Thai private hospitals to purchase 10 million Moderna doses, deliveries expected by October

[Damrongsak]

As far as I can tell, the U.S. has received about 150 million doses of the Moderna to date, out of 300 million ordered.  Pfizer has delivered just shy of 200 million of 300 million ordered from them. (These are CDC figures.)

 

Interesting numbers here about the quantities ordered and the purchase price/investment in the two companies.  About $6 billion USD each!  Then there's all the other $$ to other companies in the manufacturing and distribution pipeline, not to mention the government worker salaries to facilitate all this.  The stuff ain't cheap. 

 

https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2021/02/11/biden-administration-purchases-additional-doses-covid-19-vaccines-from-pfizer-and-moderna.html

 

https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccinations

 

[malibukid]

this is being slow tracked due to a conflict of interest.  they have to get rid of all that Sinovac they purchased

[hotchilli]

18 hours ago, webfact said:

One dose of Moderna vaccine is expected to cost the hospitals 1,200 Baht, Mr. Paiboon said. When taking into account service and insurance fees, the overall price to the patientshould not be more than 4,000 Baht, he added.

Absolute bargain, the usual mark-up for foreigners is 10X

[mtls2005]

3,800 baht for two doses says PHA after meeting yesterday. Price to be "standardised".

 

 

The vaccine will come in three lots — 4 million doses in October, 1 million early next year and 5 million more later.

 

 

So enough for nearly 2 MM people. Assume they will NOT hand out 4 MM first doses and hope for the next supply to arrive "later".

 

 

[WaveHunter]

Yesterday, 07 June, the Private Hospital Association (PHA) announced that the agreed upon price for the Moderna vaccination has been officially set at 3,800 THB (both jabs), and an order of 10 million doses (not 5 million) will be placed by the GPO on behalf of the PHA.

 

PHA secretary-general Paiboon Eksaengsri also stated that the first lot "may be distributed by October or sooner".

[Pilotman]

16 hours ago, Jimbo2014 said:

Just let the embassies take care of us for gods sake!.

They have made it quite plain that it will never happen.  They don't care about their citizens, not their problem is the attitude . 

[Pilotman]

22 minutes ago, WaveHunter said:

"may be distributed by October or sooner".

as I asked before, which year? 

[spidermike007]

Likely they will only get a portion of these vaccines by October. I would sign up, but don't want to wait until early 2022 for 2nd dose. Will just fly back to US, where Pfizer or Moderna is free, with no waiting time, lists to sign up on, and hurdles to jump over. 

 

As usual, the only way this is going to happen, is with the private sector. This government could not arrange a box lunch. 

[WaveHunter]

17 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

Likely they will only get a portion of these vaccines by October. I would sign up, but don't want to wait until early 2022 for 2nd dose. Will just fly back to US, where Pfizer or Moderna is free, with no waiting time, lists to sign up on, and hurdles to jump over. 

 

As usual, the only way this is going to happen, is with the private sector. This government could not arrange a box lunch. 

The first lot for delivery by October (or sooner) is 4 million doses I believe.  From an efficacy standpoint, I'm sure that 2 million people will receive two doses from that lot, as opposed to 4 million people receiving only a first dose.  It's the only logical strategy from a efficay standpoint.

 

Since the most likely market for the Moderna will be foreigners, and there are less than 2 million foreigners in the age range to receive a vaccine, all foreigners desiring vaccination for pay would probably be accommodated from that first lot.

 

Also, in spite of recent news stories about Moderna's choked supply chain, I still think that jabs beginning  by October or sooner is not guaranteed but it's certainly not out of the question.  

 

So, in light of these things, and the fact that international travel is still highly problematic, I think the pros of being vaccinated here still outweigh the cons of travelling back to the States.  Just my opinion of course.

Edited June 8, 2021 by WaveHunter

[Pib]

8 minutes ago, WaveHunter said:

Since the most likely market for the Moderna will be foreigners, and there are less than 2 million foreigners in the age range to receive a vaccine, all foreigners desiring vaccination for pay would probably be accommodated from that first lot.

