Expat Registration for public vaccination has failed! What can we do?

[WaveHunter]

2 hours ago, DrPhibes said:

E-mailed my Congressman, The Washington Post, and the WSJ.  In retrospect I should also send a copy to PBS in the US.

I know a lot of people think that doing these things is a waste of time but I have done just what you have done becuase I think that sometimes this is how grass-root movements get started, and besides...how long does it take to fire off some emails.  Well worth the efforts IMO, and at least you know you did something positive about a situation that is just plain wrong no matter how you look at it.

[NanLaew]

34 minutes ago, WaveHunter said:

2 hours ago, DrPhibes said:

E-mailed my Congressman, The Washington Post, and the WSJ.  In retrospect I should also send a copy to PBS in the US.

I know a lot of people think that doing these things is a waste of time but I have done just what you have done becuase I think that sometimes this is how grass-root movements get started, and besides...how long does it take to fire off some emails.  Well worth the efforts IMO, and at least you know you did something positive about a situation that is just plain wrong no matter how you look at it.

Yes, but 'Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore.'

[Jingthing]

1 minute ago, NanLaew said:

Yes, but 'Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore.'

Never was from Kansas thank you very much.

[jeffandgop]

8 hours ago, WaveHunter said:

What an unexpected surprise when I woke up this morning and saw this text on my phone from Phyathai Hospital.  Amazing, Phyathai's offer is actually legit!  Phyathai is the real deal! 

 

If you have not yet successfully gotten registered do it NOW.  9am - Noon today through Friday.  You MUST apply no later than 9:01 am or you will not succeed.  Remember, they are only offering 100 appointments per day.

 

https://phyathai2international.com/

 

I posted a snapshot that shows all the fields you need to fill in so you can be prepared to copy/paste your information into the fields quickly and accurately.  If you need a copy DM me.

 

Good Luck!

 

!

 

You got your registration through a day before mine. I got my registration through today, and my appointment is a day before yours!???  

[WaveHunter]

1 minute ago, NanLaew said:

Yes, but 'Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore.'

In the words of George Bernard Shaw, “There are those that look at things the way they are, and ask why? I dream of things that never were, and ask why not?” 

 

Most people who fail in life are the ones who never even try becuase they think they are powerless to change things.  If you don't at least make an attempt, your fate is sealed.

[WaveHunter]

11 minutes ago, jeffandgop said:

You got your registration through a day before mine. I got my registration through today, and my appointment is a day before yours!???  

Hey!!!  That's no fair!!!  I was first!!!  LOL...just kidding Hahahaha!  Congrats!

 

Hey, by the way, you can change the size of your attachments by just double clicking on them in edit mode, and sizing them down.  Very simple to do but you need to do it before edit mode locks up.  Just thought you might like to know that.

Edited July 14, 2021 by WaveHunter

[DogNo1]

Due to my age (78) I was able to get an AZ vaccination at Bang Sue Station yesterday.   Everything went very smoothly and I was in and out within an hour.  I hope that the vaccination program will expand and that all of my fellow expats will be able to get vaccinated soon.  My second shot is scheduled for October 5th.  That's twelve weeks away but apparently one shot of the AZ vaccine provides 69% - 80% protection against serious symptoms.

 

In the meantime, registration for the Moderna Vaccine at Bumrungrad remains in chaos.  Although I have communicated with the hospital an uncountable number of times, I received a phone call early this morning from the hospital which I didn't hear.  When I called back this afternoon, a woman told me that because I hadn't answered the phone call, the Moderna vaccination was no longer available to me.  I told her that it was OK and that I would request the Moderna at a later date as a booster shot.  It is remarkable that despite my numerous communications with the hospital, they still didn't know as of this morning that I wanted the vaccine.  There is something wrong with these hair trigger responses required by the hospital.   Communications should be improved to allow patients a longer period of time to respond.  Also, communication between different departments should be improved.  The woman who called me today was from marketing.  I had previously spoken to Nursing and IT.

[NanLaew]

46 minutes ago, WaveHunter said:

In the words of George Bernard Shaw, “There are those that look at things the way they are, and ask why? I dream of things that never were, and ask why not?” 

 

Most people who fail in life are the ones who never even try becuase they think they are powerless to change things.  If you don't at least make an attempt, your fate is sealed.

