Thailand to accelerate vaccine rollout to all foreigners aged over 60

[webfact]

 

A letter issued by the Ministry of Public Health on Tuesday has told all provincial health staff throughout Thailand to vaccinate all people in three high risk groups.

 

And for what is believed to be the the first time in an official letter foreigners are specifically mentioned. 

 

The three groups who should be vaccinated against Covid-19 immediately are the over 60s, people with seven underlying health conditions and pregnant women. 

 

The letter dated 20th July is from MoPH official Kiatphoom Wongjarit. 

 

At the end of the letter is says that this order applies to foreigners too, reported PPTV36. 

 

Yesterday registration was opened up for 60 year old foreigners or people born in 1961 to register for vaccination online for jabs at Bang Sue Grand Central Station in northern Bangkok. 

 

It applied to residents of the capital and surrounding areas. 

 

An ASEAN NOW reporter of that age successfully registered in minutes. 

 

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[jacko45k]

2 minutes ago, webfact said:

The letter dated 20th January is from MoPH official Kiatphoom Wongjarit. 

Hang on, that  was 6 months ago......

Edited July 22, 2021 by jacko45k

[George Bowman]

The local hospital out here in the boonies has started vaccinating people over the age of 60. Since I’m over that threshold,  yesterday I decided to see if I could receive whatever vaccine. Basically, the officials said they were not allowed to vaccinate anyone other than Thais, but I could ask the Phitsanulok provincial authorities if they would give permission. 

 

Unfortunately, they also said no and then offered some advice on how to proceed. It was then explained that as a ‘farang’ I could pay for the vaccine from a private hospital sometime in the future. Furthermore, they said the blame for no available vaccine was really America’s fault. Why? When the US government donated the 1.5 million doses of the vaccine to Thailand, they did not stipulate that any was to be given to American citizens...

 

[Denim]

13 minutes ago, webfact said:

An ASEAN NOW reporter of that age successfully registered in minutes

And will get vaccinated next year.

[Thailand]

As mentioned.

Not going to get too excited about a letter issued in January.

 

[Geoffggi]

What about people over 60 with heart conditions but living in Pattaya where can they receive vaccinations???

[RotBenz8888]

24 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

Hang on, that  was 6 months ago......

And thats what they call

accelerate... 

[ThailandRyan]

Why not just open it up to all adults to get vaccinated.  Many under 60 seem to be getting infected and even dying.  Yet it was important to vaccinate those under 60 in the Sandbox and the Samui+ locales.  Boggles the mind actually, and yes I know that those over 60 are high risk but so are those under 60 that have underlying conditions that this registration leaves out.

[grandpa]

As this was issued 6 months ago, I hardly think that bit is breaking news.  Not only that, those people who actually give the vaccines to the patient are not suddenly going to change their policies.  Thais first, farangs last, even if you are over 70 and have 3 of the 7 underlying illnesses!!  That is my experience in Khon Kaen!  And which 70+ year old is nimble fingered enough to manage to register for next year's paid Moderna jabs in the 5 minutes that the lines are opened!  Disgraceful behaviour by Thai Government.

Edited July 22, 2021 by grandpa

[1FinickyOne]

24 minutes ago, Thailand said:

Not going to get too excited about a letter issued in January.

Then what do we have left to get excited about? 

 

I'm getting bored sitting home. 

[Henryford]

Pregnant women OMG !!!

[trainman34014]

In Chiang Mai and area's around it Farang have been able to register right from the start and large numbers of us who did register early on have had a least one shot of AZ.   Naturally some people will fall through the net for various reasons but i think the main reason is confusion about how and where they should register, which has never really been made clear to Patients or Staff, the usual 'right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing' approach to just about everything that needs proper 'organisation' in this country.   An example of this was when i registered on the 'Mor Por' telephone line and the Lady who i spoke to was very helpful and spoke good English; registered me with the number from my Yellow Book (Thai ID Number) and Local Hospital Registration Card (same number) and gave me an appointment date for first jab.    I passed on this information to a friend who wanted to register just 15 minutes later and he got a Woman on the line who spoke almost no English but enough to tell him 'Oh no; Farang not allowed to register yet ', so this just shows how well the Staff are informed/trained to know what they are supposed to be doing.   Other friends went to BIG C where there was a Registration Center and got listed there without any problems providing they had a document with a Thai ID number (Yellow Book, Pink Card or Hospital Registration Card).   It is only in the last week or so that people have said one can now register with just a Passport.

[rabas]

7 minutes ago, grandpa said:

As this was issued 6 months ago, I hardly think that bit is breaking news. 

Broken news.

[FolkGuitar]

7 minutes ago, Henryford said:

Pregnant women OMG !!!

Hey, I'm sure they tested it at least as well as they did with Thalidomide...

[Moonlover]

I was registered at least 3 months ago and I didn't have to go searching for it, they came to my door!

 

Had AZ1 in June and going back for AZ2 next month. Clearly someone in our district read the bottom line.

