UK continues its refusal to recognise vaccines administered in Thailand

[FreddyB]

There are 2 separate issues here which are more or less independent.

 

Firstly, Thailand remains on the UK red list (likely due to high positivity rate and limited genomic sequencing to identify variants). As such, vaccination status is irrelevant for anyone travelling to UK from Thailand. All arrivals from Thailand (even those who were originally vaccinated in UK) will need to quarantine in a hotel.

 

Secondly, the UK has a list of countries whose vaccination certificate it will recognise. This is a new list and no red list countries are on this list. There wouldn't be any point in UK including red list countries as vaccination status doesn't affect requirement to quarantine.

 

This is nothing to do with the vaccines used in those countries; it's UK's trust in the vaccination certificate.

 

The UK list includes US, EU, Australia, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Bahrain, Brunei, Canada, Dominica, Israel, Japan, Kuwait, Malaysia, New Zealand, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan or the United Arab Emirates (UAE)

 

Bahrain has approved a wide range of vaccines including Sputnik & Sinopharm.

 

https://covid19.trackvaccines.org/country/bahrain/

 

UK has been explicit in its concerns about vaccination certificates from India.

 

https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/no-problem-with-indian-vaccine-certificate-says-top-health-official-after-uk-raises-concern-over-the-certificate-2549492

 

We will likely have to wait until Thailand is removed from UK red list to learn if UK will accept the current vaccination certificate from Thailand.

[PEE TEE]

So the Uk being one of the most stupid country's in the world apart from the USA. do not recognize AZ being the most used in the UK How is that then. Yet they allow hundreds of illegal rubber boat immigrants in without any vaccines and put them in hotels and pay them for the privilege . The real British citizens have to pay around 3000pounds on arrival to their own country . to conclude the punishment for going to Thailand is to pay out so the illegal's can get your money. i am British but would rather go to Afghanistan than the UK probably now more of them than their own country  

[PEE TEE]

16 minutes ago, PEE TEE said:

So the Uk being one of the most stupid country's in the world apart from the USA. do not recognize AZ being the most used in the UK How is that then. Yet they allow hundreds of illegal rubber boat immigrants in without any vaccines and put them in hotels and pay them for the privilege . The real British citizens have to pay around 3000pounds on arrival to their own country . to conclude the punishment for going to Thailand is to pay out so the illegal's can get your money. i am British but would rather go to Afghanistan than the UK probably now more of them than their own country  

Stupid referring  to the government's not the people .

[hashmodha]

"In addition, the UK still does not consider people who have been vaccinated in Thailand, even if they have received two doses of the same vaccine, as being “fully vaccinated”.

So what does UK consider as fully vaccinated??

Does anyone know?

I live here and have had 2 shots of Pfizer!.......????

[hotchilli]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Travel between Thailand and the UK is affected by two issues:

1. Thailand being on the UK’s ‘red list’

2. The UK govt’s refusal to recognise vaccines administered in Thailand

I'm sure Prayut & Phipat have a plan B.

[Big Bert]

Traveler from Thailand even with UK vaccines still need to Quarantine. Everyone must pay £2,250 and get locked up. 

It has nothing to do with Vaccine or where it was administered. This applies to everyone

[hotchilli]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

In addition, the UK still does not consider people who have been vaccinated in Thailand, even if they have received two doses of the same vaccine, as being “fully vaccinated”.

Double Sinovac just doesn't cut it in the real world.

[multatuli]

3 hours ago, Cake Monster said:

It would appear as if the UK has some severe reservations over the actual Integrity, and provenance of the Vaccines administered in Thailand.

 

Helllooo! This is not just UK policy, it's also the EU policy.

[hotchilli]

3 hours ago, RafPinto said:

The guy on the photo would have a good career in a massage shop.

Or wiping down in the go-go establishments between dancers.

[Bezdomny]

Politic. East is bad, west is wunderbar.

