Foreign Ministry Warns Thais about Buying COVID-19 Vaccine Packages with travel bookings

[webfact]

 

By Woraprat Lerpaisal

   

BANGKOK (NNT) - The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has advised Thais, seeking to get free COVID-19 vaccines as part of tour packages to the United States, to check the regulations in the states they plan visit, since the situation is still fluid.

 

Ministry spokesman Tanee Sangrat said, in general, people aged 16 and over, who live in or have legally entered the US, can seek COVID-19 vaccination free of charge.

 

The criteria and procedures, however, differ in each state. In some states, vaccine recipients are required to have permanent residences or jobs.

 

He added that many states in the US have also taken steps to bar vaccine tourism and there are indications that the criteria for vaccine distribution can change at short notice.

 

The spokesman said Thai people who buy a vaccine package with their travel bookings may risk not getting inoculated or even being denied entry by the US immigration. They should contact the Consular Affairs Department before paying for such a trip.

 

-- © Copyright NNT 2021-05-05

 

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[Fromas]

At this point their response to public health needs has NO CREDIBILITY WHATSOEVER

[Yorkshire Tea]

Government should be asking themselves why their citizens are having to consider such extreme measures to get vaccinated.

[86Tiger]

5 minutes ago, Yorkshire Tea said:

Government should be asking themselves why their citizens are having to consider such extreme measures to get vaccinated.

 

 

Government already knows the answer.

[internationalism]

I would think that those travel agencies have prepared everything properly and selling the whole package.

So their are insured or money back.

Private companies are much better organised and much better informed than the governmental ones. No need for those warnings.

What is causing pain to the government that they are losing monopoly on vax program and on people sleeping away from the country. Millions thai want to emigrate for good, never to come back

Edited May 5, 2021 by internationalism

[John Drake]

A suggestion. For every Thai booking one of these tours and receiving a shot paid for by American taxpayers, a shot should then be set aside in Thailand for the use of an American expat.

[ikke1959]

Hope it will be a success because the Government is incapable to handle the crisis. Of course they will discourage it because it will cost them money so they will make things up .. 

[bluesofa]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

seeking to get free COVID-19 vaccines as part of tour packages to the United States, to check the regulations in the states they plan visit, since the situation is still fluid.

Was this written as a pun?

'the situation is still fluid' -  the vaccine is also a fluid.

[Srikcir]

2 hours ago, John Drake said:

A suggestion. For every Thai booking one of these tours and receiving a shot paid for by American taxpayers, a shot should then be set aside in Thailand for the use of an American expat.

The US has begun to export its surplus stockpile of AstraZeneca to share with the rest of the world, specifically now to Canada and Mexico. 

 

How about sending US surplus vaccines to US embassies for US citizens? Sent via diplomatic pouch to bypass customs & foreign government red tape if vaccination happens within US sovereign embassy grounds?

[ukrules]

6 minutes ago, Srikcir said:

The US has begun to export its surplus stockpile of AstraZeneca to share with the rest of the world, specifically now to Canada and Mexico. 

 

How about sending US surplus vaccines to US embassies for US citizens? Sent via diplomatic pouch to bypass customs & foreign government red tape if vaccination happens within US sovereign embassy grounds?

 

I believe foreigners are now being officially denied vaccination which could be described as an essential  medical need.

 

It would be a logical step for embassies to strike back against this kind of treatment.

 

[Misty]

14 minutes ago, Srikcir said:

The US has begun to export its surplus stockpile of AstraZeneca to share with the rest of the world, specifically now to Canada and Mexico. 

 

How about sending US surplus vaccines to US embassies for US citizens? Sent via diplomatic pouch to bypass customs & foreign government red tape if vaccination happens within US sovereign embassy grounds?

Seems reasonable to me.  US citizens are taxed on global income, no matter where they live and work. We expats are "ambassadors of good will" - or so they keep telling us.  US embassy folks have been taken care of already.  How about the rest of us?

[Caldera]

They warn because it makes them look even more bad. Each and every Thai who sees the need to travel elsewhere for their vaccination effectively constitutes an indictment of the screwed up Thai vaccination campaign.

[Cake Monster]

1 hour ago, ikke1959 said:

Hope it will be a success because the Government is incapable to handle the crisis. Of course they will discourage it because it will cost them money so they will make things up .. 

The Gov,t are probably thinking these people are not good and honest Citizens because they are not waiting for the SB roll out in June.

[hotchilli]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has advised Thais, seeking to get free COVID-19 vaccines as part of tour packages to the United States, to check the regulations in the states they plan visit, since the situation is still fluid.

These scam holidays will rise & rise in the absence of getting an injection in Thailand.

