vaccination

[gamini]

I am 90 years old with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and many other lung problems like chronic bronchitis 
I'm a British subject I tried every possible means to get a vaccination but failed. I think at least the British consular section should do something to help people like me and others in the same situation. I would obviously like to stay at home and not go out. But I have to go to hospital for medical treatment twice a week. 

[Chris.B]

Gamini,  there are many of us in similar situations, i.e. expats over 60 and/or with qualifying medical conditions. Living upcountry I cannot get vaccinated as well.

[richard_smith237]

19 minutes ago, gamini said:

I am 90 years old with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and many other lung problems like chronic bronchitis 
I'm a British subject I tried every possible means to get a vaccination but failed. I think at least the British consular section should do something to help people like me and others in the same situation. I would obviously like to stay at home and not go out. But I have to go to hospital for medical treatment twice a week. 

 

It is folk such as yourself who the British Embassy really need to be helping in situations such as this.

 

I don’t support the argument that the British Embassy should be vaccinating all British Nationals in Thailand. Myself and all other healthy younger people (<70) don’t really need the assistance of the Embassy, we can take care of ourselves and make our own plans regardless of the B!tching of some who believe the Embassies should be holding our hands... 

 

But, there are cases, where those in high risk groups definitely need someone with the right connections in their corner. 

 

As you have COPD and attend hospital twice per week I’m quite disgusted that the hospital themselves have not put you on a high priority group and ensured your vaccination. 

 

Yours is a perfect example of where the British Embassy could step up and take care of those Nationals in high risk groups. 

 

It would not be a major logistical operation to reach out invite those British Nationals over a certain age and in high risk groups to receive a vaccine at the Embassy or pre-designated medical facility.

 

 

There are of course those who would still complain, don’t want to travel to a vaccination centre etc - not everyone can be pleased, but for those in serious need, something can and should be done. 

 

 

In the mean time I hope you stay safe, sorry the only advice I can offer is to get a Yellow Tabien Baan and Pink ID and register at your hospital that way. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[richard_smith237]

 

 

I don’t know where you are located...

 

You can book the vaccine at MedPark hospitals 

 

https://www.medparkhospital.com/en/page/covid19-vaccine-expats

[Eff1n2ret]

13 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

 

I don’t know where you are located...

 

You can book the vaccine at MedPark hospitals 

 

https://www.medparkhospital.com/en/page/covid19-vaccine-expats

Bless my soul. They've given me a booking for 7th August.

 

Per Ardua ad AstraZeneca

[theoldgit]

1 hour ago, Eff1n2ret said:

Bless my soul. They've given me a booking for 7th August.

The day after mine ????

[Tony M]

I have a booking too. Is the type of vaccine known ?  I didn't see that when I was hurrying to register !

[OJAS]

3 hours ago, Eff1n2ret said:

Bless my soul. They've given me a booking for 7th August.

 

Per Ardua ad AstraZeneca

 

2 hours ago, theoldgit said:

The day after mine ????

And mine's booked for 8th August!

 

 

8 minutes ago, Tony M said:

I have a booking too. Is the type of vaccine known ?  I didn't see that when I was hurrying to register !

AstraZenica was definitely mentioned, as I recall.

 

[Eff1n2ret]

10 minutes ago, Tony M said:

I have a booking too. Is the type of vaccine known ?  I didn't see that when I was hurrying to register !

Trawling around their other pages, I saw mention of AstraZeneca, but that's not to say that is what we will get.

[OJAS]

17 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

I don’t know where you are located...

The OP appears to be based in Hua Hin according to his profile.

 

[Tony M]

1 minute ago, Eff1n2ret said:

Trawling around their other pages, I saw mention of AstraZeneca, but that's not to say that is what we will get.

I have sent an enquiry to the hospital.  If they respond, I will let you know.

 

 

 

[bubblegum]

OMG this sounds to good to be true, I just filled in the onine form and have a appointment set on Aug. 9th. The email came straight away! 

[bubblegum]

Been calling different tel. numbers for this place but nobody ever answers the phone. A hospital not answering the phones???????

[Tony M]

Further to my earlier post, the hospital has replied :

 

This vaccine is allocated from the Thai Government, therefore there is no option to choose the brand of the vaccine. Thank you for your understanding.

 

I guess that means it may not be AZ.  I will go to the appointment, but if it is Sinovac, I will not have it.

 

EDIT :  I asked for more information from the hospital. They say :

 

as you mention you have received an appointment, once you arrived at the vaccine center as mention in the appointment time and date, you will be informed by the officer about the brand of vaccine before vaccination. thank you.

