Public Health Ministry Gives OK for Embassies to Vaccinate their Citizens.

[asiacurious]

The news is out yesterday/today is that expats in Thailand WILL be eligible for the vaccine.  The spokesman for the Public Health Ministry (Rungruang Kitpati) also said...

 

"Foreigners who want vaccinations can also contact their own embassy to get one"  [Source: A local publication who may not be named]

 

That quote from the government essentially gives embassies a way to start administering vaccines to their citizens living here in Thailand without causing diplomatic headaches.  

 

Then there is this (emphasis added)....

 

Quote

China's embassy in Thailand posted a statement on its website Thursday saying that Thai authorities recently agreed to vaccinate Chinese citizens beginning in late May as a gesture of friendship and cooperation against COVID-19, even though vaccine supplies are limited.  Asked about the statement, Thai Foreign Ministry spokesman Tanee Sangrat said he was unaware of any specific plans for vaccinating Chinese residents.  China has a policy of vaccinating its citizens abroad. There are an estimated 150,000 Chinese living in Thailand, the biggest group of foreigners aside from citizens of neighboring Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos, who are generally migrant workers.  SOURCE

 

If China can vaccinate their citizens abroad, and the Thai government has said embassies can vaccinate their citizens in Thailand, then there is nothing stopping foreign embassies from vaccinating their citizens in Thailand.  Nothing except their choice not to.

[internationalism]

china is giving thailand free 500k sinovac, probably there is condition attached to it, that it should go to chinese citizens.

 

permission to vax citizens by the embassy itself is a different story. 

But, again, they would rather donate vax, or like an australian government, give large donation to thai vax program. 

Not many governments have enough vax in their own countries. Even china vaxed only 10% of population. Australia much less. Exception is the usa, uk, israel 

[dabhand]

Sounds like the old 'put up or shut up' response to the recent reports (British Embassy?) of diplomatic pressure to include non Thais in the covid registration process.

[TigerandDog]

On 5/7/2021 at 9:04 AM, internationalism said:

china is giving thailand free 500k sinovac, probably there is condition attached to it, that it should go to chinese citizens.

 

permission to vax citizens by the embassy itself is a different story. 

But, again, they would rather donate vax, or like an australian government, give large donation to thai vax program. 

Not many governments have enough vax in their own countries. Even china vaxed only 10% of population. Australia much less. Exception is the usa, uk, israel 

The AUD $2.8 million donated by the aussie govt should have been given to the aussie embassy and used for vaccinating aussies here at the embassy & consulate offices, and definitely not given to the Thai Govt as it will only line the pockets of high ranking officials and NEVER be used for the purpose it was intended.

[Whale]

Hmmm, this seems a bit messy to me in implication.

I can see the embassies giving jabs to their own staff but how can they possibly sort it for their nationals living in Thailand, Ever tried to get an appointment at your embassy? How could they possibly handle all the Ozzies, Brits, Americans, etc that live here, logistically speaking?

 

Theres no way my embassy is going to offer it all its nationals and neither should they be expected to. 

This is not for us plebs its for others.

 

Edited May 10, 2021 by Whale

[KhunBENQ]

1 hour ago, Whale said:

This is not for us plebs its for others.

For the embassy staff as already happened.

[catturd]

Foreign embassy's do not need permission from the public health ministry to do anything within the confines of their embassy. Embassy staff were injected in the embassy, no permission  required. US embassy has no plans to mass inject local expats, period!

[Surelynot]

Not going to happen......logistical nightmare, need trained staff, certificates of vaccination, liability, premises......the only way I would see this happening is if the embassy simply obtain the vaccines and then allocate them to their citizens through a private hospital.....much the same as is going to happen anyway.

[wasabi]

Headline should read, "Public Health Ministry gives okay for something that does not require their permission and isn't going to happen anyway, but don't say we didn't try."

[asiacurious]

On 5/9/2021 at 9:55 PM, Whale said:

I can see the embassies giving jabs to their own staff but how can they possibly sort it for their nationals living in Thailand, Ever tried to get an appointment at your embassy? How could they possibly handle all the Ozzies, Brits, Americans, etc that live here, logistically speaking?

 

None of this is difficult to do.  How many expats from those nations do you think are actually in Thailand right now?  Not so many.

 

On 5/10/2021 at 12:42 AM, Surelynot said:

Not going to happen......logistical nightmare, need trained staff, certificates of vaccination, liability, premises......the only way I would see this happening is if the embassy simply obtain the vaccines and then allocate them to their citizens through a private hospital.....much the same as is going to happen anyway.

 

Trained staff?  Plenty of military medics not too far away.  Embassies are able to bring in whatever staff they need to fulfill their mission.

Liability?  At least for the US, the government and it's employees have sovereign immunity.

Premises?  Have you seen how large the grounds are for some of the embassies?  Especially the US.  Or how about the US Ambassador's residence?  HUGE!  And as there's currently no ambassador.....

 

 

On 5/10/2021 at 12:51 AM, wasabi said:

Headline should read, "Public Health Ministry gives okay for something that does not require their permission and isn't going to happen anyway, but don't say we didn't try."

 

I really like that, though it's too long to fit!

[Jingthing]

The plot sickens.