Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, pictured here receiving a COVID-19 vaccination injection, will arrive in Phuket tomorrow (May 15). Photo: Prayut Chan-o-cha / Facebook

 

By The Phuket News

 

PHUKET: Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha along with Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Tourism & Sport Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn are to arrive in Phuket tomorrow (May 15) to see firsthand the COVID situation on the island and to hand over 100,000 doses of COVID vaccine to be used in the mass-vaccination campaign.

 

Vachira Phuket Hospital Director Dr Chalermpong Sukontapol confirmed the news following the meeting of the Phuket Communicable Disease Committee at Phuket provincial Hall today (May 14).

 

“Tomorrow (May 15), the Prime Minister, the Minister of Public Health and the Minister of Tourism and sport will come to hand over 100,000 doses of Sinovac vaccine. Another 100,000 doses will come on May 18,” Dr Chalermpong said.

 

Full story: https://www.thephuketnews.com/prayut-coming-to-phuket-as-july-1-reopening-assured-80005.php

 

 

-- © Copyright Phuket News 2021-05-15

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

- Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

Define reopening will it involve paying huge sums of cash and a million photocopies ????

I can see Phuket turning into a massive prison colony when the residents refuse to accept the Chinese sinovac vaccine and are threatened with jail

 

They better think again and come up with another plan

He had his shot, foreigners in Bangkok can wait till August to register. Doesn't matter that you pay social security and a lot of tax.

I wonder what type of vaccine the PM got, surely NOT the dreaded , my guess is on the coveted Pfizer, also, he's being giving the shot in the wrong part of the arm, way too low, should be placed further up near the shoulder's deltoid muscle...

Reading the full article it does seem doable the island will achieve vaccination by the 1st of July which is only around the corner so how about releasing the 7 day extortion packages? 

 

2 hours ago, smedly said:

I can see Phuket turning into a massive prison colony when the residents refuse to accept the Chinese sinovac vaccine and are threatened with jail

 

They better think again and come up with another plan

I haven't spoken to any Thai Phuketian who has refused to get vaccinated...I only hear such talk among anti-social foreign elements of the population; which also explains the massive death toll in many Western countries. 

Prayut and Anutin while in Phuket should have a press conference as to why they chose AZ over Sinovac.....

1 hour ago, ezzra said:

I wonder what type of vaccine the PM got, surely NOT the dreaded , my guess is on the coveted Pfizer, also, he's being giving the shot in the wrong part of the arm, way too low, should be placed further up near the shoulder's deltoid muscle...

 

His vax date was delayed until the AZ one was available. Excuse - he is over 60

Govt to get tough on fake news about COVID-19 and vaccines

Prayut, take care we wouldn't want to see you in an entourage larger than 30, or eat in a restaurant/hotel with more than 4 people, oh and obviously forget going to visit any mates you may have in Phuket as thats illegal too.

 

Welcome to Phuket

Well they better be careful they don’t sit too close together maybe having a drink with dinner or the cops will turn up shouting “ you party you party !! “ and drag them down the station to get fined.

Considering that the full protection - whatever that might be - offered by the Sinovac vaccine only kicks in a few weeks after the 2nd jab, reaching herd immunity by July 1st doesn't seem realistic to me at this point. Many residents haven't even had their 1st jab yet.

 

The Three Stooges…..how appropriate they go to Phuket together but it does seem they are very serious about the Phuket plan

4 hours ago, ezzra said:

I wonder what type of vaccine the PM got, surely NOT the dreaded , my guess is on the coveted Pfizer, also, he's being giving the shot in the wrong part of the arm, way too low, should be placed further up near the shoulder's deltoid muscle...

Actually should have been a lot lower...between the cheeks.

4 hours ago, Pattaya Spotter said:

I haven't spoken to any Thai Phuketian who has refused to get vaccinated..

