Expats in Thailand report successfully registering to receive COVID-19 vaccine

[Jingthing]

Just now, ThailandRyan said:

Sorry, I edited my response to add in the details.  It was a Thai ID.  Passport numbers and DL numbers are not 13 numbers long and will not work.

OK. That wasn't clear by the context before. Thanks for the clarification.

[LawrenceN]

3 hours ago, RobMuir said:

 

Harden up.

 

 

 

Or how about you get a pink ID card and learn some Thai language since you live here.

 

Then maybe you could translate their website for them.

 

We are getting vaccines, stop complaining. 

 

You want the Thai government and your embassy to do everything for you and if they don't you get angry?

Not so fast. I have a pink ID card, and have been speaking, reading, writing Thai for 44 years. I was also a volunteer warden for the US Consulate until they ended that program. That isn't enough. 

 

I thought I registered in person yesterday at my local public health clinic, which happens to be right next door. Told the lady I was there to register for the vaccine. Gave her my pink card, and she didn't bat an eye. All duly noted and recorded, and I was told someone would phone around June 7th. 

 

So today Mrs. Lawrence went over to do the same. They noticed the last name and address, and told her that I was registered in error. They had a meeting yesterday after I was there and were told we foreigners are not eligible.

 

So I just finished trying the Mor Prom app for over an hour. Put my name in with Thai script (as shown on my ID), with/without middle name, Roman script, card number with/without spaces, always with the number from the back of the card. All I ever saw was a message in Thai saying "Please enter your information correctly," with an "agree" button. I'm now wondering if they changed the app overnight, or whether it depends on your province, as someone suggested above. 

 

Until this post, I was defending the government, on the side of the people cheering this on. I have now moved over to the "what a sh*tshow" column.

Edited May 2, 2021 by LawrenceN
Minor grammar fix

[ThailandRyan]

3 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

OK. That wasn't clear by the context before. Thanks for the clarification.

Had a neighbor in the condo try and register and without a THai ID 13 digit number the bottom bar to register would never lighten up to allow him to move further, and an error kept coming up with the ID box highlighted.

[Fromas]

3 minutes ago, LawrenceN said:

So today Mrs. Lawrence went over to do the same. They noticed the last name and address, and told her that I was registered in error. They had a meeting yesterday after I was there and were told we foreigners are not eligible.

 

Give them a couple of days. The policy could revert.

[John Drake]

2 minutes ago, LawrenceN said:

So today Mrs. Lawrence went over to do the same. They noticed the last name and address, and told her that I was registered in error. They had a meeting yesterday after I was there and were told we foreigners are not eligible.

 

I feared that this is what would happen. I don't have a Thai ID so I wasn't going to be able to get in line here in Bangkok anyway. But I sincerely wish that others do get the vaccine. The more people vaccinated, the better for everyone. I'm not too concerned for myself. I primarily stay around home and am happy to do so. I can wait. But many here have serious health complications and worries. For them, something needs to be done asap.

[ChrisKC]

4 hours ago, Jingthing said:

This news story angers me. It ignores the basic problem that the online registration tool will not accept passport numbers.  It's OK to state happy good news for some but there needs to  be major emphasis on how so many expats including high risk ones are blocked BY THE DESIGN of this tool to register. Recently the government announced that all foreigners in Thailand are included in the vaccine program. Really? How is that real if so many of us are blocked from registering?

Yes, I agree, My wife tried to register for me yesterday - because the app only in Thai. We do appreciate being included in the whole populace scheme of things so why isn't the app in English as well? And to mention that special ID is required so that we don't go through a process that will fail if we don't have it.

Now I have to apply for a "Yellow" book that will, I believe, have the "Pink" ID I need.

[wensiensheng]

1 hour ago, Jingthing said:

Good point about Pattaya thanks.

Yes I do recall that the Pattaya doses are based on resident population so that might be bad news for expats as you suggest. 

Of course I and assume most expats don't mind paying for it at a private hospital but as we know there are no vaccines there for now. 

Do you think a person over 60 with some other risk conditions should accept Sinovac if that's all that is offered or take the chance of waiting to hopefully get Astra or another one?

Why are you seeking medical advice from an unknown person on the internet? Surely you should get a professional opinion?