But getting right back on topic, there's, "And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country."

[Jingthing]

3 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

But getting right back on topic, there's, "And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country."

Dude, we can't import vaccines here as private citizens. Our embassy can and our embassy SHOULD! Why? Parlez with the French. They'll tell you. 

[WaveHunter]

31 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

But getting right back on topic, there's, "And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country."

Well, even though JFK's quote has nothing to do with what we're talking about, I do quite a bit for my country, like paying tax dollars that helped create the vaccines; vaccines that I may be denied from getting when they are donated to Thailand becuase I and many others are invisible to the public rollout of vaccine here becuase the government has done nothing to assure we can register.

 

So you can continue with this silly tit-for-tat with a quote that doesn't even fit the narrative if that's your thing, but I have better things to do...so bye!

[Tony125]

1 hour ago, DogNo1 said:

Due to my age (78) I was able to get an AZ vaccination at Bang Sue Station yesterday.   Everything went very smoothly and I was in and out within an hour.  I hope that the vaccination program will expand and that all of my fellow expats will be able to get vaccinated soon.  My second shot is scheduled for October 5th.  That's twelve weeks away but apparently one shot of the AZ vaccine provides 69% - 80% protection against serious symptoms.

 

In the meantime, registration for the Moderna Vaccine at Bumrungrad remains in chaos.  Although I have communicated with the hospital an uncountable number of times, I received a phone call early this morning from the hospital which I didn't hear.  When I called back this afternoon, a woman told me that because I hadn't answered the phone call, the Moderna vaccination was no longer available to me.  I told her that it was OK and that I would request the Moderna at a later date as a booster shot.  It is remarkable that despite my numerous communications with the hospital, they still didn't know as of this morning that I wanted the vaccine.  There is something wrong with these hair trigger responses required by the hospital.   Communications should be improved to allow patients a longer period of time to respond.  Also, communication between different departments should be improved.  The woman who called me today was from marketing.  I had previously spoken to Nursing and IT.

‘Walk-in’ vaccinations of those aged 75+ begin today at Bang Sue Grand Station

 

https://www.thaipbsworld.com/walk-in-vaccinations-of-those-aged-75-begin-today-at-bang-sue-grand-station/

 

 

Older expats have untill July 18th to walk in for a shot of AZ

[NanLaew]

1 hour ago, WaveHunter said:

Well, even though JFK's quote has nothing to do with what we're talking about, I do quite a bit for my country, like paying tax dollars that helped create the vaccines; vaccines that I may be denied from getting when they are donated to Thailand becuase I and many others are invisible to the public rollout of vaccine here becuase the government has done nothing to assure we can register.

 

So you can continue with this silly tit-for-tat with a quote that doesn't even fit the narrative if that's your thing, but I have better things to do...so bye!

Well you started the nonsense by quoting George Bernard Shaw in a thread about waiting for vaccination in a foreign country.

[WaveHunter]

35 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

Well you started the nonsense by quoting George Bernard Shaw in a thread about waiting for vaccination in a foreign country.

Anybody smarter than a box of hair would easily understand the  connection between George Bernard Shaw‘s quote and what you said that prompted me to quote it. So sorry if that seems to allude you. 
 

Edited July 14, 2021 by WaveHunter

[Tony125]

 

Thailand preparing to limit exports of its COVID-19 vaccine

 

https://www.yahoo.com/news/thailand-preparing-limit-exports-covid-130745277.html

 

Their factory has only been able to make 5---6 mil doses a month, far below the 10 mil  a month they were supposed to make for domestic use.  They will have to stop exporting to other countries.

[edwarda909]

Three weeks after the governor of Chiang Mai announced every foreigner and Thaii  would. be vaccinated within a month,  The Chiangmai provincial Public Health office had its app up and running on the web. Yes, we’ve had to tweak it several times, but all in all it was no small feat to accomplish that. For the occasional foreigner who may have trouble registering, we usually tend to their problem within 24 hours. Unfortunately, the majority of our emails that we get Are requesting or demanding that they be given an appointment for a vaccine that we do not have in supply.  Unfortunately, Chiang Mai is a victim of our own success and because we have kept our case numbers so low, much more of the vaccine has been dedicated to those areas such as Phuket and Bangkok and provinces with high numbers.  

