Thai health ministry denies they are giving free jabs to expats - Thais come first

[Minime]

3 minutes ago, sambum said:

Have tried, but every time I press "Send" the address on the email header changes automatically, and I get the message "No results found"!

I am, as you would expect, raising this as a matter of urgency with the Prime Minister, as well as the Minister of Health, asking for both clarity on the government policy and for equal access to vaccines for all residents of Thailand. Yours Brian

Brian Davidson CMG I HM Ambassador to Thailand I British Embassy Bangkok I * [email protected]

[PGSan]

35 minutes ago, nauseus said:

it seems that complaints from Thais

Which complaints are these?

[Crossy]

I don't think anyone here is trying to jump queues or bypass the locals.

 

But to be fair (I know, the world 'aint fair).

 

Same risk (area, age, underlying health issues) all should get the same access to the vaccine (if you have to pay at least it's the same access).

[WaveHunter]

3 hours ago, Dmaxdan said:

This is disgusting, plain and simple.

In one fell swoop, Thailand has proven that it is fifty years behind the rest of the world.

 

No offence intended but that is an incredibly unfair comment to make.  While it's fair to say that the initial vaccine rollout strategy has proven to be a fiasco, Thailand actually handled the pandemic far better than most countries all through 2020. 

 

What's more, they are making rapid progress in overcoming the blunders of the rollout. 

 

Even today with the surge in cases due to the new UK variants, Thailand is still one of the safest countries on the face of the earth to be living in for an unvaccinated person when you look at the number of cases/deaths per capita.

 

You can certainly fault their initial vaccine rollout strategy, but seriously, you should be giving credit where credit is due.  To say they are fifty years behind the rest of the world is a baseless insult.

 

Edited May 5, 2021 by WaveHunter

[Surelynot]

1 minute ago, WaveHunter said:

To say they are fifty years behind the rest of the world is a baseless insult.

30?

[Daveyh]

9 minutes ago, Caldera said:

I don't mind that they are unwilling to give expats the vaccine for free. I do mind, however, that they prioritize by nationality and that they've actively hindered private hospitals from purchasing vaccines that they could SELL to expats. That's shameful.

Agreed .............. this thinking is really inhuman. The whole world will be reacting to this I'm sure once the media get hold of it ........... blatant racism for all to see ............ very sad. 

[hotchilli]

5 minutes ago, sambum said:

 

Surprised at the statement or the fact?

Both

[Mr Meeseeks]

16 minutes ago, WaveHunter said:

that we'll ALL be vaccinated soon, and when you really think about it, what difference does it really make...maybe a few months of waiting?

The difference is COVID is already out and about and it will kill a few of the most vulnerable expats first.

[simon43]

[quote]

...I would be out of here like a shot

[/quote]

 

When all this is over, and before the next pandemic/chaos etc, just do what I did a couple of years ago:

 

- I decided not to renew my 500,000 baht Elite visa, because IMHO, the cost versus service was no longer justified

- I popped over the Mekong river to Laos, paid and picked up my annual business visa, work permit (for my online science teaching), and local Laos ID card.

- I rented a nice house by the Mekong in Luang Prabang, with access to great food and nature

- I went to the local hospital a few days ago and was vaccinated free of charge with AZ, because I was a priority case (61 years old).

 

Out of the 4 countries that I've lived and worked in (Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand) over the past 20 years, Thailand comes bottom of my list for being treated as an equal to the local citizens, (or at least one level above the street dog).  My various visits to Cambodia were always fine.  I found the people of Myanmar to be the most friendly and genuine, although they were in the main, as poor as church mice!  Laos treats me no different from anyone else, and although a communist state in name, I never have to report to the police/immigration, never have visits or forms to fill out etc.  I just pick up a new visa and WP every year, with no proof of funds etc etc.

 

Just how much xenophobia will your guys take in Thailand? ????

[PGSan]

36 minutes ago, Surelynot said:

Spain doesn't....guess they don't don't have many UK expats though.....

many from uk, as compared to where?

[davidmann]

3 hours ago, John Drake said:

This had to happen. I've seen the same thing occur when I worked in a notable Thai institution. Farangs think they've found a loophole to acquire the same benefit as Thais, and a few weeks later, word comes saying, no. Nothing to be done about it. I expected this and said as much four days ago. It is really, really terrible that some expats who need to be in the front of the line will not get the vaccine. Stupid and immoral. But I could easily see someone going up for their "appointment" and being pulled out of line and told to go home. My rule: if it looks like the authorities are trying to exclude you, they are trying to exclude you, and they will exclude you. 