[brucegoniners]

I'll "successfully get my jab" in the USA, where they aren't forcing people to take sub par vaccines.

 

It will be one of the big 3.

[TKDfella]

3 hours ago, Moonlover said:

I knew it wouldn't be too long before I read a post like this. Well here's the good news, no one has been 'blocked by design' at all. Those who took the trouble to read the whole article that was posted yesterday (Saturday) would have read this:

 

''What priority groups must do:

 

To get free a COVID-19 dose, they can register for vaccination from May 1 by contacting their hospital or village health volunteer. However, the government is encouraging people to register and make a vaccination appointment via LINE for greater convenience''.

 

So you don't HAVE to have a pink card at all. I have already been registered at our local clinic.

 

Vaccination booking opens in Thailand,

On another thread I wrote this; 'Just yesterday afternoon a female rep. from the district office came along the the and was noting how many people lived there. That included me also. Seems to coincide with this announcement. At that time she didn't know what brand would be used although she thought that 60+ age would have the AZ vaccine.'

Yesterday evening another rep. came calling telling locals to register. However, told me not to bother as I was NOT included as yet...only Thai

[scpchris]

2 hours ago, tomazbodner said:

No. If you are entered into blue or yellow house registration book, drop down to district office and make pink ID for 60 baht in 30 minutes. Then use the number printed at the top of front page to register. If you don't have PR, number should start with 6, if you have PR, it should start with 8. This number is in same format as Thai ID card and is considered officially issued Thai government document.

Blue book wont work. Must have yellow book. I tried to get pink ID

[Jingthing]

1 minute ago, wensiensheng said:

Why are you seeking medical advice from an unknown person on the internet? Surely you should get a professional opinion?

Sheryl is a medical professional. She has good information. Its probably academic as Sheryl informed us that Thailand has banned giving Sinovac to people over 60.

[Jingthing]

2 minutes ago, brucegoniners said:

I'll "successfully get my jab" in the USA, where they aren't forcing people to take sub par vaccines.

 

It will be one of the big 3.

I think Astra Zeneca is fine. 

[ChrisKC]

Blue Book, Yellow Book, Pink ID

 

What if I am colour blind?

[skatewash]

Thought I would pass this along which might be helpful for those with a pink ID card (the foreigner equivalent of a Thai National ID Card).  Some have reported that they were able to successfully register for the Covid-19 vaccine at the Doctors Ready (mor prom) Line Official Account.  It was of no use for me as I don't have a pink ID card (because my local amphur is adamant that they are only to be issued to migrant workers).  However, I was successful registering at a Phuket resident-specific site, posted earlier in this thread at 

Credit for the following attachment belongs to someone at the Covid-19 Hua Hin Community Support group on facebook.
 

COVID Vaccination Registration Information-02-05-2021.pdf

[joe jadore]

5 hours ago, bdenner said:

The direction I'm taking has now been set in stone! Well until the next "Flip Flop"

Flip flop number #1, = yesterday Covid vaccines were going to be available from June 1st, now its June 7th. 

Any hope in the "universe" that we could get a STRAIGHT explanation, sinovac only, or Astra Zeneca, J&J, or others???

BTW any chance of ditching the HEADLINE ALERTS and just telling the truth?!

[krobert6]

My wife tried many times with my Pink ID - no luck ????

 

[SpoliaOpima]

3 hours ago, Jingthing said:

This is total B.S.!

We don't have even one successful report of even one expat registering manually at any hospital in Pattaya with passport only.

Just because you and of course others have found success does NOT mean that great numbers of expats are not facing total roadblocks. 

  I've registered successfully at two hospitals in Bangkok, Samitivej and Vibhavadi. 

[StevieAus]

3 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Did you miss the recent announcement that the government had decided they will not allow private hospitals to acquire their own vaccines?

 

An example in point. A private hospital in Pattaya stated they will have doses "later" (not defined) and it will be the unpopular not very effective Sinovac and MAYBE one other brand. I'm assuming probably Astra Zeneca.

Did you miss what was contained in the second last paragraph of the above article ?

[maddermax]

How do I get LINE in English?

[chuang]

Well at least the so called Pink I has some benefits.. contrary to what many others said here...555

[sandyf]

1 hour ago, Sheryl said:

i have no idea what the govt hospitals in Patts would do, only one way to find out.

