Health minister denies Thailand rejected 1m dose Pfizer vaccine donation offered by US

[DefaultName]

I can't help thinking that about now, somewhere in the US or Thailand, there's a low-level civil servant looking at an envelope on his desk and thinking "Oh ****, I should probably have opened that".  ????

[Thingamabob]

14 hours ago, HaoleBoy said:

Is this just Thailand doing what China wants and says?

 

Or is that too sophisticated a theory and the Thai Ministers just can't get their sh*t together and know what the left hand is doing. 

Both.

[Artisi]

1 hour ago, khunjeff said:

Let's see. Tammy Duckworth has absolutely no incentive to lie, since this issue is of zero importance to her constituents. Anutin, on the other hand...

 

And just for laughs, let's pretend that the information from this expert in protocol and diplomacy is accurate. Why didn't the Thai ambassador just tell Duckworth "hey, for our internal purposes we kind of need a paper from your Embassy in Bangkok, would you mind providing that"? It would have been sent the next day. But more to the point, someone is publicly offering you a gift worth $30 million that your people desperately need. Why would you sit back and wait silently for the document you want, rather than immediately getting on the phone to the Embassy and asking "we really appreciate the offer, how can we get this done as quickly as possible?" 

You mean to put brain into gear and use it in a logical manner, now that is really pushing it. 

[Artisi]

18 minutes ago, law ling said:

A typical deflecting-the-blame game:

 

US says: "You didn't do X"

Thai says: "We did Y" (and adds the "misunderstanding" tag, which must resonate as a fully acceptable excuse in the Thai mindset).

 

The cock-up should be a sacking offence for the minister (and his head of department) - but it'll just get another roll of the eyes and shake of the head - there are no consequences here ... (but they better keep working on getting an amnesty ... just in case).

 

Haha ... as the coup was plotted years ago in dark, smoke-filled back-rooms, it never occured to them that if they pulled if off they'd have to competently run the country? ... no one ever mentioned how hard that would be!

Thinking past the next meal is far too difficult, the reason is an unknown concept, unless of course there is money involved-but that's a completely matter. 

Edited September 24, 2021 by Artisi

[koele2]

Yeah, but when the Chinese offered up sinovac to him, it was just some random rich Chinese guy looking to make some connections.  And the vaccine wasn’t even donated!  But when the Americans want to donate better vaccines, it has to go through the “proper” channels.  

[Bkk Brian]

Latest update 

 

Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai will meet with US Senator Tammy Duckworth, after the Congresswoman revealed that the US donation of Pfizer vaccine is on hold because the Thai government has not yet responded to the offer.

 

Foreign Minister Don would meet with Senator Duckworth in person at the White House after he completes his mission in New York. 

“In the meantime, there has already been close coordination, and the results of the donation talks will be announced soon,” said the spokesperson.

 

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40006591

[mahtin]

Optical illusion.

I see no ships.

[johnarth]

could this be Anutin doing what he is told to do?

[Neeranam]

10 minutes ago, koele2 said:

Yeah, but when the Chinese offered up sinovac to him, it was just some random rich Chinese guy looking to make some connections.  And the vaccine wasn’t even donated!  But when the Americans want to donate better vaccines, it has to go through the “proper” channels.  

The Americans have motives to make donations to Thailand, in the form of military operations. Of course, it has to go through channels. Both countries are totally corrupt, but the US is not as transparent. 

[Artisi]

4 minutes ago, johnarth said:

could this be Anutin doing what he is told to do?

Not before time.... 

[Artisi]

1 minute ago, Neeranam said:

The Americans have motives to make donations to Thailand, in the form of military operations. Of course, it has to go through channels. Both countries are totally corrupt, but the US is not as transparent. 

..... or juvenile. 

[Enzian]

We all know what is going on via Chinese kickbacks and on and on, but it doesn't matter because he is not accountable and those foreigners living in Thailand can do nothing about it and the Thais themselves can do nothing about it, it's the definition of an Asian despotism and everyone just needs to suck it up.

[toofarnorth]

2 hours ago, actonion said:

Any problems   in Thailand  just tell them its a misunderstanding  lol

Just to repeat what others have said  Thailand the hub of misunderstandings.

[mduras01]

Reminds me of that movie, Idiocracy 

[mickyr55]

15 hours ago, HaoleBoy said:

Is this just Thailand doing what China wants and says?

 

Or is that too sophisticated a theory and the Thai Ministers just can't get their sh*t together and know what the left hand is doing. 

Can't believe that this administration would turn down anything that was offered freely ????????????

[mickyr55]

Once again the total disregard by the government towards what is happening in the country. 

Now is paperwork before lives ????????????

[Magenta408]

A total liability. A shame. A shame.

[BTB1977]

The paper work takes so long. Probably need 1,000 copies of each page . God forbid they use a computer.  

[khunjeff]

41 minutes ago, Bkk Brian said:

“In the meantime, there has already been close coordination, and the results of the donation talks will be announced soon,” said the spokesperson.