[jerrymahoney]

2 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Double Sinovac just doesn't cut it in the real world.

 

 

As such, this means that the vaccines listed below are accepted as valid proof of vaccination in Finland (via Schengen visa website):

• Comirnaty Pfizer-BioNTech by BioNTech Manufacturing GmbH
• Spikevax, formerly Moderna by Moderna Biotech Spain, SL
• Vaxzevria, formerly AstraZeneca by AstraZeneca Ab
• Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) by Janssen – Cilag International NV
• BIBP / Sinopharm by Beijing Institute of Biological Products
• COVISHIELD by Serum Institute of India
• CoronaVac by Sinovac Life Sciences

https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/which-covid-19-vaccines-are-recognised-for-travel-to-finland/

[itsari]

43 minutes ago, Bkk Brian said:

No need for contacts but I did follow the link that I quoted where it tells you that 

 

“Where two doses of a vaccine are required for a full course, you will be able to mix two different types of vaccine, for example, Oxford/AstraZeneca and Moderna, have the two vaccinations under two different approved programmes, for example, Australia and Japan, UK and USA, EU and Canada,” the Departments note.

 

At the same time, the Departments have noted that only four vaccines will continue to be accepted as valid proof of immunity against COVID-19, which are Pfizer/BioNTech, Oxford/AstraZeneca, Moderna, and Janssen (Johnson and Johnson).

 

https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/uk-now-recognises-eu-nationals-vaccinated-with-2-different-covid-19-doses-as-fully-vaccinated/

The information you attached  is for travel within Europe . It has no relevance for travel between Thailand and the UK.

[Bkk Brian]

5 minutes ago, itsari said:

The information you attached  is for travel within Europe . It has no relevance for travel between Thailand and the UK.

You are making this complicated, here's what I said in response to the OP quote

 

 At the same time, the UK has also confirmed it will start recognising people who have received so-called ‘mix and match’ vaccines as being fully vaccinated.

 

"Although obviously not Sinovac as one of the combinations"

 

That is a factually correct statement as confirmed in the link, get over it

Edited September 24, 2021 by Bkk Brian

[John Drake]

45 minutes ago, Golden Triangle said:

You will eventually get a reply similar to this. ????

 

Thank you for your correspondence of 29 June and 19 July about British National access to COVID-19 vaccines in Thailand. There are no plans to roll out the UK’s COVID-19 vaccination programme to British nationals overseas. As with all other forms of medical treatment, British Embassies, High Commissions and Consulates do not provide vaccinations to British nationals resident in, or temporarily visiting, a foreign country. We are closely monitoring the provision of vaccines for British nationals in all foreign countries, including Thailand. The Thai government has confirmed that they are making the vaccine available, free of charge, to all resident foreign nationals. However, we understand your frustration as the vaccination programme is currently restricted by limited supplies and in some areas, has been temporarily suspended. We have also been informed of situations where some British nationals have been turned away. As a priority we are working with the Thai government to ensure equal access for British nationals and to gain clarification on when the vaccine programme will recommence fully in Thailand. The Thai national vaccination programme is working on a prioritisation basis starting with the most vulnerable: those over 60 and with underlying health conditions. British nationals will be eligible when they meet the criteria of the relevant priority group and there are vaccine available. Further information on phases of the rollout is listed on

Translation: Go suck an egg.

[DaveSamutP]

3 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

Wonder why the UK is being such a Richard on this. It seems Canada is ok with the AZ Vaccine from elsewhere.

 

https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/ask-covid-astrazeneca-genx-side-effect-1.6003923

 

There are two different brands of the AstraZeneca shots for COVID-19 available in Canada: The AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine, manufactured in the United States and elsewhere, and COVISHIELD, manufactured by Serum Institute of India. You don't need to worry about mixing them. They are interchangeable.

 

"Same recipe, same molecule, just different factories," said Dr. Don Sheppard, a medical microbiologist and director and founder of the McGill Interdisciplinary Initiative in Infection and Immunity in Montreal in a recent CBC News interview.

