mentioned that a national rollout was in the works and to expect regional hospitals to be announced later.

That at least strongly implies they intended to link vaccine sites with provincial residence.

Of course that didn't happen. 

However its entirely possible that the access given to non Bangkokians happened unintentionally and wasn't policy.

Consider the fact that Thailand is prioritizing infection hot spots and also Phuket. Bangkok area still the major hot spot.

Remember Mor Phrom with pink cards?

It's obvious by now that even though such bookings have been honored that system wasn't designed with the idea of inviting any non Thais.

So the past is the past but whatever happened in the past can't be assumed to predict the future.

 

the thailandintervac.com rollout is exactly the national rollout that you are referring to and they invited all foreigners to register - admittedly the sign-up process was tedious and the site was down many times but contrary to your statements people from accross Thailand got vaccinated in Bangkok legitimately and on purpose as confirmed by the ministry of Health helpline and the several non Bangkokians that got vaccinated on site with non Bangkok adresses and verbal confirmation of their place of residence.

Insisting and insinuiating that those out of Bangkok were not entitled is simply inaccurate and inappropriate and serves to discourage people in the vulnerable 60+ and/or underlying disease bracket that should get vaccinated right away regardless of residential status.

[digbeth]

1 hour ago, Guderian said:

Ugh, and so it begins!

I read on another site that if you know the right people in Pattaya (and no names were mentioned, though I suppose you could send a PM to ask if you wanted to) then you can get an AZ vaccine that's been flown here from Singapore. The cost is 20,000 Baht.

It was predictable that this would happen, and the current offer might well be legit, but we're soon going to end up with every crooked Tom, Somchai, Lee and Vladimir in the city trying to sell doses of something-or-other liquid as AZ, or Sinopharm, or whatever.

 

That'll be the easiest scam ever, money up front and disappear with no trace

[VaccineHunter]

1 hour ago, Guderian said:

Ugh, and so it begins!

I read on another site that if you know the right people in Pattaya (and no names were mentioned, though I suppose you could send a PM to ask if you wanted to) then you can get an AZ vaccine that's been flown here from Singapore. The cost is 20,000 Baht.

It was predictable that this would happen, and the current offer might well be legit, but we're soon going to end up with every crooked Tom, Somchai, Lee and Vladimir in the city trying to sell doses of something-or-other liquid as AZ, or Sinopharm, or whatever.

highly unlikely the AZ vaccine would come from Singapore as only Moderna, Pfizer BioNtech and recently Sinovac are approved by the Health Science Authority in Singapore and there are no AZ Vaccine production capabilties there. 

[Jingthing]

15 minutes ago, josthomz said:

 

Anyone could register in the Thailandintervac website, because nowhere did they check your address. 

 

I know a particular person who lives in Bangkok, but her immigration registered address is in Khon Khaen. She never had to show any proof of address for getting the vaccine. It's as easy as that. 

 

You register, you get a date, you go to the assigned hospital, show your passport and you get your jab. I also know someone who drove from Hua Hin to get the jab in Bangkok after registering at Intervac (he registered with a random fake Bangkok address which was never verified). 

 

Was it that you couldn't be bothered to come to Bangkok?

 

The.site is now non functional for all new registrations anywhere.

[VaccineHunter]

4 minutes ago, josthomz said:

 

Anyone could register in the Thailandintervac website, because nowhere did they check your address. 

 

I know a particular person who lives in Bangkok, but her immigration registered address is in Khon Khaen. She never had to show any proof of address for getting the vaccine. It's as easy as that. 

 

You register, you get a date, you go to the assigned hospital, show your passport and you get your jab. I also know someone who drove from Hua Hin to get the jab in Bangkok after registering at Intervac (he registered with a random fake Bangkok address which was never verified). 

 

Was it that you couldn't be bothered to come to Bangkok?

 

Thanks confirming what we experienced on the ground - it would have been quite simple to add "currently the program is only for Bangkok residents" on thethailandintervac.com site and remove other provinces from the registration process but they didn't do it on purposed and by design. Eligibility has been expressedly offered to all foreigners residing in Thailand by the CCSA in fact a few days before the opening of the website the CCSA "urged foreigners to register and get vaccinated: and while I understand the frustration  here I am just perplexed that some have chosen not to register themselves on intervac while on this forum when they still could and instead dished out misguided legal advice about vaccine eligibility. If I would be unvaccinated at this juncture I would closely monitor this site for any new developments and sign up at the earliest possible opportunity or consider flying overseas to get vaccinated. Lamenting the status quo is not going to get one ahead in terms of vaccination and frankly it applies to life in general...

