U.S. embassy in Thailand rejects citizens' appeal for vaccines

[holymoly]

Embassies should react since the present  Thai gov is obviously hostile to allowing expats

no matter how old - I am 88 - to receive a vaccination, not for free and not even for money. IS THAT SO DIFFICCULT TO UNDERSTAND ?

The US gov obviously prefers the schmoosing with foreign government to taking care of 

its citizens abroad in a real sense. 

 

Viva la France ! ! !

[scorecard]

24 minutes ago, vandeventer said:

Sleepy Joe doesn't even know there are citizens outside the USA. Somebody needs to tell him.

Well the previous guy didn't know what democracy nor socialism means, not did he know that folks from many other countries like (their versions) of socialism.

 

Nor did he have any simple respect for the leaders of these other countries. 

[mogandave]

11 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

a U.S. citizen and chair of Democrats Abroad, told Reuters.

 

Shocking

[mikosan]

9 hours ago, WhiteBuffaloATM said:

they shouldnt do it because its not their business

individuals outside their country must surely organize their own healthcare... or return home

France are the only nation doing this ......at home -based French taxpayer expense no doubt.......

perhaps they are offloading those millions of perfectly good unused AZ vaccines , before expiration, a stockpile that Macron created, stupidly & jealously saying AZ was no good........

 

 

Not the only nation, the Chinese have already done it.  But you have a point.

[bradiston]

9 hours ago, WhiteBuffaloATM said:

Phuket & Bangkok Expats now getting vaxed with AZ.

other tourist regions then non- tourist ares to follow soon surely.......

 

and why exactly should embassies start providing mass medical services ?

they provide passport related documents & emergency services for individual citizens in great distress like prisoners or severely disabled.

if not satisfied with medical service here, go elsewhere for that.....

The UK government taxes my retirement pension, and occupational pension, at 20%, abroad, forever. And I don't even live there. That's approximately £150 a month. Or about how many jabs of AZ? All I currently see in return is a selection of embassy notarial services I have to additionally pay for. So, if I'm subject to the same taxes as in the UK, I should be entitled to at least SOME of the same benefits, right?

 

And, just to add insult to injury, they freeze your pension if you live abroad. Miserable, mean, mfs.

[NanLaew]

18 minutes ago, inThailand said:

11 hours ago, clivebaxter said:

Biden would rather get illegal immigrants vaccinated than citizens abroad

So true. What a pathetic country ours has become. 

 

Only in your eyes maybe?

 

Last I read, they are still queuing up at the borders of the Land of Milk and Honey, all desperate to be part of your great American dream.

[NanLaew]

1 minute ago, bradiston said:

The UK government taxes my retirement pension, and occupational pension, at 20%, abroad, forever. And I don't even live there. That's approximately £150 a month. Or about how many jabs of AZ? All I currently see in return is a selection of embassy notarial services I have to additionally pay for. So, if I'm subject to the same taxes as in the UK, I should be entitled to at least SOME of the same benefits, right?

 

And, just to add insult to injury, they freeze your pension if you live abroad. Miserable, mean, mfs.

 

You have to be more precise; the freeze your state pension if you live in certain countries. Thailand is one of those countries.

 

As the Hollywood producer said, "(re)location, (re)location, (re)location!"

[hotchilli]

11 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

The embassy in a message to its citizens in Thailand said the state department could not provide vaccines to the millions of Americans abroad, but would advocate for equitable access locally

Unfortunately that falls on deaf ears in Thailand.

[hotchilli]

11 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

Got the email from the embassy this morning, and I had to just laugh. They have put their trust in Thailand and other countries to vaccinate the citizens who are living or working in those countries.

Wow you got an email.. that's something.

I don't think the UK embassy know we even exist

[bkkflynnsta]

Once again, our US tax dollars hard at work for us expats living abroad. The US and Eritrea are the last remaining Citizen Based Taxation nations on the planet. It's disgraceful that we have to file taxes in the US as well as the countries we live in, and get near zero benefit for it.  We are third-class citizens and punished for working outside our country. Write to your senators and representatives unless you're happy being taxed twice...

Edited June 24, 2021 by bkkflynnsta

[Wake Up]

11 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

Got the email from the embassy this morning, and I had to just laugh. They have put their trust in Thailand and other countries to vaccinate the citizens who are living or working in those countries.

The USA put  their trust in you as an adult citizen to be able to take care of yourself,  Fly home for a free vaccine. Be a responsible adult and stop making excuses for your lack of funds to fly home. 
 