[Tony M]

Well, some governments seem to be reaching "accommodations" with the Thai government. I wonder why we can't ?

 

"AstraZeneca Available to Canadians July 19th per Cdn Embassy"

 

I'm also wondering why I haven't received any response to my questions in my earlier posts. Too difficult ?  In the "pending" tray ?  Refer to London for a "line" to take ?

[brewsterbudgen]

11 minutes ago, Tony M said:

Well, some governments seem to be reaching "accommodations" with the Thai government. I wonder why we can't ?

 

"AstraZeneca Available to Canadians July 19th per Cdn Embassy"

 

I'm also wondering why I haven't received any response to my questions in my earlier posts. Too difficult ?  In the "pending" tray ?  Refer to London for a "line" to take ?

I'm guessing Dominic Raab and Boris are tying the Embassies' hands!

[Tony M]

2 minutes ago, brewsterbudgen said:

I'm guessing Dominic Raab and Boris are tying the Embassies' hands!

You are probably right, but the question is why ?

[jayboy]

11 minutes ago, brewsterbudgen said:

I'm guessing Dominic Raab and Boris are tying the Embassies' hands!

I very much doubt it.In fact I would be very surprised if the matter had reached ministerial level.

 

What's critical now is the position taken by the new Ambassador, Mark Gooding.

[Tony M]

11 hours ago, Tony M said:

Well, some governments seem to be reaching "accommodations" with the Thai government. I wonder why we can't ?

 

"AstraZeneca Available to Canadians July 19th per Cdn Embassy"

 

I'm also wondering why I haven't received any response to my questions in my earlier posts. Too difficult ?  In the "pending" tray ?  Refer to London for a "line" to take ?

The optics aren't so good now, Consular Section :

 

Vaccinations available for Australian nationals in Thailand

The Thai Government is offering Australians the opportunity to be vaccinated with AstraZeneca

[OJAS]

12 hours ago, Tony M said:

Well, some governments seem to be reaching "accommodations" with the Thai government. I wonder why we can't ?

 

"AstraZeneca Available to Canadians July 19th per Cdn Embassy"

 

I'm also wondering why I haven't received any response to my questions in my earlier posts. Too difficult ?  In the "pending" tray ?  Refer to London for a "line" to take ?

The simple answer, Tony, is that Boris seems far more obsessed with and focussed on giving away 100m vaccine doses deemed surplus to UK requirements to each and every non-British non-resident national on this great planet of ours - who also, like us expats, are not entitled to benefit from NHS services in the normal run of things. When I enquired of the DHSC how many of these surplus doses were destined for Thailand (and hence far more likely to end up in Thai, rather than British, arms) I was informed that they were unable to provide me with the information which I had requested owing to COVID-related staffing pressures! What a convenient way of ducking the issue, methinks!!

 

[thonglorjimmy]

1 hour ago, Tony M said:

The optics aren't so good now, Consular Section :

 

Vaccinations available for Australian nationals in Thailand

The Thai Government is offering Australians the opportunity to be vaccinated with AstraZeneca

And now this:

"Dear Canadian: 

You are receiving this message because you are registered with the Registration of Canadians Abroad as being in Thailand. 

The Embassy of Canada in Bangkok has just been allotted a limited number of AstraZeneca vaccination appointments by the Government of Thailand on Sunday, July 18, 2021 for Canadian Citizens living in the Bangkok area.  The Government of Canada is merely acting as a messenger in this initiative and makes no representations or warranties as to the safety or the efficacy of the vaccination." 

[OJAS]

18 hours ago, Tony M said:

I have sent an enquiry to the hospital.  If they respond, I will let you know.

For what it may now be worth I have also sent an enquiry of my own regarding the car parking facilities which might exist at the hospital. I doubt whether travelling to the Khlong Toei or Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre stations on the MRT (which I gather is the Bangkok equivalent of the Northern Line) would be practicable in the case of those of us living in the sticks.

[OJAS]

12 hours ago, jayboy said:

I very much doubt it.In fact I would be very surprised if the matter had reached ministerial level.

The Embassy and/or their FCDO masters in Whitehall could, of course, clarify the position for us one way or the other - but, no doubt, they will feel constrained by the Official Secrets Act to do this.