 

Nope, the most likely market is Thais who are willing and able to pay approx Bt4,000 for two dozes and there re PLENTY such Thais.   Don't get caught in the trap of thinking most all Thais only make about 10-15K bath per month and can only barely afford necessities like food much less Bt4K for a vaccine as there are millions middle and high income Thais who would not even blink at paying Bt4K for two dozes of Moderna/Pfizer.

 

[mtls2005]

7 minutes ago, Pib said:

the most likely market is Thais

 

Agreed. Gonna be a cage match early on.

 

Hospital groups outside of Bangkok have full subscriptions with local Thais at 5,000 all in for Moderna.

 

THG has been overwhelmed, assume that's why the order was bumped to 10 MM?

 

Maybe let them tussle for the Moderna, hope that 20 MM Pfizer order is real.

[WaveHunter]

6 minutes ago, Pib said:

Nope, the most likely market is Thais who are willing and able to pay approx Bt4,000 for two dozes and there re PLENTY such Thais.   Don't get caught in the trap of thinking most all Thais only make about 10-15K bath per month and can only barely afford necessities like food much less Bt4K for a vaccine as there are millions middle and high income Thais who would not even blink at paying Bt4K for two dozes of Moderna/Pfizer.

 

There are not as many wealthy Thai people as you seem to believe, if you look at actual statistics.

 

Precisely speaking, according to a report published by the Credit Suisse Research Institute titled “The Global Wealth Report 2018", 91.7 percent of Thai adults belong in the under-US$10,000 wealth band. 

 

The number of "wealthy" Thais is far lower than you think.  The same report found that only 7.5 percent of the population is in the between US$10,000 and US$100,000 band, and 0.7 percent in the between US$100,000 and US$1 million band. Only 0.1 percent are members of the over-US$1 million wealth range.

 

Furthermore, this report was from 2018.  As a result of the pandemic, the US$10,000+ group has been decimated with the closure of many thai-owned businesses, travel/tourism related businesses, etc.

 

On the other hand, virtually ALL foreigners have wealth far exceeding US$10,000, with most being in the six-figure+ range.

 

I don't deny that many Thai's will go the private hospital route but there's still no reason to assume that will prevent foreigners from getting vaccinated from the first lot of Moderna.

 

Of course, we can all have opinions on all of this since nothing is etched in stone.  You have your opinion and I have mine.

[Pib]

Here in my western Bangkok moobaan consisting of approx 900 single family homes in the Bt6M to Bt50M price range (but mostly around Bt10M)  it's about 99% Thai citizens and  few of us farangs....and these Thais are mostly people who own their own shops/stores/businesses or have pretty good private/govt jobs, have multiple cars in the driveway, send their kids to private schools, etc.   For them Bt4K for two dozes of Moderna is pocket change....just the female members of the household probably spend that much on cosmetics each month.   The Bangkok metropolitan is full of moobaans like mine....full of people who can (and will) easily afford Bt4K for two dozes of Moderna/Pfizer.

[Isaan sailor]

Soon as they drop the Quarantine for incoming vaxxed, will book next available flights outta here.

[WaveHunter]

27 minutes ago, Pib said:

Here in my western Bangkok moobaan consisting of approx 900 single family homes in the Bt6M to Bt50M price range (but mostly around Bt10M)  it's about 99% Thai citizens and  few of us farangs....and these Thais are mostly people who own their own shops/stores/businesses or have pretty good private/govt jobs, have multiple cars in the driveway, send their kids to private schools, etc.   For them Bt4K for two dozes of Moderna is pocket change....just the female members of the household probably spend that much on cosmetics each month.   The Bangkok metropolitan is full of moobaans like mine....full of people who can (and will) easily afford Bt4K for two dozes of Moderna/Pfizer.