 The government is not your mother that needs to take care of your wants and needs. 

[bradiston]

3 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

 

You have to be more precise; the freeze your state pension if you live in certain countries. Thailand is one of those countries.

 

As the Hollywood producer said, "(re)location, (re)location, (re)location!"

Sure, a move to the Philippines might be on the cards as they are one of the very few countries outside the EU that has an agreement with the UK on that subject. AFAIK, everywhere else in the world, they're going to take their greedy cut.

[Ventenio]

WRONG

 

Friday:  Americans in Thailand who are undercover CIA operatives

               Chiang Mai, my appointment is at 9:32 a.m.  

 

lol

 

Look clowns, nobody wants the embassies overworked by 1 million jokers showing up every day saying, "can I get my vax today because last week I was drunk with a hooker and missed my appointment."

 

IF Americans were dying at a crazy rate in Thailand due to COVID, then it might be different.  Maybe it's different in India.  

 

 

[Knobby37]

Wake up and smell the coffee, Most governments couldn’t give 2 hoots about their citizens or any other

[Ventenio]

8 minutes ago, Wake Up said:

Fly home for a free vaccine. Be a responsible adult and stop making excuses for your lack of funds to fly home. 

 

I've never met a responsible adult in Thailand.  Never.  Also never met a person who flew home for the vax.  Flying home is like 30,000 baht to get the "free" vaccine.   It's like saying, "Buy 10 houses to get a free bowl of soup."  

 

I personally flew around the world 10 times to not be around people.    I'm also on the internet and give advice from my high horse.  

[IamNoone88]

After more than 35 years abroad, you realise that embassies are quite useless and serve no meaningful purpose for their overseas citizens. They add no value and are a cost centre. In the midst of a global pandemic we can again see the true colours of the diplomatic missions. The French have better though - well done. Shame on the British and American. Count on them for next to nothing. We are always left to solve our own problems.

 

[wmccpa112253]

Especially considering that we as US citizens are required by law to file US tax returns and to file other forms with the US government declaring foreign bank accounts and to pay US taxes on Worldwide income.

[bradiston]

4 minutes ago, Knobby37 said:

Wake up and smell the coffee, Most governments couldn’t give 2 hoots about their citizens or any other

Depends. Election time they sure seem to get interested. Seem being the operative word I guess.

[10baht]

11 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Imagine every country in this world would supply vaccines to all their citizens which are in other countries in this world. That would be a lot of vaccines flying around the globe. And for what? Most (all?) countries work on the vaccination of all the people in their individual countries. It just takes some time.

 

As far as I see there is no foreigner in Thailand who didn't voluntarily come to Thailand, maybe except from prisoners. Many foreigners are in Thailand because they enjoy that Thailand is different from home. But then some complain that x and y and z is not like home. Make up your mind! What do you want? Thailand with all the good and all the bad? Or only those parts of Thailand which you like and otherwise your home country should take care of you. Really? 

This is a war , you really are blind or probably _____.

[Millcx]

11 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

Got the email from the embassy this morning, and I had to just laugh. They have put their trust in Thailand and other countries to vaccinate the citizens who are living or working in those countries.

555555555555

[jayboy]

7 hours ago, soi3eddie said:

 

The irony of this comment. How many of those here on Thai Visa Forum would wish for their own people in their home countries to be given priority treatment rather than it going to immigrants - legal or illegal?

 

 

No idea but they would be profoundly ignorant (as well as heartless) if they took that view. The virus is indiscriminate and nobody is safe until everybody is safe.It is wilful stupidity that takes the line that citizens should be given preference.That's why in advanced Western countries there are facilities for anybody to be vaccinated  free of charge without any checks at all being made and no papers demanded.In London for example there is such a facility in Chinatown where there are many illegal immigrants.

 

In Thailand there is de facto discrimination against foreigners in the vaccination effort.Many foreigners have of course been vaccinated but overall the weight of bureaucracy works against equal treatment.I personally don't believe there is any significant degree of xenophobia here, just a clumsy bureaucracy.

 

As to the topic, I am not an American citizen though a strong admirer of the US. If I was an American citizen I would be appalled by the Charge D'Affaires' letter which I though evasive and insufferably patronizing.Speaking more generally I do not expect my Embassy to provide vaccines for me though I commend the French for going the extra yard.I am particularly impressed by the French Ambassador and his staff reportedly being unwilling to get vaccinated while their fellow citizens position was uncertain. It's what was once called "officer class values", meaning that decent military officers looked after the interests of their subordinates before attending to their own needs. Very unfashionable set of values now , though no less admirable for that.