[Jingthing]

17 minutes ago, VaccineHunter said:

Thanks confirming what we experienced on the ground - it would have been quite simple to add "currently the program is only for Bangkok residents" on thethailandintervac.com site and remove other provinces from the registration process but they didn't do it on purposed and by design. Eligibility has been expressedly offered to all foreigners residing in Thailand by the CCSA in fact a few days before the opening of the website the CCSA "urged foreigners to register and get vaccinated: and while I understand the frustration  here I am just perplexed that some have chosen not to register themselves on intervac while on this forum when they still could and instead dished out misguided legal advice about vaccine eligibility. If I would be unvaccinated at this juncture I would closely monitor this site for any new developments and sign up at the earliest possible opportunity or consider flying overseas to get vaccinated. Lamenting the status quo is not going to get one ahead in terms of vaccination and frankly it applies to life in general...

Literally beating a dead horse.

It's not possible to register now on thailandintervac.com at all!

Personally I never advised anyone from anywhere to not register in Bangkok for the short window that it was open.

If you meant to accuse me of that, its just totally false.

Edited July 4, 2021 by Jingthing

[VaccineHunter]

15 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Literally beating a dead horse.

It's not possible to register now on thailandintervac.com at all!

Personally I never advised anyone from anywhere to not register in Bangkok for the short window that it was open.

If you meant to accuse me of that, its just totally false.

I am not accusing you - that was another poster who advised that it was "illegal" - thanks for clarifying this and keep on trying - the "dead horse"  could spring to life anytime soon and accept new registrations - so please don't give up hope. We are all in this together!

[jacko45k]

13 hours ago, Leaver said:

 

Yes, and that will take some research for costing and viability, with the journey itself assessed for risk.  

Well it is seriously beginning to look like Thailand can't come up with the goods.... which caught me out. With their usual commercial interest in profit I was expecting pay-for jabs for foreigners to become available and be my solution. I had underestimated the degree of incompetence and stupidity at the top levels.

[Guderian]

3 hours ago, jacko45k said:

With their usual commercial interest in profit I was expecting pay-for jabs for foreigners to become available and be my solution.

 

Yep, and it seems that I'm just as dumb and naive. One thing I don't understand, though, is that many companies have been able to get vaccines for their staff, even at junior levels. How is it that companies can source lots of vaccine but private hospitals can't seem to get a look-in?

[jacko45k]

1 hour ago, Guderian said:

How is it that companies can source lots of vaccine but private hospitals can't seem to get a look-in?

I don't know, but there is a lot of underhand and devious goings on here, that is for sure.

[Guderian]

This is the scariest statement I've seen yet, and from somebody who should know better, Chulabhorn Royal Academy Secretary-General, Professor Dr. Nithi Mahanonda:

 

"...the top priority now is not to protect those who are not infected or to prevent the infected from spreading the disease, as it was when infections were not widespread, but is now about the management of hospital beds, intensive care units in particular, and of human resources to take care of patients."

 

That's enough for me, anyway, I've sent an e-mail to my brother back in Britain asking him to get my place there in shape for a ten-day self-isolation period so I can hop on a flight with just a few days' notice if this goes the way I'm expecting it to.

 

Source:

 

Edited July 5, 2021 by Guderian

[dabhand]

intervac site updated?

 

https://www.thailandintervac.com/

[WaveHunter]

28 minutes ago, dabhand said:

intervac site updated?

 

https://www.thailandintervac.com/

That's rich!  They say they have "adapted the service to make it more convenient and secure for foreigners in Thailand to register". 

 

And how have they done that?  Apparently by now doing away with online registration entirely and having you go to a pre-designated hospital to "PRE-REGISTER"  And of course there are only two hospitals listed, both in Bangkok!

 

What the hell does "pre-register" mean, anyway !?!?

 

This sounds like the George Carlin skit about pre-boarding at airports for a flight.  As George Carlin put it. "What does it mean to pre-board? Do you get on before you get on?

 

So I guess now, in order to make things more convenient for expats, we must pre-register so that at a later (unspecified) time, we will then be able to register.

 

Yep!  That sounds a whole more convenient to me LOL !!!  

 

Has the Magic KIngdom now turned into the Twilight Zone?  Insanity at its' very finest!

 

Edited July 5, 2021 by WaveHunter

[VaccineHunter]

On 7/4/2021 at 5:32 PM, Jingthing said:

Literally beating a dead horse.

It's not possible to register now on thailandintervac.com at all!