Well, I see plenty of Thai people driving around in Mercedes and BMW's here in Jomtien.  That doesn't mean that the population as a whole is well off.  The statistics I showed speak for themselves.

 

I don't deny that many Thai people are perfectly capable of paying 3800 THB for a private vaccination but unlike the public rollout with its' unwritten rule of "Thais first", the private rollout is based on "first come, first served" so foreigners are on an equal footing for receiving vaccination from the first lot. 

 

What's more, Many Thai people will opt for the public vaccine becuase, for them, the public rollout does not present the obstacles that foreigners must face, and they can become vaccinated far sooner than the private rollout would allow.

 

All told, there is no reason to assume that foreigners will not be served by the first lot of Moderna IMO.   

 

Put another way, I doubt very much that private hospitals would be pushing so hard to do a rollout if it were not for demand expressed by foreigners.

Edited June 8, 2021 by WaveHunter

[ExpatOilWorker]

1 hour ago, Pib said:

Nope, the most likely market is Thais who are willing and able to pay approx Bt4,000 for two dozes and there re PLENTY such Thais.   Don't get caught in the trap of thinking most all Thais only make about 10-15K bath per month and can only barely afford necessities like food much less Bt4K for a vaccine as there are millions middle and high income Thais who would not even blink at paying Bt4K for two dozes of Moderna/Pfizer.

 

Very true, but luckily enough some of these wealthy Thais are also well connected and jumping the queue and getting the AstraZenica shot now.

Let them have it and it will make the line for the Moderna jab shorter.

[HampiK]

6 minutes ago, ExpatOilWorker said:

Very true, but luckily enough some of these wealthy Thais are also well connected and jumping the queue and getting the AstraZenica shot now.

Let them have it and it will make the line for the Moderna jab shorter.

This wealthy Thais had their second shot already!

I see many connected people who skip the queue.. and even give their workers an much earlier vaccine appointment than official appointments. As some of the Hi-So are concerned they could become covid from their office personal as well!

As to the respond there aren't that many wealthy thais only 0.7% very wealthy... that would mean 0.7% is already about 500'000 person... and this would be only the very wealthy.. not included the wealthy ones ???? so yes that's still a huge amount. even when the number 0.7% seems to be small.

[spidermike007]

3 hours ago, WaveHunter said:

The first lot for delivery by October (or sooner) is 4 million doses I believe.  From an efficacy standpoint, I'm sure that 2 million people will receive two doses from that lot, as opposed to 4 million people receiving only a first dose.  It's the only logical strategy from a efficay standpoint.

 

Since the most likely market for the Moderna will be foreigners, and there are less than 2 million foreigners in the age range to receive a vaccine, all foreigners desiring vaccination for pay would probably be accommodated from that first lot.

 

Also, in spite of recent news stories about Moderna's choked supply chain, I still think that jabs beginning  by October or sooner is not guaranteed but it's certainly not out of the question.  

 

So, in light of these things, and the fact that international travel is still highly problematic, I think the pros of being vaccinated here still outweigh the cons of travelling back to the States.  Just my opinion of course.

You are assuming an awful lot with the mere mention of logic. However, it is safe to presume the private sector possesses alot more of that logic than this bumbling administration. 

 

Let us hope at least some of what you are predicting comes to pass. 

[WaveHunter]

19 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

You are assuming an awful lot with the mere mention of logic. However, it is safe to presume the private sector possesses alot more of that logic than this bumbling administration. 

 

Let us hope at least some of what you are predicting comes to pass. 

Yes I know; the words "logic" and "government" don't normally exist in the same sentence, except in political satire. 

 

It's almost always the case that a commercial enterprise (which is what private hospitals really are) is going to WAY MORE efficient at bringing a product to market, especially one as complex as this.

 

I know I'm assuming a lot, and nothing is really etched in stone, but I strongly feel that the private hospitals will prove to be a safer bet for us farangs. 

