Local residents on Saturday voiced their anger over being forced to wait in the sun for hours for their vaccination injection. Screenshot: Supplied

 

PHUKET: Local officials in Cherng Talay have called for calm and made quick adjustments to the queues for people waiting to receive vaccinations after tempers flared on Saturday (Sept 18) when people were forced to wait for hours in the sun.

 

An estimated 3,000 people had turned up at the vaccination centre, set up at the Angsana Laguna Phuket resort, officials have confirmed.

 

Local residents voiced their anger at officials managing the queue on Saturday, as they were forced to queue for hours, with no seating and no shade.

 

Full Story: https://www.thephuketnews.com/tempers-flare-over-long-vaccination-queue-81463.php

 

 

-- © Copyright Phuket News 2021-09-20

 

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Thats not good, enough experience by now to have better organisation. The experience I had in Phuket was very different at the Jungceylon site, very well organised both times, in and out within 45 mins both times.

Was this a walk-in site? It sounds like no appointments were made. 

That's why there shouldn't be any walk-in, they should be by appointment so that only a limited people are vaccinated for that day and staggered throughout the day.

Organizing is not the strongest point in Thailand.. Make timeslots with a number of people who can get vaccinated instead of walk in with waiting for hours or appointment for 1000 jabs at 8.00 in the morning. If you have come in at 9 you have number 897 and have to wait for hours too.. Too dangerous to get infected

1 hour ago, EricTh said:

That's why there shouldn't be any walk-in, they should be by appointment so that only a limited people are vaccinated for that day and staggered throughout the day.

If the focus is on vaccinating all levels of the local population, the "walk-in" approach makes sense as I imagine there are many Thais who just don't do that well dealing with the technology needed to make appointments.  A walk-in system seems more accessible.  

To be sure, this has been going on for long enough for officials to be well aware of the need to prepare in advance for large  crowds and have waiting areas set-up with seating and shade.  Sadly, officials in the responsible positions to often just pass of the organizing responsibilities to lower level staff that don't have a clue. 

I would wager the people having such an issue waiting would have been OK if the reason was to get 2000 baht rather than a vaccination.

Is it wrong that people have to wait like this for a vaccination?

Yes it is.

Is it wrong that people behave like this while waiting for a free vaccination?

Yes it is.

These are abnormal times. People need to understand this is not the time to behave in an abnormal manner.

.

 

In other news, all major vaccine manufacturers are now racing to develop two new vaccines; one for impatience, and one for anger....

 

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Meanwhile I was lucky enough to get Pfizer at Bumrungrad Hospital and they were well organised and professional. My thanks for the service and vaccine.

Got a vaccine in samui and had appointment for 1pm which said arrive around 12.45pm . Arrived just before 1pm and there was line of about 300 already waiting in midday sun. Didn’t get out till just before 3pm. Lucky it wasn’t raining or they would have had lot of angry people.

Could it really be so difficult to stagger peoples times and tell around 75 to turn up every half hour instead of everyone at the same time ! ????

11 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Local residents voiced their anger at officials managing the queue on Saturday, as they were forced to queue for hours, with no seating and no shade.

Mis-managing.

9 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

Organizing is not the strongest point in Thailand.. Make timeslots with a number of people who can get vaccinated instead of walk in with waiting for hours or appointment for 1000 jabs at 8.00 in the morning. If you have come in at 9 you have number 897 and have to wait for hours too.. Too dangerous to get infected

Thailands walk-ins are:

we're open all day 08:00-16:00.... everyone arrives 07:00

11 hours ago, EricTh said:

That's why there shouldn't be any walk-in, they should be by appointment so that only a limited people are vaccinated for that day and staggered throughout the day.

Walk in...inside an area of shade and relative sterility. Not walk up to...

Organisation here was obviously <deleted> poor as they seem to have failed to take into account the numbers of people likely to turn up.

 

15 minutes ago, Scott Tracy said:

Walk in...inside an area of shade and relative sterility. Not walk up to...

Organisation here was obviously <deleted> poor as they seem to have failed to take into account the numbers of people likely to turn up.

 

Walk-in usually have long queues when most people have not been vaccinated yet.

 

This happened in Chiang Mai when a walk-in announcement  for foreigners attracted a very long queue that snaked back into the car park lot.  The waiting time was 1 hour from back to queue to front of queue.

 

Queuing for 1 hour is unbearable let alone a few hours as reported in the article.

 

 

A scaremongering troll post has been removed also a reply

11 hours ago, Rookiescot said:

People need to understand this is not the time to behave in an abnormal manner.

Thais can't help themselves. Queue jumping seems to be a national pastime and I'd imagine that's why the trouble started. I saw it a few times at Buriram football stadium but my missus told me to say nothing.This is Thailand.

2 hours ago, ronster said:

Got a vaccine in samui and had appointment for 1pm which said arrive around 12.45pm . Arrived just before 1pm and there was line of about 300 already waiting in midday sun. Didn’t get out till just before 3pm. Lucky it wasn’t raining or they would have had lot of angry people.

Could it really be so difficult to stagger peoples times and tell around 75 to turn up every half hour instead of everyone at the same time ! ????

 I am not complaining as i got my first shot yesterday at my local hospital and staff were very good and organized, It's sooo normal here with appointment times, although only 40 in my que yesterday and shaded area provided, we all had the same time, 1pm out by 3pm so only 2hrs  as with the govt hospitals pre-covid everybody's appointment is 9am. Some people don't turn up some are late

Ahhh! So it's not just not mad dogs and Englishmen who have such proclivities ...

14 hours ago, Rookiescot said:

I would wager the people having such an issue waiting would have been OK if the reason was to get 2000 baht rather than a vaccination.

Is it wrong that people have to wait like this for a vaccination?

Yes it is.

Is it wrong that people behave like this while waiting for a free vaccination?

Yes it is.

These are abnormal times. People need to understand this is not the time to behave in an abnormal manner.

And senior officials / officials are elected/appointed, many paid, to plan things so that the event runs smoothly and comfortably.

 

 

 

6 hours ago, ronster said:

Got a vaccine in samui and had appointment for 1pm which said arrive around 12.45pm . Arrived just before 1pm and there was line of about 300 already waiting in midday sun. Didn’t get out till just before 3pm. Lucky it wasn’t raining or they would have had lot of angry people.

Could it really be so difficult to stagger peoples times and tell around 75 to turn up every half hour instead of everyone at the same time ! ????

Trouble is u seem to find many people don't know what half an hour looks like and can't seem to read the time...if it say turn up at 2 .15. to some it's just a lottery numbers. As they always think first come first serve.

A walk in clinic was announced in my Fiancé's area, however both she and her sister waited a week before attending to allow the initial rush to subside. The clinic was well organised and there was seating in the shade. I am not happy with these broad statements by some people that Thai's cannot organise. Yes they can organise and they can do it very efficiently. In any country there are some people who are not good at their jobs in positions of responsibility often because people rise up the promotion ladder to the level above their maximum competency and go no further.

Ever heard of an appointment system? I've heard they do exist and have been proven to work