[ikke1959]

I had an appointment yesterday in the hospital for the 1st jab of Astra. My previous appointment was 6 July but than there did not had they told me.  I am 62. So yesterday I went, but they wnated to give me Sinovac again. I told them no, I have an appointment for Astra, but they look if they saw water burning and said The Government said first jab must be Sinovac.  Now I did not make a new appointment because 2 times waiting for nothing.. they don't get the chance for the 3rd time

[ikke1959]

I had an appointment yesterday in the hospital for the 1st jab of Astra. My previous appointment was 6 July but than there did not had they told me.  I am 62. So yesterday I went, but they wnated to give me Sinovac again. I told them no, I have an appointment for Astra, but they look if they saw water burning and said The Government said first jab must be Sinovac.  Now I did not make a new appointment because 2 times waiting for nothing.. they don't get the chance for the 3rd time

[david555]

39 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

Why not just open it up to all adults to get vaccinated.  Many under 60 seem to be getting infected and even dying.  Yet it was important to vaccinate those under 60 in the Sandbox and the Samui+ locales.  Boggles the mind actually, and yes I know that those over 60 are high risk but so are those under 60 that have underlying conditions that this registration leaves out.

Read again : , didn't you see the comma sign after 60     meaning those with underlying conditions are already in the group

 

"The three groups who should be vaccinated against Covid-19 immediately are the over 60s,  people with seven underlying health conditions and pregnant women. "

[ikke1959]

Anyone knows what they will give you??? Sinovac or Astra?

[Moonlover]

4 minutes ago, ikke1959 said:

Anyone knows what they will give you??? Sinovac or Astra?

Over 60s get AZ.

[CANSIAM]

10 minutes ago, ikke1959 said:

I had an appointment yesterday in the hospital for the 1st jab of Astra. My previous appointment was 6 July but than there did not had they told me.  I am 62. So yesterday I went, but they wnated to give me Sinovac again. I told them no, I have an appointment for Astra, but they look if they saw water burning and said The Government said first jab must be Sinovac.  Now I did not make a new appointment because 2 times waiting for nothing.. they don't get the chance for the 3rd time

Good that you walked out, looks like they are trying to implement the Sinovac/AZ mix for the unvaccinated - 'not happening thanks'.

[Bluespunk]

1 hour ago, Denim said:

And will get vaccinated next year.

Optimist 

[ozzydom]

22 minutes ago, Moonlover said:

I was registered at least 3 months ago and I didn't have to go searching for it, they came to my door!

 

Had AZ1 in June and going back for AZ2 next month. Clearly someone in our district read the bottom line.

same same.

[grain]

I sent an email to Korat Regional Health office....no answer.

I tried to register with local health officer. Got told I'm a foreigner and go talk with my embassy if I want a vaccine.

Asked at Srinakarin Khon Kaen and got told a big fat lie, that they didn't have any vaccines, and all the time they were vaccinating Thais at Central World.

So forget anything regional. Only chance I have to be vaccinated is in BKK. I have appointment at MedPark on August 7, but have to drive to BKK, take a risk of catching covid by entering a dark red zone, and face the risk of having to do covid tests or quarantine returning from BKK. 

[Moonlover]

Just now, grain said:

I sent an email to Korat Regional Health office....no answer.

I tried to register with local health officer. Got told I'm a foreigner and go talk with my embassy if I want a vaccine.

Asked at Srinakarin Khon Kaen and got told a big fat lie, that they didn't have any vaccines, and all the time they were vaccinating Thais at Central World.

So forget anything regional. Only chance I have to be vaccinated is in BKK. I have appointment at MedPark on August 7, but have to drive to BKK, take a risk of catching covid by entering a dark red zone, and face the risk of having to do covid tests or quarantine returning from BKK. 

You're probably far safer to sit tight at home. Even the the journey to and from Bangkok is potentially more hazardous staying home and following the preventative rules.

[grandpa]

I see that the Date on the letter has now been amended to 20th July!  No apology, just changed which makes all our previous comments look crazy!

[mtls2005]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

And for what is believed to be the the first time in an official letter foreigners are specifically mentioned. 

 

 

And a simple Google Forms page, in English. which took me all of 120 seconds to complete and submit. (shades of the old, old, old Vimut form)

 

Now if only registrations were effective.

 

 

[mikebell]

They accelerated from 1 KPH to 2 KPH.

[david555]

12 minutes ago, Moonlover said:

You're probably far safer to sit tight at home. Even the the journey to and from Bangkok is potentially more hazardous staying home and following the preventative rules.

For same reason i don't go "hospital registering shopping"   full of candidates , i just keep myself isolated same as " house arrest "???? 

[sanuk711]

Yes I am sitting here just wondering what everyone is talking about----because I was reading July......

Really the Mods should have stepped in and said something or this would have just carried on.

 

Mods reset to start again....PLEASE

 

 

Edited July 22, 2021 by sanuk711