What "talks" are required when a gift is offered with no strings attached, and how could the "results" of those talks ever be in doubt? I would think a simple "thank you" would do the the job very nicely.

[john thom]

1 hour ago, 4MyEgo said:

We all know that the US donated over a million Pfizer vaccines already which were supposed to go to front line workers as a booster due to the vaccine that it heavily invested in Sinovac not standing up to the Delta, however with clear scientific evidence showing it was only 13.8% effective to the Delta strain, Anutin was still ordering millions of doses, was that a misunderstanding.

 

Next month Thailand is going to be vaccinating kids with Pfizer ages 12-17, so 3 of our kids will get it, what about my wife who doesn't want Sinovac and without Sinovac as the 1st dose she can't get AZ. The kids are less susceptible to Covid so it doesn't make sense that they want to give it to them 1st, in my opinion, it should go to the rest of the population first and the kids last, this is what they had done around the world, but no, in Thailand we will give the good stuff to the kids and the s*it to the adults.

 

I really pray the day comes that when this government is ousted, that someone with balls goes after them, like they did with the Shinawatras and others, however not allowed to flee, because what Mr A and Mr P have done, is nothing short of murder in my opinion and should be held accountable.

 

No doubt if the day ever arrives, they will cry the same story as Joe Ferrari, I did it to protect the people, it was all a misunderstanding, yes that word again.

Bravo-   Need Thais to think and say the same-

[robblok]

Like others have said, the US senator has no reason to lie (unless she is being paid by Thaksin).

 

Anutin and the Thais on the other hand are known for messing things up and then having to cover for it.

 

If i were a betting man i bet on the Thais lying and covering up. Based on the fact that I think an US senator has far less reasons to lie then Anutin because if this is the case its another egg on the face.

[Emdog]

so headline says "did not reject". Rejecting is an activity, a "doing something", so technically correct. More of a passive aggressive "doing nothing" approach what we have here.

Reminds me of Thailand declaring war on US in WWII, but ambassador in DC didn't deliver the declaration, giving them an out.

[flyfrog]

Off course cause there is nothing to gain with a donation????

[paul1804]

IT is beggars belief what goes on in LOS with their elected ( supposed to be ) leaders, 1 million Pfizer doses waiting to be sent but cannot because paperwork not completed by Thailand! If this is true it is treasonous given the current situation, why is this tolerated by the General and people of Thailand! 

 

[ArcticFox]

smoke  ----->  fire

[fondue zoo]

15 hours ago, HaoleBoy said:

Is this just Thailand doing what China wants and says?

 

Or is that too sophisticated a theory and the Thai Ministers just can't get their sh*t together and know what the left hand is doing. 

 

A little from Column A and a little from Column B

 

[ThaiFelix]

2 hours ago, Sydebolle said:

Let me explain the "delay" which is normal standard procedure here: 

The US donation requires Thailand to check a "Yes I want the free vaccine with no strings attached" or "No I don't want the free vaccine" box.  And then signatures (or thumb prints) need to be affixed by all Deputy Ministers and Minister of Public Health as well as all Deputy Prime Ministers and the Prime Minister himself! This might take a moment as some are on overseas duty trip shopping or on the golf course. 

 

Then Thailand will need to appoint a committee of 37 experts to do a 90 day evaluation of the offer.   

 

The offer then is, initially, refused as it came all in alien English and the Thai government is still trying to get a certified copy in Thai. Back to Square One, then proceed with the Thai version as follows: 

The US offer needs to be stamped by the US State Department as genuine, then the Thai Embassy in Washington DC verifies the US State Department's signature with one of their stamps followed by another stamp by the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bangkok verifying the Thai Embassy Washington's signatory. The US Embassy in Bangkok and the subsequent verification of the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the US Embassy Thailand's signature needs to follow. 

Then it hits a cabinet meeting and is handed over to the Ministry of Health. There the documents are completed with a hand-drawn map to Bangkok from Pfizer New York via Washington DC - all in Thai.
The Ministry of Finance will verify this as a donation and informs customs, that the shipment covered with this pile of stamped paperwork will enter duty free. 
Ah, and before I forget, all this has to be done in BLUE ink, with the signatures of a  majority of the cabinet which must be accompanied with photocopies of ID cards and House registers of all those signatories. 

Any more questions? 

You forgot the photos, both inside and out with the embassy building number clearly showing.

 

[brianthainess]

15 hours ago, Bkk Brian said:

The people missing out here are those in Thailand who could have been double jabbed with the vaccine already

There are also many falang waiting for their first shot out in the sticks, thankfully i got my first shot of Pfizer on Monday and have an appointment for second shot in 3 weeks, despite being discriminated against and treated by A-Nut-In government as a second class human.

[fondue zoo]

 

Does anyone else hear the Benny Hill Show theme music playing in the background these days?

 

 

[koele2]

The U.S senator forgot to make two photocopies of each page and then sign each page in blue ink.  
 

But seriously, she could have avoided all this misunderstanding if she had just figured out a way to funnel some money to certain people.  It may be free vaccines for regular people, but someone high up gotta get paid.  Otherwise what’s the point of public service?