[Tony125]

4 minutes ago, edwarda909 said:

Three weeks after the governor of Chiang Mai announced every foreigner and Thaii  would. be vaccinated within a month,  The Chiangmai provincial Public Health office had its app up and running on the web. Yes, we’ve had to tweak it several times, but all in all it was no small feat to accomplish that. For the occasional foreigner who may have trouble registering, we usually tend to their problem within 24 hours. Unfortunately, the majority of our emails that we get Are requesting or demanding that they be given an appointment for a vaccine that we do not have in supply.  Unfortunately, Chiang Mai is a victim of our own success and because we have kept our case numbers so low, much more of the vaccine has been dedicated to those areas such as Phuket and Bangkok and provinces with high numbers.  

Seems that you and the Thai Admiistrators don't understand what  people are demanding/asking for. They are not demanding an appointment (date to get vaccine shot ) they are asking to register (be put on a list ) so that when you get vaccines in 2, 3, 4 months or more  that you contact them and set up a date and time for them to come in and get a shot.  Is that hard to understand?

[rabas]

5 hours ago, WaveHunter said:

In the words of George Bernard Shaw, “There are those that look at things the way they are, and ask why? I dream of things that never were, and ask why not?” 

 

He also said this:

“The reasonable man adapts himself to the world: the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.”

 

Writing to a congressman seems reasonable considering the current dire circumstances. 

[jeffandgop]

6 hours ago, Tony125 said:

 

Thailand preparing to limit exports of its COVID-19 vaccine

 

https://www.yahoo.com/news/thailand-preparing-limit-exports-covid-130745277.html

 

Their factory has only been able to make 5---6 mil doses a month, far below the 10 mil  a month they were supposed to make for domestic use.  They will have to stop exporting to other countries.

I can't believe that they've been able to make 5 or 6 or 1 or 2 million a month as after late June they announced they would deliver 1.4 million doses to make a June/July total of 6 million, I've not seen clear facts as to what they have delivered- and where- so far this month.  If you have that info, please share...thanks.

[jeffandgop]

11 hours ago, NanLaew said:

But getting right back on topic, there's, "And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country."

Yeah, My "what I did for my country" was to faithfully pay my taxes, which then facilitated my country's ability to pay manufacturers to produce vaccines for my country; which my country then disseminated those vaccines I helped to pay for to other countries free of charge, and without care or provisions for those of us in these other countries, who paid for it!!!

 

Damn right I have the right to ask what "my country SHOULD DO" for its' citizens.

Edited July 14, 2021 by jeffandgop

[jeffandgop]

6 hours ago, edwarda909 said:

Three weeks after the governor of Chiang Mai announced every foreigner and Thaii  would. be vaccinated within a month,  The Chiangmai provincial Public Health office had its app up and running on the web. Yes, we’ve had to tweak it several times, but all in all it was no small feat to accomplish that. For the occasional foreigner who may have trouble registering, we usually tend to their problem within 24 hours. Unfortunately, the majority of our emails that we get Are requesting or demanding that they be given an appointment for a vaccine that we do not have in supply.  Unfortunately, Chiang Mai is a victim of our own success and because we have kept our case numbers so low, much more of the vaccine has been dedicated to those areas such as Phuket and Bangkok and provinces with high numbers.  

It took 3 weeks after the government announced everyone would be vaccinated within the next 4 weeks to get a web registration tool up any running?  An the government making that assurance when they did NOT have, knowingly, the vaccines in hand to meet their announced commitment?

 

There's no success then and no success now.  

[DogNo1]

The question now is not how many doses of the donated doses foreigners will receive but how few.  Humane countries have prioritized vaccines to be given to the most vulnerable regardless of nationality.  Like throwing pearls to swine, a few doses here have been provided for foreigners to grovel and compete for.  In my case, not hearing a phone call from Bumrungrad yesterday morning resulted in the Moderna vaccine not being available for me when I called back in the afternoon.   This was a humiliating experience and I will not debase myself by asking for the Moderna vaccine from Bumrungrad again.  Perhaps there are other private hospitals in Bangkok which treat their patients in a more respectful manner.