 

"Health Canada has evaluated the manufacturing process by both factories and said that they're identical." 

Yeah, but how many people from this part of the world you know going to Canada in the dead of winter? ????

 

On a serious note, though, despite what Dr. Sheppard says, it's false to assume that vaccines manufactured in different places are equal. Nobody thinks that way about virtually anything else. Say, autos, for example. Same car, manufactured in China vs Germany... Same auto, but is it, really? No, it's not.

 

The problem is that people don't really understand anything about vaccines and the complexity of manufacture. They assume every country can produce to same standard...

[Joules]

"“There is no rhyme nor reason to this policy”, they added."

 

Nonsense.  First of all, this Chinovac/Astra mix has never been backed by science.  No country should recognize a vaccine that isn't even allowed in their own country, such as Chinovac, for very obvious reasons.  And the Thai Astra Zeneca is NOT UK Astra Zeneca.  It has had a lot of problems and is NOT even approved for use in the UK.  I know many Thai people that got very sick after getting the Astra -- some of them for a week or longer.  There is something wrong with it.  As for Pfizer, it has to been kept refrigerated in a strict chain of custody.  A rhetorical question:  If you were out in the provinces and Pfizer had been sent out there, would you trust you life to it on the basis that you believed it had been properly handled when no Thai can even read and understand the instructions?  No, that's what I thought.

 

Personally, I got the Pfizer (out in the provinces), compliments of the United States, but I have zero faith in it actually being effective after it having been in the country for a month.  Was it properly refrigerated at all times?  Would I bet my life on it?  555.  At least I will have the vax certificate for the day when Immigration starts requiring it.

 

There is certainly rhyme and reason to this policy.  It is the only logical one.  I feel for the Brits and anyone else suffering this, but you did choose to live here.  You knew the stakes going in.  What is a shame is that each expat's embassy did not hold a proper vaccination session, with a good certificate recognized in the respective countries.

[Pdavies99]

3 hours ago, medina21 said:

The UK government needs to explain why Astra Zeneca in Thailand is not the same as Astra Zeneca in the UK. It's time for the Ambassador to demand an explanation and for the government to provide one.

Perhaps to do with sqeezing extra doses out of a phial bottle, not injecting in the same way ie given as a subcutaneous injection, use of Sinovac, mixing vacinnes not approved, lack of testing, believing the facts, Thailand insisting on quarantine...and so on?

[Snig27]

3 hours ago, rbkk said:

Perhaps they should lower the price of the Thailand Yellow Vaccine Passport to reflect it's current value and worth. 50 baht nows seems overpriced!

I'm travelling in Europe at the moment and it works. Boris' Brexit Britain is a land mentally largely stuck in the mid-19th century, a place where the Empire still sends imperial gunboats to sort out uppity Chinese.

[Cherrytreeview]

46 minutes ago, PEE TEE said:

So the Uk being one of the most stupid country's in the world apart from the USA. do not recognize AZ being the most used in the UK How is that then. Yet they allow hundreds of illegal rubber boat immigrants in without any vaccines and put them in hotels and pay them for the privilege . The real British citizens have to pay around 3000pounds on arrival to their own country . to conclude the punishment for going to Thailand is to pay out so the illegal's can get your money. i am British but would rather go to Afghanistan than the UK probably now more of them than their own country  

Yeah real stupid.

- helped fund Oxford University create AZ vaccine to help get the world out of this mess. (possibly injected in your arm.)

- one of the world's largest genome sequencing capabilities to discover and warn the rest of the world of new variants of concern.

- a furlough scheme to support businesses and employees through the worst of the pandemic.

- donating vaccines globally to third world countries (like Thailand).

Maybe you got a donated AZ vaccine in your arm FOC gifted from the UK.

 

Keep your ill informed and bigoted opinions to yourself.