 

[Tony M]

The wording of the latest announcement ( re vaccinations for Australian citizens) is interesting :

 

"Vaccinations available for Australian nationals in Thailand

The Thai Government is offering Australians the opportunity to be vaccinated with AstraZeneca" 

 

This appears to be an offer from the Thai government.  My question to the Consular Section of the British Embassy is, has a similar offer been made to the British Embassy/ Government and, if so, what is/was the response to the Thai offer ?

[thonglorjimmy]

17 minutes ago, Tony M said:

The wording of the latest announcement ( re vaccinations for Australian citizens) is interesting :

 

"Vaccinations available for Australian nationals in Thailand

The Thai Government is offering Australians the opportunity to be vaccinated with AstraZeneca" 

 

This appears to be an offer from the Thai government.  My question to the Consular Section of the British Embassy is, has a similar offer been made to the British Embassy/ Government and, if so, what is/was the response to the Thai offer ?

The Americans are following suit, so probably the UK Embassy may yet surprise us and prove us naysayers wrong.

 

Email from US Embassy received minutes ago today, Saturday 0830am.  No info on vaccine type or number of slots for the 4PM start of inoculations....note the Australian Embassy announced yesterday their same "Thai Government opportunity" with AZ identified as the vaccine and their shots at 1PM.  Canadian Embassy did a similar announcement yesterday as well.  

 

 

 

[tonray]

Just now, thonglorjimmy said:

The Americans are following suit, so probably the UK Embassy may yet surprise us and prove us naysayers wrong.

 

Email from US Embassy received minutes ago today, Saturday 0830am.  No info on vaccine type or number of slots for the 4PM start of inoculations....note the Australian Embassy announced yesterday their same "Thai Government opportunity" with AZ identified as the vaccine and their shots at 1PM.  Canadian Embassy did a similar announcement yesterday as well.  

 

 

 

[Havenstreet1940]

To the British Embassy Bangkok.   Have you been offered a quota of Astrazeneca from the Thai Goverment, if not what are you going to do to ensure that you will be offred vaccines on behalf of the British Nationals living here in Thailand?

 

No longer can you hide behind the FCO or that the NHS doesn't provide medical services outside of the UK - they were always disengenuous reasons anyway -  now that Canada and Australian Embassies have been offered vaccines,   and you have to come clean and admit you have no interest in assisting British Nationals in Thailand or the Ambassador has to tell the Thai Government that he would be most grateful to accept an allocation.

 

Your silence will be damned forever if you do nothing!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[thonglorjimmy]

15 minutes ago, Havenstreet1940 said:

now that Canada and Australian Embassies have been offered vaccines,   and you have to come clean and admit you have no interest in assisting British Nationals in Thailand or the Ambassador has to tell the Thai Government that he would be most grateful to accept an allocation.

 

Your silence will be damned forever if you do nothing!

You can add the American and New Zealand Embassies to that list, though I suspect the allocations have already been snapped, those offerred via the American Embassy certainly have been.

[jayboy]

42 minutes ago, Havenstreet1940 said:

To the British Embassy Bangkok.   Have you been offered a quota of Astrazeneca from the Thai Goverment, if not what are you going to do to ensure that you will be offred vaccines on behalf of the British Nationals living here in Thailand?

 

No longer can you hide behind the FCO or that the NHS doesn't provide medical services outside of the UK - they were always disengenuous reasons anyway -  now that Canada and Australian Embassies have been offered vaccines,   and you have to come clean and admit you have no interest in assisting British Nationals in Thailand or the Ambassador has to tell the Thai Government that he would be most grateful to accept an allocation.

 

Your silence will be damned forever if you do nothing!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Perhaps there is a limited understanding that there is a major crisis so see useful link below.Let's give the new Ambassador a chance to salvage the situation and end the Embassy's public relations nightmare.

 

https://thaiislandtimes.substack.com/p/thailand-tightens-containment-measures

[Eff1n2ret]

1 hour ago, OJAS said:

For what it may now be worth I have also sent an enquiry of my own regarding the car parking facilities which might exist at the hospital. I doubt whether travelling to the Khlong Toei or Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre stations on the MRT (which I gather is the Bangkok equivalent of the Northern Line) would be practicable in the case of those of us living in the sticks.

I sent the same enquiry, as there's no way I'm getting on any public transport in Bangkok. They replied as follows:-

Regarding your inquiry, you can drive and park your car at The ParQ for 3 hours with free of charge. After that you can walk from The ParQ to our hospital and you will see the Gate No. 4 which you will need to contact at this gate for vaccination.

 

Note: The ParQ is located next to our hospital. You can see the map here: https://goo.gl/maps/ut1EeDraKdSNVD4W6