 

I am luckier than most because I received a shot of the AZ Vaccine at Bang Sue on Tuesday.  I had intended to use a Moderna shot to enhance my resistance to infection but I will receive my second AZ shot at Bang Sue in twelve weeks.   Because of the virility of the Indian Variant, it would be good to have a booster shot of an mRNA vaccine.  I am happy to accommodate the reduced priority for receiving the Moderna Vaccine after having an earlier shot of Astrazeneca but it would have been preferable to choose that rather than just being refused the Moderna because I missed the phone call.

 

It seems that what a poster intends by continuously quoting JFK's famous words is actually "Ask not what Thailand can give to you but what you can give to Thailand."  That would certainly sound pleasant to the Thai authorities.

[hotandsticky]

So, it was Bumungrad's fault that you didn't answer your phone?

 

 

I am sure that they haven't got much to day and can spend all day chasing you down......

 

 

 

 

[Pronto2]

8 hours ago, Tony125 said:

They are not demanding an appointment (date to get vaccine shot ) they are asking to register (be put on a list ) so that when you get vaccines in 2, 3, 4 months or more  that you contact them and set up a date and time for them to come in and get a shot.  Is that hard to understand?

Which is precisely what the poster you criticised (edwarda909) explained happens in Chiang Mai through its successful "Wall of Chiang Mai" app.  It was quickly developed, is well maintained, with continuous and prompt updates on its Facebook page.  It is quite easy to register in Chiang Mai - waiting to be serviced with an injection is another matter, though.

[Skallywag]

13 hours ago, Tony125 said:

‘Walk-in’ vaccinations of those aged 75+ begin today at Bang Sue Grand Station

 

https://www.thaipbsworld.com/walk-in-vaccinations-of-those-aged-75-begin-today-at-bang-sue-grand-station/

 

 

Older expats have untill July 18th to walk in for a shot of AZ

Yet they say must apply for an appointment with the Mor Prom app...which was taken down back in May as I recall

[FridgeMagnet1]

On my way now to get my 2nd dose. 1st was Sinovac but I’m hoping my 2nd will be AZ as per the governments flip flop instructions. 
tried calling the hospital to ask what I’d be getting, but got a pretty short shrift.

the probably don’t know 

[DrPhibes]

18 hours ago, WaveHunter said:

I know a lot of people think that doing these things is a waste of time but I have done just what you have done becuase I think that sometimes this is how grass-root movements get started, and besides...how long does it take to fire off some emails.  Well worth the efforts IMO, and at least you know you did something positive about a situation that is just plain wrong no matter how you look at it.

Just responded a few minutes ago to a response I got back from the US government rep, you are welcome to lift the body of the text to send to news and gov organizations:

 

Hi Armando,

Thanks for the reply.

Don't know why you sent me information on the Philippines or why the VA is involved.  Thailand is not the Philippines and I sent you an e-mail about US citizens, not just veterans.

It is almost impossible for US citizens to get vaccinated here in Thailand.  The rollout in Thailand has been a disaster.  The registration systems for a shot, if you get on before the few slots are filled, go nowhere .  What few have been vaccinated were lucky to show up at the right time where shots were being administered and they had extra, got lucky on website registrations that are open for mere minutes before closing, or were well connected.

Meanwhile, a stockpile of vaccine is sitting in Guam (a US territory) where the government of Guam is promoting foreigners to come and get vaccinated for a price and could be in Thailand in a day.

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/taiwan-guam-vaccination-travel-intl-hnk/index.html

How is it Guam has vaccines to sell and none to get out to US citizens in Southeast Asia?  Traveling to Guam from Thailand is very difficult with weeks of quarantine involved between the two countries (or to the US for that matter) even if vaccinated.

There is a shipment of 1.5 million doses of Pfizer being donated by the US to Thailand very soon with none reserved for Americans living here. The US embassy here in Thailand has our information or can easily acquire it via a website sign up.

China has been able to vaccinate their citizens in Thailand, hell even the French have done it already!  There is no logistical reason why the US can not get vaccines from Guam to Thailand or reserve vaccines coming to Thailand and set up vaccination centers at hospitals to meet it's promise to vaccinate every American citizen.  We vote, we pay our US taxes, we are American citizens, why are we not being treated as such?  I can not relay to you just how angry we US citizens here in Thailand are at how we are being ignored by our own country during this pandemic disaster.