If Prayut had done a better job none of these would even occur.

[connda]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

The spokesman said Thai people who buy a vaccine package with their travel bookings may risk not getting inoculated or even being denied entry by the US immigration.

I doubt if entry will be denied if a visa has been obtained from the US Embassy in Thailand.
Once in the US, Thais are free to travel and are not hampered by 90 day reports and annual visits to Immigration.  As such, if State A will not provide a vaccine, travel to a State that will. 
Of course, it the Thai citizen is one of those who demanded that Foreigners in Thailand should be forced to obtain vaccinations at their own cost - they should go to the US and walk their own talk.

[Fromas]

47 minutes ago, ukrules said:

It would be a logical step for embassies to strike back against this kind of treatment.

 

In their infinite wisdom, the Chinese pre-empted this. They requested the Thai government to vaccinate their citizens.

 

[Yorkshire Tea]

19 minutes ago, connda said:

Of course, it the Thai citizen is one of those who demanded that Foreigners in Thailand should be forced to obtain vaccinations at their own cost - they should go to the US and walk their own talk.

 

If you mentioned this to them, the irony would whoosh over their heads ????

[mrfill]

2 hours ago, Srikcir said:

The US has begun to export its surplus stockpile of AstraZeneca to share with the rest of the world, specifically now to Canada and Mexico. 

 

How about sending US surplus vaccines to US embassies for US citizens? Sent via diplomatic pouch to bypass customs & foreign government red tape if vaccination happens within US sovereign embassy grounds?

Do diplomatic pouches usually operate at -70c ?

[Ginner]

4 hours ago, John Drake said:

A suggestion. For every Thai booking one of these tours and receiving a shot paid for by American taxpayers, a shot should then be set aside in Thailand for the use of an American expat.

Good luck with that! ha!

[bluesofa]

13 minutes ago, mrfill said:

Do diplomatic pouches usually operate at -70c ?

I bet they did in the cold war.

[MrJ2U]

......Or they could go to any Pharmacy and pay $12.00 and have there choice of vaccines.  No doctors fees or packed rooms like a petri dish.

[herfiehandbag]

5 hours ago, Srikcir said:

The US has begun to export its surplus stockpile of AstraZeneca to share with the rest of the world, specifically now to Canada and Mexico. 

 

How about sending US surplus vaccines to US embassies for US citizens? Sent via diplomatic pouch to bypass customs & foreign government red tape if vaccination happens within US sovereign embassy grounds?

Mind you, the British invented the <deleted> stuff, British government (taxpayers) money paid for developing and testing the <deleted> stuff, we effectively gave the Thai government, along with the rest of the world, the rights to manufacture the <deleted> stuff, and now we are told we can't have the <deleted> stuff!

 

Sorry the language got a little bit "infantry" but I am , fornicate with my aged footwear, quite annoyed by this whole farce - speaking as a person who pays tax in both the UK and Thailand!

Edited May 5, 2021 by herfiehandbag

[elliss]

4 hours ago, Fromas said:

 

In their infinite wisdom, the Chinese pre-empted this. They requested the Thai government to vaccinate their citizens.

 

 

      Chinese vaccines . soon will be free for Thais .

       My mother in law , has applied on line . 

       Good luck , and good riddance.  

          I mean that , most sincerely ...555

[Lingba]

If the Thai govt was doing their job helping people this wouldn't be an issue

[rickudon]

This story hints at the poor quality of the Chinese vaccines

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-56992121

 

The WHO also say that trial data is scarce.

 

Planning my vax trip for July, just in case.

[ukrules]

7 hours ago, mrfill said:

Do diplomatic pouches usually operate at -70c ?

If there's one of those special 10 day flasks in there that they use to transport the vaccine which requires -70C then yes, yes they do.

[RocketDog]

22 hours ago, Fromas said:

At this point their response to public health needs has NO CREDIBILITY WHATSOEVER

On the contrary, I'm printing and framing the OP because I have never seen so much truth at one time in one place from the Thai government. 

I'm curious which statements you found specious. 

 

[simon43]

18 hours ago, mrfill said:

Do diplomatic pouches usually operate at -70c ?

Well, I've always found my embassy staff to be very 'cold' ????

[elliss]

7 hours ago, simon43 said:

Well, I've always found my embassy staff to be very 'cold' ????

 

Absolute zero, comes to mind ...

[elliss]

19 hours ago, rickudon said:

This story hints at the poor quality of the Chinese vaccines

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-56992121

 

The WHO also say that trial data is scarce.

 

     Chinese vaccines , tested on Thais , free..

       Join the queue . Free rice , included ..

            That said , I am so glad , I am Alien ...555