IN Europe does not matter where you come from ,you still get free injections  ,France  my old Laos friends  where the first to get injected ,but then they are considered  Human ,maybe westerners in Thailand are not ,the statement  is a inhuman  disgrace  

[Cake Monster]

18 minutes ago, clivebaxter said:

I'm sure most of us are not bothered about getting it free, the cost of approx. 100 baht per shot plus admin fee will be quite manageable thanks

By the time any Vaccine is sucked into a syringe that is about to be put into your arm, the price will be through the roof.

100 Baht plus an admin fee will probably be about 7000 Baht a shot

And remember that most Vaccines carry 2 shots.

[Surelynot]

[Dazz1]

You've got more chance of getting your vacine through online shopping at Lazada than getting anything free from the Thais! There was a huge back flip on testing costs to get into Phuket. Why would anybody think the thais would give you a free vacine jab.

[metisdead]

Some off topic posts and replies have been removed.

 

Troll posts and the replies have been removed. 

[DjSilver]

Thailand should let their expats get the vaccines at the same time at the Thais since expats generate more money for Thailand than the old Thai does.

[PEE TEE]

11 minutes ago, Surelynot said:

Let me know if you get an appointment.

i have 10th June 13.00 Samui hospital. my friend went this morning and got registered for July. i got mine on morprom (have id card) he has not used his passport. 

   

[Surelynot]

3 hours ago, Excel said:

And what parallel universe are you living in ? "write to our embassy/consulate and demand they put pressure on the Thai government over this issue" you say.  Most embassies don't give a Tinkers cuss about their nationals, certainly that is true of the British embassy,  so your statement is nothing but wishful thinking that will never happen.

 

[sambum]

3 hours ago, Surelynot said:

Is there an alternative email address?.....Hotmail is saying "not found"

 

Think if you try putting the address all in lower case letters it might work - i.e :- "brian.davidson" ....etc etc it did for me!

 

Edited May 5, 2021 by sambum

[DaveS123]

3 hours ago, Surelynot said:

Is there an alternative email address?.....Hotmail is saying "not found"

remove the gaps before and after @ and it will work

[John Drake]

1 minute ago, PEE TEE said:

i have 10th June 13.00 Samui hospital. my friend went this morning and got registered for July. i got mine on morprom (have id card) he has not used his passport. 

   

 

Pee Tee, I hope it works out well for you and you get the shot without any problems.

[WaveHunter]

2 minutes ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

The difference is COVID is already out and about and it will kill a few of the most vulnerable expats first.

As regrettable as that will be, it is inevitable that some people will die no matter what roll out strategy is used.  If you have a way to prevent that from happening, let's hear your plan.  I know of none that will prevent that from happening.

 

All I know is that, as a high risk unvaccinated person, there are few countries in the world right now where you'd be safer to be living in than Thailand.

 

[swm59nj]

3 hours ago, Boomer6969 said:

Got this email yesterday:

 

"Dear Colleagues,

 

The Royal Thai Government (RTG) have committed to vaccinating UN personnel and dependents as part of the Thai national immunization plan. To help plan for UN personnel vaccination roll-out in June the RTG have asked for completion of a ‘survey’ to assess potential demand.

 

We request you to complete the following survey by noon on Thursday, 6 May 2021 to indicate your willingness to be vaccinated <link removed> UN personnel should also complete a separate form for each dependent/household member who is over 18 years of age and willing to be vaccinated. The UN System has been requested by the RTG to submit by Friday, 7 May 2021.

 

As you know, Thailand is currently experiencing ongoing community transmission of COVID-19, with many of the current ‘third wave’ cases arising from one of the far more transmissible variants of concern. We are all at risk of exposure to COVID-19. It is highly recommended that we all get vaccinated and consider carefully the merits of vaccination as a means to protect ourselves, our family, particularly the elderly and those at with underlying health conditions, our colleagues and the community.

 

What we know:

• The RTG has advised that vaccination with the AstraZenica vaccine will be offered free of charge to UN personnel and dependents over the age of 18 in June.
• Note this is not a registration form for vaccination.
• Vaccination against COVID-19 is a proven effective method to reduce the most severe forms of COVID-19 including hospitalization, the need for critical care in an ICU and death.