 

I mean, if you look at how the Ministry of Public Health's online registration system is working out at the moment, nothing more need be said LOL!

Edited June 8, 2021 by WaveHunter

[WaveHunter]

2 hours ago, ExpatOilWorker said:

Very true, but luckily enough some of these wealthy Thais are also well connected and jumping the queue and getting the AstraZenica shot now.

Let them have it and it will make the line for the Moderna jab shorter.

I agree, and I don't think they even have to do much jumping.  I mean for a Thai person to become vaccinated involves almost no obstacles, whereas for a foreigner to receive one, the obstacles are proving almost overwhelming.

 

Most Thai's even those with deep pockets are probably opting for a public vaccination, if for no other reason than it is easy and probably happen far sooner for them than waiting for private hospitals.  For us Farangs, I think it's the exact opposite.  

 

So yeah, I agree that not that many Thais will be competing with us Farangs for Moderna from private hospitals, and I think the primary motive for private hospitals to be pushing so aggressively to procure Western vaccines is how vocal Western expats have been in wanting them.

Edited June 8, 2021 by WaveHunter

[scorecard]

On 6/7/2021 at 5:57 PM, Pilotman said:

That date is most probably quite meaningless in the present climate of chaotic inefficacy, but good luck to her, I hope its true 

 

Perhaps it's the date of birth of the applicant?

[placnx]

5 hours ago, Pib said:

Nope, the most likely market is Thais who are willing and able to pay approx Bt4,000 for two dozes and there re PLENTY such Thais.   Don't get caught in the trap of thinking most all Thais only make about 10-15K bath per month and can only barely afford necessities like food much less Bt4K for a vaccine as there are millions middle and high income Thais who would not even blink at paying Bt4K for two dozes of Moderna/Pfizer.

 

4 hours ago, WaveHunter said:

Precisely speaking, according to a report published by the Credit Suisse Research Institute titled “The Global Wealth Report 2018", 91.7 percent of Thai adults belong in the under-US$10,000 wealth band. 

 

The number of "wealthy" Thais is far lower than you think.  The same report found that only 7.5 percent of the population is in the between US$10,000 and US$100,000 band, and 0.7 percent in the between US$100,000 and US$1 million band. Only 0.1 percent are members of the over-US$1 million wealth range.

Regarding second quote, how does Credit Suisse get their figures? Official figures may vastly understate the reality as there is much economic activity and income not reported officially. Looking around may be more sensible to get an idea of how many Thais would be able to afford life-saving shots. Some people may have fancy cars but be massively indebted. Even so, there are probably many people who are not overextended, so millions could certainly be interested in Moderna.

 

The question is whether age-based prioritization will apply in the first round of 2 million to be vaccinated. With over a million signups just with one hospital group, the 2 million first round must already be oversubscribed.

[WaveHunter]

On 6/7/2021 at 2:40 PM, wensiensheng said:

Just had my haircut and my barber says she has registered for this. Queue number is approx 1,085,000. Claims vaccination date is august?

 

the date seems unlikely but she showed me the confirmation on her phone.

Curious how you were able to determine a Queue number?  The confirmed appointments I've seen do not show that information. 

 

Regarding appointment date, I think the appointment date is entirely based on location, with preference given to special areas (high infection, sandbox, providential inventories on hand, etc). 

 

You did not mention her location, but here is a confirmed appointment for Bangkok and you can see that the appointment date is only two weeks from now, so August could be a very likely date depending on location.

[placnx]

20 minutes ago, WaveHunter said:

Curious how you were able to determine a Queue number?  The confirmed appointments I've seen do not show that information. 

 

Regarding appointment date, I think the appointment date is entirely based on location, with preference given to special areas (high infection, sandbox, providential inventories on hand, etc). 

 

You did not mention her location, but here is a confirmed appointment for Bangkok and you can see that the appointment date is only two weeks from now, so August could be a very likely date depending on location.