 

What I do expect from our diplomatic representatives is that they should work together on this problem, not rely on bland assurances, get closely involved in the practicalities of the vaccination rollout, keep their patronizing lectures to themselves and show a degree of urgency that to date has been absent.

 

 

[Venom]

9 hours ago, NorthernRyland said:

Given that it's not surprising he would focus on vaccinating the world before the deplorable Americans that were arrogant enough to leave his tax farm.

Nope the tax farm coverage is world wide. You can run but you can't hide. 

[shrimpythailand]

well I think I am going to pass on the vaccine shot - especially the mRNA ones - possible the sinopharm one with old school method - non mRNA - but  only if a mandatory law gets installed to have to get a vax shot 

[bradiston]

14 minutes ago, Wake Up said:

The USA put  their trust in you as an adult citizen to be able to take care of yourself,  Fly home for a free vaccine. Be a responsible adult and stop making excuses for your lack of funds to fly home. 
 

 The government is not your mother that needs to take care of your wants and needs. 

Well, I shouldn't really stick my limey nose in, but hard to believe the content of your opening sentence really forms the basis of an explicit social contract in the US between the US government and US citizens. Seems like utter nonsense to me.

[BB1955]

The State Department is useless for Americans living abroad . All they care about is spending 250 million for a new consulate in Chiang Mai and having there picture taken .

[mtls2005]

At last they are "heartened".

 

Isn't that special.

 

 

I'd be heartened too had I been fully vaccinated with Pfizer.

 

 

 

"I am providing you with an update on the actions our government is taking to ensure you have access to vaccines."

 

"Actions"? Pray tell, what are these actions?

 

"For those who wish to return to the United States to be vaccinated,"

 

 

Gee, thanks for this bone. Who knew this was an option? D'oh.

 

 

Oh, and thanks for issuing tourist visas to all the Thais (many vlogging onYoutube) so they can travel to the U.S. and get a FREE vaccine.

 

And kudos to the U.S. for vaccinating all of the Thai's living in the U.S., including the illegals. 

[ThaiFelix]

11 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Imagine every country in this world would supply vaccines to all their citizens which are in other countries in this world. That would be a lot of vaccines flying around the globe. And for what? Most (all?) countries work on the vaccination of all the people in their individual countries. It just takes some time.

 

As far as I see there is no foreigner in Thailand who didn't voluntarily come to Thailand, maybe except from prisoners. Many foreigners are in Thailand because they enjoy that Thailand is different from home. But then some complain that x and y and z is not like home. Make up your mind! What do you want? Thailand with all the good and all the bad? Or only those parts of Thailand which you like and otherwise your home country should take care of you. Really? 

Good post.  It kinda reminds me of all the young Aussies who go (used to) to Bali, party 24 hours, drunk, race around on motor cycles with no experience, license or helmet, and then complain that the hospitals are not up to scratch and want the Australian Government to bring them home.

 

But I can also see some expats thinking that we still have to pay taxes back home, and often more as expats, but what do they get for it considering they are abroad?  Should their government step up to the plate in a crisis and protect its citizens and just put it down to the cost of doing business?

[rwill]

11 hours ago, Scouse123 said:

The only disturbing news I am getting from friends in Bangkok is that they are coming up against a wall of " Thais first " which I find ridiculous.

If that is the case it is because of the trickle down effect of xenophobic and nationalistic verbal assaults on TV from certain people in government.

It needs reporting to Embassies if this is the case, as this will be taken very seriously and passed on up the chain to Western leaders, who are supplying South East Asia with technology,  science and surplus vaccines.

I received my first shot at Phayathai 2 hospital last Tuesday.  They are vaccinating about 1,000 people a day.  They were almost all foreigners.  The few Thai's that were there I suspect had dual citizenship.  

(if you do go to Phayathai 2 for a vaccine and are driving a large truck/SUV think about parking somewhere else and taking a taxi there.  The parking lot at the hospital has a very low ceiling and the up/down ramps are very narrow too.)

[Sticky Rice Balls]

11 hours ago, clivebaxter said:

Biden would rather get illegal immigrants vaccinated than citizens abroad

thanks Tucker....r there no vaccines in LOS????

[clivebaxter]

39 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

 

Only in your eyes maybe?

 

Last I read, they are still queuing up at the borders of the Land of Milk and Honey, all desperate to be part of your great American dream.

 

Lets be honest there is no point having a border any longer if anyone can just stroll over it and be let in and looked after with tax payers money.