 

What we do not know:

• The date and location of vaccination will be announced in due course.
• The UN system is completing this survey based on the definition as outlined UN system-wide vaccination programme.

 

At this stage, no health information is collected due to confidentiality. But UN personnel will need to indicate any underlying health condition at the time of vaccination. "

 

Just wonder if it will be worth a trip to Bangkok, and the subsequent home quarantine..

  Do you work for the United Nations?  Because this vaccination program appears to be for UN staff and dependents.

[Keesters]

Changed all my ???? pin numbers. Thailand now only gets the surplus rather than the biggest slice. 

[chrisbangkok]

3 hours ago, Minime said:

I think all UK citizens here should email our Ambassador for Thailand (Brian.Davidson2 @ fcdo.gov.uk)   and express our disgust at this blatant discrimination, after all the UK is offering free test and vaccines to all Thai nationals residing in the UK and that is a fact.

Too busy organising another ball or some other jobs for the boys bash ... pointless organisation with zero influence or indeed any use to expats. It's a case of put up with it or b****r off , simple as that and no amount of petioning will change it. Stay well.

[Seeall]

3 hours ago, Dogmatix said:

It should have been easy enough to block registration from ID numbers with prefixes that are not issued to Thais, except for the prefix "8" that can be issued to both Thais and foreigners with PR.  I guess someone just screwed up or maybe a dissident in the MoPH who misguidedly thought it was good public health policy to vaccinate everyone. 

Hey all, we have all countless times seen sites not working, outdated.. they just dont comuinicate /care .......  same the banner saying big regae party tonight, put up 15 years ogo............

[placnx]

3 hours ago, Excel said:

And what parallel universe are you living in ? "write to our embassy/consulate and demand they put pressure on the Thai government over this issue" you say.  Most embassies don't give a Tinkers cuss about their nationals, certainly that is true of the British embassy,  so your statement is nothing but wishful thinking that will never happen.

This letter the the editor, Wall Street Journal, says it well:

03may21

"Citizens Left Behind

It is commendable that the U.S. plans to send vaccines to help other countries around the world, but I am appalled at the Biden administration’s treatment of its own citizens living abroad (“U.S. Set to Share Millions of Shots Overseas,” Page One, April 27). I and all other U.S. citizens living overseas are full-fledged citizens who pay taxes. Why hasn’t the Biden administration sent us vaccines to be administered at the U.S. embassies in our respective countries? If we are made to pay taxes while living overseas, we should have the same rights to vaccinations as all American citizens.

Doesn’t charity begin at home?

LEA RETTER

Antwerp, Belgium"

 

Europe is somewhat behind in vaccinations, but in other countries where it's going to be a while until foreigners can get vaccinated, and with which vaccine, expats should mobilize to get their governments to do their duty of care for their expat citizens. I don't know whether the writer of the above can be contacted, but anyway, regarding Americans, someone who is good at social media should think about:

1) Go Fund Me campaign to put a full page ad in the Washington Post - open letter to Biden, and name names of responsible officials, and advise not to ask State for advice on this matter, ask journalists, expats, about vaccination situations in the countries where they work/live;

2) Twitter storm;

3) Contact any friends who are well-placed in government, public health

 

There are millions of Americans living overseas. Priority should of course be given to those living in countries like India, but the situation in Thailand certainly deserves consideration.

[Tracyb]

52 minutes ago, WaveHunter said:

Every country in the world with vaccine rollouts has placed a priority on their own citizens in terms of who gets vaccinated first.  Why should Thailand be any different? 

 

You can argue moral grounds that the deciding criteria should be risk category and not nationality, but citizens of any country have a right to expect that their needs come first.

This was not the case in the USA.  Thai citizens living there were vaccinated right alongside citizens of other countries and US Citizens.

[Surelynot]

11 minutes ago, PGSan said:

many from uk, as compared to where?

Joking......there's thousands.

[eastendanto]

4 hours ago, Crossy said:

Indeed no real surprise although I thought that the CCSA who made this announcement were part of the Health Ministry.

 

https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1215441-expats-in-thailand-to-receive-covid-19-vaccinations-free-of-charge/

 

Left hand and right hand as usual.

 

and this would be the same thai's complaining who refuse the vaccine because they believe it will kill them or worse ....