This very recent article sums up the frustration of not just Australian citizens but us US citizens are well.

(https://www.afr.com/world/asia/please-send-vaccines-expats-in-thailand-plead-20210708-p5884w)

On 7/15/2021 7:02 AM, Armando Gonzalez wrote:

Hello Mr. ------,

We reached out to the VA and below you will find their response.

Thank you so much for reaching out to GLA. As per our conversation, the Manila VA Outpatient Clinic in the Philippines has limited supply of the COVID19 vaccine and the process for getting the vaccine is difficult. VISN21 Deputy Network Director, which oversees the Manila VA Outpatient Clinic, suggested for Mr. Evans to go through the Foreign Medical Program (FMP) – Community Care. Below is the link

Foreign Medical Program (FMP) - Community Care (va.gov)

I hope this information is helpful.

Regards,

Armando

Armando Gonzalez

Edited July 15, 2021 by DrPhibes
Grammer

[WaveHunter]

5 hours ago, jeffandgop said:

It took 3 weeks after the government announced everyone would be vaccinated within the next 4 weeks to get a web registration tool up any running?  An the government making that assurance when they did NOT have, knowingly, the vaccines in hand to meet their announced commitment?

 

There's no success then and no success now.  

I agree, but more importantly, many people are not considering that "registration" and "vaccination" are two different things entirely.  There is an excuse for why vaccinations are not occuring in a timely matter, and that's simply because back at the beginning of the year, when many governments were diligently placing orders from any and all vaccines makers around the world, Thailand's politicians were playing self-serving games over favoring Thai-based vaccines and stalling the approval of foreign based ones.  That in itself was unforgivable IMO, but there's the excuse.

 

When it comes to registration however, there is absolutely no excuse or reason that it has not proceeded smoothly.  You don't need a stockpiled supply of vaccine to get everybody registered since all registrations is really about is placing ALL in a queue (or waiting list if you prefer to call it that). 

 

There is no excuse in hell for this!  If they can register foreigners for visas and require them to report every 90 days, they sure as hell can register them for vaccinations...unless there is a darker and more ominous reason why they are not doing so.

 

The point is that unless one is "registered" they will be totally invisible to the public rollout when the supply chain catches up, and that should be very troubling for expats, especially expats whose home countries are donating millions of vaccine doses to Thailand right now.  Those doses will be completely invisible to us expats (whose tax dollars helped pay for them) if we are not registered into the Thai public vaccine rollout!

 

Do we expats have a special right to be upset about this situation?  You sure as hell bet we do!

 

 

Edited July 15, 2021 by WaveHunter

[WaveHunter]

11 hours ago, rabas said:

He also said this:

“The reasonable man adapts himself to the world: the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.”

 

Writing to a congressman seems reasonable considering the current dire circumstances. 

"It's the squeaky wheel that gets greased"!  Not as eloquent as George Bernard Shaw, but it makes the point just as well LOL. 

 

"Nothing ventured, Nothing Gained"  is another good one. 

 

I can't think of how many times in my life I've been staunchly admonished that I couldn't do something, only to find out that I actually could, if it was important enough to me to just try my best and ignore the naysayers .

Edited July 15, 2021 by WaveHunter

[Tony125]

3 hours ago, Skallywag said:

Yet they say must apply for an appointment with the Mor Prom app...which was taken down back in May as I recall

You said  "they said must apply for appointment with the Mor Prom app" who is they you are refering to? If you read the article or the one I was replying to who was a 78 year old farang who Walked in where does it say you need appointment? The article and those who have gone simply are over 75 and walked in.  As the article mentions 75 and over can walk in---no appointment needed. Those who are younger 60---74  were advised to use the Mor Prom app. for an appointment.

Edited July 15, 2021 by Tony125

[Jingthing]

3 hours ago, Skallywag said:

Yet they say must apply for an appointment with the Mor Prom app...which was taken down back in May as I recall

There is mobile phone company based online registration required for age 60 to 74.

Thai ID number required!

 

For over 75 walk ins accepted. The last I heard that could be done with passports on a paper Thai language form at the site.