Personally I never advised anyone from anywhere to not register in Bangkok for the short window that it was open.

If you meant to accuse me of that, its just totally false.

Jingthing.  i am glad to report there has been movement as predicted - please check the website!! Best of luck and please dont listen to misguided legal advice on this forum about who is eligible and check with the hospital directly or the ministry of health at 1422 if in doubt. Good luck!

[Jingthing]

27 minutes ago, VaccineHunter said:

Jingthing.  i am glad to report there has been movement as predicted - please check the website!! Best of luck and please dont listen to misguided legal advice on this forum about who is eligible and check with the hospital directly or the ministry of health at 1422 if in doubt. Good luck!

So they are inviting hundreds of thousands of expats from all over Thailand, many aged and with serious diseases to travel to Bangkok, the national epicenter of Covid-19 infection to "pre" register for potential future vaccine dates, meaning two more round trips to Bangkok  totaling three with no real promise of a vaccine in the first place and a great chance the brand will be Sinovac which offers almost no protection after the first dose?

 

You're glad to report about thus?

 

Seriously?

Edited July 5, 2021 by Jingthing

[Jingthing]

40 minutes ago, WaveHunter said:

That's rich!  They say they have "adapted the service to make it more convenient and secure for foreigners in Thailand to register". 

 

And how have they done that?  Apparently by now doing away with online registration entirely and having you go to a pre-designated hospital to "PRE-REGISTER"  And of course there are only two hospitals listed, both in Bangkok!

 

What the hell does "pre-register" mean, anyway !?!?

 

This sounds like the George Carlin skit about pre-boarding at airports for a flight.  As George Carlin put it. "What does it mean to pre-board? Do you get on before you get on?

 

So I guess now, in order to make things more convenient for expats, we must pre-register so that at a later (unspecified) time, we will then be able to register.

 

Yep!  That sounds a whole more convenient to me LOL !!!  

 

Has the Magic KIngdom now turned into the Twilight Zone?  Insanity at its' very finest!

 

I will put this politely although this news is maddening.

 

This is NOT more convenient!

 

Its arguably a cruel tease.

[WaveHunter]

5 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

So they are inviting hundreds of thousands of expats from all over Thailand, many aged and with serious diseases to travel to Bangkok, the national epicenter of Covid-19 infection to "pre" register for potential future vaccine dates, meaning two more round trips to Bangkok  totaling three with no real promise of a vaccine in the first place and a great chance the brand will be Sinovac which offers almost no protection after the first dose?

 

You're glad to report about thus?

 

Seriously?

I just got off a teleconference call (like Skype video) with a nurse at one of the hospitals listed on Inetrvac; Samitivej Hospital.

 

She told me (wait for it) that registrations just closed today.  She did not refer to it as "pre-registration".

 

She actually was very nice and spoke to me for about 20 minutes (in perfect English).  The one valuable thing that came out of it was that she said that we are indeed allowed to get vaccinated in Bangkok, even though we live in ChonBuri!  She said that the official stance of the CCSA was that it was not allowed, but apparently, the public hospitals in Bangkok are turning a blind eye to the rule.

 

I'm calling the other hospital in the morning, Phyathai 2 Hospital to see what the story is there.  I could kick myself for not registering with them through LINE earlier in June when I had the opportunity but was advised by my pharmacist to just wait becuase she thought that getting vaccinated by a private hospital like Pattaya Memorial was a better bet, which, at the time, seemed logical, though that's not how it's turned out to be!

 

Oh well, on and on the game goes I guess.

[WaveHunter]

15 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

I will put this politely although this news is maddening.

 

This is NOT more convenient!

 

Its arguably a cruel tease.

I don;t know what the hell it is but the nurse I just had a teleconference call with was just as frustrated and perplexed as we are.  It was really amazing to see her on my screen as we chatted and see the look on her face as she described her own frustration in being vaccinated.  That right!  As a nurse, even she is facing issues, having already received two doses of SInVac but now requiring a third which she is having problems getting, and for which she has to pay for it as well!

 

So...we are not the only ones going through hell with this!

[Jingthing]

1 minute ago, WaveHunter said:

I just got off a teleconference call (like Skype video) with a nurse at one of the hospitals listed on Inetrvac; Samitivej Hospital.

 

She told me (wait for it) that registrations just closed today.  She did not refer to it as "pre-registration".

 

She actually was very nice and spoke to me for about 20 minutes (in perfect English).  The one valuable thing that came out of it was that she said that we are indeed allowed to get vaccinated in Bangkok, even though we live in ChonBuri!  She said that the official stance of the CCSA was that it was not allowed, but apparently, the public hospitals in Bangkok are turning a blind eye to the rule.