I thought that the subject was private hospitals and Moderna vaccine. Isn't this appointment slip for the government program with AZ and Sinovac?

[WaveHunter]

11 minutes ago, placnx said:

 

Regarding second quote, how does Credit Suisse get their figures? Official figures may vastly understate the reality as there is much economic activity and income not reported officially. Looking around may be more sensible to get an idea of how many Thais would be able to afford life-saving shots. Some people may have fancy cars but be massively indebted. Even so, there are probably many people who are not overextended, so millions could certainly be interested in Moderna.

 

The question is whether age-based prioritization will apply in the first round of 2 million to be vaccinated. With over a million signups just with one hospital group, the 2 million first round must already be oversubscribed.

I see no reason to doubt the Credit Suisse report.  There are a number of other data sources that reflect the same numbers, such as those from the World Bank.  Merely "looking around" is not a substitute for statistical accuracy. 

 

As for "age prioritization" from the private hospitals, who know the answer to that right now?  Not me.  I would suspect (hope) they prioritize by age and comorbidities for the rollout of their first lot.  I mean, I'm sure hospital administrators are responsible and committed to doing this in an ethical manner

 

I don't know where you're getting stats that suggest they must already be "oversubscribed".  Unless you have data to support that, It's kind of bad form to suggest something like that since it just make people who read it unnecessarily more anxious than they already are....no offence intended.

[WaveHunter]

5 minutes ago, placnx said:

I thought that the subject was private hospitals and Moderna vaccine. Isn't this appointment slip for the government program with AZ and Sinovac?

Ohhh...sorry!  You're right.  All of the confusion with both the private and public rollout is turning my brain to mush LOL!  I'm signed up for both.

 

Still curious about the Queue number.  Which hospital issued that, do you know?  It's kind of odd for ANY private hospital to being issuing appointments yet since the Moderna has not even been ordered by the Private Hospital Association yet.  This all just gets more and more confusing by the minute LOL!

Edited June 8, 2021 by WaveHunter

[Caldera]

53 minutes ago, WaveHunter said:

Still curious about the Queue number.  Which hospital issued that, do you know?  It's kind of odd for ANY private hospital to being issuing appointments yet since the Moderna has not even been ordered by the Private Hospital Association yet.  This all just gets more and more confusing by the minute LOL!

 

Thonburi Hospital Group - when I registered with them on Line, the confirmation included a queue number. Mine is in the 600,000s, for what it's worth. 

[bangon04]

On 6/7/2021 at 9:45 AM, mtls2005 said:

Vimut Hospital spokesman, on Khaosod English live stream talking about Moderna.

 

Odds of meeting October deadline, "not less than 80%".

 

Let us hope that the owner of Siam Biosciences does not get offended by their lack of blind loyalty.....

[WaveHunter]

5 minutes ago, Caldera said:

 

Thonburi Hospital Group - when I registered with them on Line, the confirmation included a queue number. Mine is in the 600,000s, for what it's worth. 

Oh cool.  I looked at their LINE app.  It was very well done.  I was tempted to sign up with them but the nearest hospital was just too far away.

[wensiensheng]

1 hour ago, WaveHunter said:

Curious how you were able to determine a Queue number?  The confirmed appointments I've seen do not show that information. 

 

Regarding appointment date, I think the appointment date is entirely based on location, with preference given to special areas (high infection, sandbox, providential inventories on hand, etc). 

 

You did not mention her location, but here is a confirmed appointment for Bangkok and you can see that the appointment date is only two weeks from now, so August could be a very likely date depending on location.

She showed me the confirmation on her phone. Hers was Thonburi hospital. The queue number was shown and I saw it because she pointed it out and was laughing about how far back she was.She told me the date was in August, I didn’t actually see that.

 

she is Thai and in Phuket. She is scared of sinovac and so didn’t register for that here, although she could have done so if she wished.

 

perhaps the fact that it’s a different hospital to yours accounts for the different confirmation layout. I really don’t have any more information than that.