Up until fairly recently there were no government hospitals in Pattaya, only the small one out at Naklua. I believe the relatively new Pattaya City Hospital on Soi Bukhow is a government hospital, just along a bit from Sutus Court.

I would think that since it opened that hospital has been flooded with Thais and wouldn't appeal to your average expat. A better bet would be the university hospital at Bang Saen.

[PGSan]

2 hours ago, RobMuir said:

Yes.

Where are they and how to contact them?  Please.

[TigerandDog]

4 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Most of our embassies are telling us they won't help us directly with doses. Could they possibly help in another way? Such as lobbying the Thai authorities to provide the app in English, allow passport numbers, and officially make it clear that high risk foreigners can be in the earlier group?

been there, done that already. My embassy isn't interested in doing anything to help it's citizens here, especially those in the high risk groups, be included in the rollout. Perhaps we should all start lobbying our health ministers in our home countries and have them advise the Thai Govt that if we are not included in the rollout, then Thai citizens in our home countries will be excluded from their rollouts.

[Jingthing]

3 minutes ago, StevieAus said:

Did you miss what was contained in the second last paragraph of the above article ?

I see it. That's a complete reversal of what was announced a few days ago. How are people supposed to know what to believe,?

[PGSan]

2 hours ago, Jingthing said:

if you tell me not to post it I'll respect that.

Please do post it, as we all need to know the solution to this mystery. 

Edited May 2, 2021 by PGSan

[maddermax]

How do you get the Mor Prom app on LINE as it is not in the App Store?

[John Drake]

1 minute ago, TigerandDog said:

Perhaps we should all start lobbying our health ministers in our home countries and have them advise the Thai Govt that if we are not included in the rollout, then Thai citizens in our home countries will be excluded from their rollouts.

 

That would never happen in the US, because it would be considered poor public health policy. Excluding people based on their immigration status only hurts the general population and allows Covid to maintain a beachhead.

[TigerandDog]

1 minute ago, John Drake said:

 

That would never happen in the US, because it would be considered poor public health policy. Excluding people based on their immigration status only hurts the general population and allows Covid to maintain a beachhead.

that's exactly what the Thai govt is doing to us, excluding based on immigration status. The only way to have that reversed is to threaten these morons running the country with the same exclusion to their citizens.

[hotchilli]

5 hours ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

However, successful registrations only appear to be possible for those who have one of the so-called ‘pink ID cards’ for foreigners or for those who have a Thai social security number.

Maybe God will inform those without an id number or hospital number or a pink card or a yellow book how they may apply?

[sandyf]

41 minutes ago, skatewash said:

I have successfully registered for the Covid-19 Vaccine in Phuket.  I used a Phuket-specific website (not the Doctors Ready, mor prom Line Official Account) because it is what Phuket residents were asked to use.  It only works if you are resident in Phuket.  I used a website called in English, Phuket Must Win, which is this site here:

https://xn--12cmj6ba0a7b3g4a6fud5d2a.com/

I used my Thai National ID number as it appears on the second page of my yellow house registration book (also known as the tabian bahn for foreigners, or yellow book for short).

After I was registered I checked when my appointment was (as a test to see if I were really registered) and got the following message (translated from the original Thai by Google Translate):

"Name-Surname <my name appears here>

We have received your registration.

Please wait for the announcement of the allocation of the first vaccine appointment when we know the deadline for delivering the vaccine from the Ministry of Public Health."

Again, this website is only for use by Phuket residents and is different from the Doctors Ready (mor prom) Line Official Account).  By the way, I was unsuccessful trying to use mor prom using either my Thai National ID number from my yellow house registration book, or the Tax ID from the Revenue Department of Thailand.  I understand that people with a pink ID card have been successful with registering at mor prom.  There's a point in mor prom where it asks for a number that people who have a pink ID card can find on the reverse of their pink ID (sort of like the security code on credit cards).  If you don't have the pink ID card there's nowhere for you to get this number.  So my attempt to use mor prom failed.

My wife registered me on the Chonburi specific web page early in the week. Yesterday she checked the mor prom and my name came up straight away, details had been uploaded by my hospital.

Appointment for 7th June. Maybe I will get offered another appointment.