 

I am actually having breakfast with one of them and I know many more

41 minutes ago, Deli said:

 

I am actually having breakfast with one of them and I know many more

 

Agree to disagree slightly on this one. Every country has people who have declined. What I see here is more of an apprehension of the unknown, scared, but slowly beginning to learn and follow friends, family and co workers and agree to be vaccinated. Not all, of course.

5 hours ago, Pattaya Spotter said:

I haven't spoken to any Thai Phuketian who has refused to get vaccinated...I only hear such talk among anti-social foreign elements of the population; which also explains the massive death toll in many Western countries. 

Agree with the general gist of your post, but do know a few who are refusing, mostly due to medical reasons though.

1 hour ago, Deli said:

 

I am actually having breakfast with one of them and I know many more

Tell them to hurry up and get on with it.

7 hours ago, smedly said:

I can see Phuket turning into a massive prison colony when the residents refuse to accept the Chinese sinovac vaccine and are threatened with jail

 

You mean like an Australia 2?

 

Maybe that is why there are so many Australians living on Phuket

8 hours ago, smedly said:

I can see Phuket turning into a massive prison colony when the residents refuse to accept the Chinese sinovac vaccine and are threatened with jail

 

They better think again and come up with another plan

Yep. Much easier to do that in Phuket than even Buri Ram. For starters, Phuket is much smaller, home to a smaller population and has only one entrance point by land. With Buri Ram, fleeing to another province or even Cambodia is easy. 

33 minutes ago, Susco said:

 

You mean like an Australia 2?

 

Maybe that is why there are so many Australians living on Phuket

Right now there are far more freedoms in Australia, even under Covid, than in Phuket. So Phuket has replaced Australia as the prison colony. 

 

For one, face masks are generally NOT required anywhere. When they have been mandated, such rules were limited to one or more capital cities at a time and only for a few days. Generally never required outdoors, except last year in greater Melbourne.

 

Has anyone any data on foreign tourism hotel bookings for July 1 ? 

4 hours ago, Searat7 said:

The Three Stooges…..how appropriate they go to Phuket together but it does seem they are very serious about the Phuket plan

If so why haven't they released the small print? For sure it's not open to backpackers renting 500 baht a night rooms and 7/11 cuisine.

 

Tourists like to plan in advance, cheaper airfares for starters. Wake me up and when they publish the astronomical fees they are keeping a secret. 

 

5 minutes ago, madmen said:

If so why haven't they released the small print? For sure it's not open to backpackers renting 500 baht a night rooms and 7/11 cuisine.

 

Tourists like to plan in advance, cheaper airfares for starters. Wake me up and when they publish the astronomical fees they are keeping a secret. 

 

TAT announced 150K to 200K for 7 day package deals but no more details on whether there will be any other options. I doubt there will be other options at the start, if it starts, and I'm guessing you will spend the 7 days in your resort. This will be the initial target

8 hours ago, ezzra said:

he's being giving the shot in the wrong part of the arm, way too low, should be placed further up near the shoulder's deltoid muscle...

He hates photo ops in his wife beaters ????

I bet they are wetting their panties in anticipation. I hope they tell him what a cr@p job he has done

12 hours ago, Pattaya Spotter said:

I haven't spoken to any Thai Phuketian who has refused to get vaccinated...I only hear such talk among anti-social foreign elements of the population; which also explains the massive death toll in many Western countries. 

"Anti-social elements". LOL. No, the difference is Thais are sheep and don't ask questions. They'll fall off a climb if the government tells them to. Westerners, we value our freedoms more.

 

That stated, there are plenty of Thais questioning vaccination, particularly this one. 

The last poll I saw (albeit a few months ago) indicated that over 40% of Thais living in Phuket stated that they would not take the vaccine.  Hopefully this has since changed as it would very difficult to attain a 70% vaccination rate if over 40% decline.

3 hours ago, DrDave said:

The last poll I saw (albeit a few months ago) indicated that over 40% of Thais living in Phuket stated that they would not take the vaccine.  Hopefully this has since changed as it would very difficult to attain a 70% vaccination rate if over 40% decline.

Maybe some of the other 60% who need to earn a living will persuade them.