 

I'm calling the other hospital in the morning, Phyathai 2 Hospital to see what the story is there.  I could kick myself for not registering with them through LINE earlier in June when I had the opportunity but was advised by my pharmacist to just wait becuase she thought that getting vaccinated by a private hospital like Pattaya Memorial was a better bet, which, at the time, seemed logical, though that's not how it's turned out to be!

 

Oh well, on and on the game goes I guess.

Let me get this straight.

It was only for in person so called registration?

It closed quickly?

So people were supposed to travel from all over Thailand for the slim chance that they would physically get to this hospital on time, before "registration" closed?

 

[Jingthing]

Another crazy thing about this. 
Some expats will be getting infected by their efforts to get vaccinated in Bangkok and helping the spread. OK, it's already well spread in Chonburi, but other provinces. We aren't the only province without local options.

[Jingthing]

3 minutes ago, WaveHunter said:

I don;t know what the hell it is but the nurse I just had a teleconference call with was just as frustrated and perplexed as we are.  It was really amazing to see her on my screen as we chatted and see the look on her face as she described her own frustration in being vaccinated.  That right!  As a nurse, even she is facing issues, having already received two doses of SInVac but now requiring a third which she is having problems getting, and for which she has to pay for it as well!

 

So...we are not the only ones going through hell with this!

That's another good point. Even two doses of Sinovac if that's what you get won't be the end of this wild goose chase.

[VaccineHunter]

25 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

So they are inviting hundreds of thousands of expats from all over Thailand, many aged and with serious diseases to travel to Bangkok, the national epicenter of Covid-19 infection to "pre" register for potential future vaccine dates, meaning two more round trips to Bangkok  totaling three with no real promise of a vaccine in the first place and a great chance the brand will be Sinovac which offers almost no protection after the first dose?

 

You're glad to report about thus?

 

Seriously?

Jingthing I wanted to be proactive and help you with the good news that there is a option for you to get vaccinated and all you do is to complain about it. I rest my case. 

[WaveHunter]

1 minute ago, Jingthing said:

Let me get this straight.

It was only for in person so called registration?

It closed quickly?

So people were supposed to travel from all over Thailand for the slim chance that they would physically get to this hospital on time, before "registration" closed?

 

No, I don;t think so.  When she said registration just closed, I told her that the pre-registration scheme had only appeared on InterVac today.  She said she knew nothing about InterVac's "pre-registration" and was only referring to the hospital's normal registration.  She said perhaps the InterVac's scheme would go into effect in the next day or so but at this time, she had no information on it.

 

I believe what she said becuase she put our call on hold for about 5 minutes while she checked with another department for any details of InterVac that she might not have heard of, so she was very thorough, and BTW she was a senior nurse so I think she really knew what she was talking about.

 

She expressed frustration about communication between the Ministry of Health and the hospital, saying there were often delays between public announcements and the hospital being informed.

 

Her advice was to just start making periodic phone calls directly to the hospital's call center becuase thing change so rapidly with Covid vaccination registration that most hospital don;t even put any information on their websites.

[Jingthing]

1 minute ago, VaccineHunter said:

Jingthing I wanted to be proactive and help you with the good news that there is a option for you to get vaccinated and all you do is to complain about it. I rest my case. 

What option? One of two hospitals already CLOSED.

You're blaming me for not being happy for this ridiculous situation?

If that gives you pleasure, enjoy. 

[Jingthing]

1 minute ago, WaveHunter said:

No, I don;t think so.  When she said registration just closed, I told her that the pre-registration scheme had only appeared on InterVac today.  She said she knew nothing about InterVac's "pre-registration" and was only referring to the hospital's normal registration.  She said perhaps the InterVac's scheme would go into effect in the next day or so but at this time, she had no information on it.

 

I believe what she said becuase she put our call on hold for about 5 minutes while she checked with another department for any details of InterVac that she might not have heard of, so she was very thorough, and BTW she was a senior nurse so I think she really knew what she was talking about.

 

She expressed frustration about communication between the Ministry of Health and the hospital, saying there were often delays between public announcements and the hospital being informed.

 

Her advice was to just start making periodic phone calls directly to the hospital's call center becuase thing change so rapidly with Covid vaccination registration that most hospital don;t even put any information on their websites.

But even best case scenario, if this "pre" registration actually goes through, is to first travel to Bangkok with no expectation of even the first jab, right?

Why can't they make that ONLINE?!?