Now, care to tell us where your from?

[Joules]

By the way, EVERYBODY coming to Thailand has to quarantine for 14 days, the cheapest for a farang being 37,000 baht with SIX (6) covid tests at 3,000 baht each.   Total cost, around £805.

[FritsSikkink]

4 hours ago, keith101 said:

It may  have a lot to do with Thailand's continuing use of Chinas Sinovac and Sino pharm vaccines which i can fully understand .

It has nothing to do with that as they also don't recognize 2 times AZ.

[DavisH]

4 hours ago, keith101 said:

It may  have a lot to do with Thailand's continuing use of Chinas Sinovac and Sino pharm vaccines which i can fully understand .

They don't accept astrazeneca administered in Thailand either. 

[dunroaming]

4 hours ago, Cake Monster said:

It would appear as if the UK has some severe reservations over the actual Integrity, and provenance of the Vaccines administered in Thailand.

 

I think that is spot on!

[DavisH]

9 minutes ago, Cherrytreeview said:

Yeah real stupid.

- helped fund Oxford University create AZ vaccine to help get the world out of this mess. (possibly injected in your arm.)

- one of the world's largest genome sequencing capabilities to discover and warn the rest of the world of new variants of concern.

- a furlough scheme to support businesses and employees through the worst of the pandemic.

- donating vaccines globally to third world countries (like Thailand).

Maybe you got a donated AZ vaccine in your arm FOC gifted from the UK.

 

Keep your ill informed and bigoted opinions to yourself.

Now, care to tell us where your from?

Stupid yes....they develped a vaccine but they at the same time dont approve it. That really makes sense. 

[KarenBravo]

3 hours ago, Tropicalevo said:

 

And for good reason. Thailand - land of fake watches, handbags and......

Seriously, the AZ manufactured in Thailand is not the same as the AZ manufactured in the UK. Different components.

Then we have Happy Larry playing with the number of doses per bottle as well as injecting the stuff in 'other' places.

Lots of reasons to be concerned.

Incorrect, or can you back up your claim?

The vaccine is the same wherever it is manufactured.

 

https://www.astrazeneca.com/country-sites/thailand/press-release/travelling-with-covid-19-vaccine-astrazeneca-made-in-thailand.html

[DaveSamutP]

3 minutes ago, busa said:

It’s about trust, people have little faith in what is being injected in the name of COVID vaccine..very well could be saline water solution and the real vaccine on sold to other more profitable markets. It wouldn’t surprise me 

 

Yes, agree. 

 

There are even far worse possibilities. 

 

What's incredible to me is that so many expats fall into the trap of seeing Thailand the ways average Thais do and being unable to recall how the rest of the world views the country. In fact, expats who've lived here should be the most critical.

[StayinThailand2much]

4 hours ago, rbkk said:

Perhaps they should lower the price of the Thailand Yellow Vaccine Passport to reflect it's current value and worth. 50 baht nows seems overpriced!

You mean they pay as 50 baht to take this thing off their hands? Okay, count me in, good for a beer...

[Fairynuff]

A country that has one of the worst records in the world for deaths and the handling of the pandemic and to this day still has the highest rate of new infections holds but one record.... world beating arrogance as the johnson would say.

[sandyf]

3 hours ago, rbkk said:

 

They have stated that those vaccinated in Thailand also are not allowed to get a NHS vaccine passport as well.

Stated by who?

You are talking garbage. The NHS app is extemely difficult to access and if you have difficulty you must see a GP, but you cannot see a GP because it is not an emergency.

The system is fundamentally flawed for those in the UK far less from outside.

[Tonypandy]

4 hours ago, keith101 said:

It may  have a lot to do with Thailand's continuing use of Chinas Sinovac and Sino pharm vaccines which i can fully understand .

Ah no, it includes all vaccines administered in Thailand including Pfizer AZ Moderna etc. What do you expect when they are experimenting with an experimental vaccine