Thailand can open safely says PM as country on track to meet vaccine promises

[webfact]

Picture: Daily News

 

The Government House spokesman Thanakorn Wangbunkhongchana said that Thai PM and defence minister Prayuth Chan-ocha was delighted that vaccinations to all kinds of people in the country were on track and meeting targets.

 

He expressed confidence that Thailand would have administered 100 million doses of vaccine by the end of the year into the arms of 70% of the people (50 million) hitting his promises.

 

There was more than enough vaccine now that Thailand has procured 179 million doses from many sources. 

 

He expressed his belief that Thailand would be able to open safely, just like he said before. 

 

Daily News reported the numbers - 51% of the people had received a first dose, 35% - more than 1 in three - a second. 

 

65 million jabs had been done between February 28th and October 16th inclusive. 

 

37.6 million fist doses, 26 million second and 1.8 million third. 

 

The PM also said that the vaccination of students using Pfizer were going well with the "Kick Off" plan to get most schools reopened in the second semester next month. 

 

3.7 million of 5 million eligible students have registered via their parents and just over 900,000 have had a jab so far.

 

The Justice Ministry also reported good vax progress in prisons with 212,190 having had a first dose and 66,416 a second.

 

A total of 71,258 have actually had Covid-19 and what to do with them is being decided.

 

The PM praised everyone from the people to medical services for the rollout.

 

The plan is to open up to foreign tourists who are vaccinated by the start of next month.

 

ASEAN NOW were at the Bang Sue Grand Station yesterday. Strangely it was eerily quiet with the number of people present for jabs in the low hundreds not thousands. 

 

Our reporter got his in less than ten minutes from arrival to injection. 

 

The process was extremely well organized and Thai music was playing through loudspeakers.

 

There were even brightly colored "I've been vaccinated at Bang Sue" t-shirts advertised for sale through Shoppee for 350 baht.

 

Following our reporter's second jab a vaccine certificate certifying double dose of AstraZeneca was issued free of charge within minutes. 

 

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[JCP108]

Did he clarify if "no quarantine" for vaccinated visitors actually means no quarantine?

[jacko45k]

But apparently they do not want to open (according to the survey reported elsewhere).......

They sure are imposing a lot of requirements for a place that can open safely. 

[Cherrytreeview]

Except herd immunity is most likely 85% plus not 70%.

 

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/24/health/herd-immunity-covid-coronavirus.html

[steven100]

11 minutes ago, webfact said:

There was more than enough vaccine now that Thailand has procured 179 million doses from many sources. 

 

He expressed his belief that Thailand would be able to open safely, just like he said before. 

good job by Khun Prayut and the government.       Thailand will open up again very soon.

[mfd101]

So Thailand is at 35% 'fully vaxed' (of which a large proportion with Sinovac).

 

Oz is just opening up for the second time (post-Delta) with 70% double-vaxed (age 16 up). Won't open completely till 80% is reached.

 

Go figure.

[Cherrytreeview]

8 minutes ago, steven100 said:

good job by Khun Prayut and the government.       Thailand will open up again very soon.

- 6 to 12 months behind rest of world on vaccination

- didn't join covax when asked

- closed for over 6 months with no clear plan to reopen

- another high season lost

- dependant on a tourism sector that accounts for 20% of GDP that may never return

 

Hate to see what your definition of failure is.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 18, 2021 by Cherrytreeview
Edit

[TooMuchTime]

13 minutes ago, Cherrytreeview said:

Except herd immunity is most likely 85% plus not 70%.

 

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/24/health/herd-immunity-covid-coronavirus.html

Don't worry, they'll change the definition to 90% once you get close enough.  Don't forget the boosters every 6 months either.

[gk10012001]

Getting to 70% by the end of the year seems unlikely, but more importantly, many of the tourist arrival schemes had words spoken by many Thai officials saying that things were conditional upon 70%.  So will wait and see what really happens right after November 1

[gk10012001]

6 minutes ago, TooMuchTime said:

Don't worry, they'll change the definition to 90% once you get close enough.  Don't forget the boosters every 6 months either.

Yeah, time will tell what they do about boosters, if anything at all. 

[gk10012001]

16 minutes ago, mfd101 said:

So Thailand is at 35% 'fully vaxed' (of which a large proportion with Sinovac).

 

Oz is just opening up for the second time (post-Delta) with 70% double-vaxed (age 16 up). Won't open completely till 80% is reached.

 

Go figure.

yeah, there is an old saying  "Figures don't lie, but liars figure".  The status of Thailand and the effectiveness of their vaccinations is very questionable

[gk10012001]

31 minutes ago, JCP108 said:

Did he clarify if "no quarantine" for vaccinated visitors actually means no quarantine?

"Same same,  but different".  I bought some of those T shirts on my first trip to Thailand and they are so true, it is scary

[gk10012001]

39 minutes ago, webfact said:

He expressed his belief that Thailand would be able to open safely, just like he said before. 

Just how do they or he define safely?  Just by some percentage of vaccinations?  Do they have some Risk calculation?  Who decides?

[ikke1959]

except Moderna who would deliver 5 million doses this year and now reduced to 1,9 and still unknown when or if that vaccine is coming. On the other hand there was also a possibility for J&J for 1 jab, but they never ordered. NOw they are begging for other countries like Spain and Hungary and Japan.....but yes with 1/3 of the country doubled jab is far from the 70% that he always told at 31st December.....

[JCP108]

6 minutes ago, gk10012001 said:

Just how do they or he define safely?  Just by some percentage of vaccinations?  Do they have some Risk calculation?  Who decides?

If they thought vaccines provided safety, they would have vaccinated people in Thailand by now. No. That's not what they mean, I'm sure. What they probably mean is by keeping all sorts of things in place (multiple PCR tests on arrivals, keeping some sort of quarantine, transporting us in hazmat suits on sealed routes in vehicles driving through a land filled with unvaccinated Thai people, and such) to maintain the view that it's we dirty farangs who threaten the safety of people in Thailand rather than the fact that such a low percentage of the population has been provided vaccines. 

[gk10012001]

2 minutes ago, ikke1959 said:

except Moderna who would deliver 5 million doses this year and now reduced to 1,9 and still unknown when or if that vaccine is coming. On the other hand there was also a possibility for J&J for 1 jab, but they never ordered. NOw they are begging for other countries like Spain and Hungary and Japan.....but yes with 1/3 of the country doubled jab is far from the 70% that he always told at 31st December.....

I may have a MS in Math but I don't think one needs advanced math to take a look at things and not see any reasonable projection to get them to some stated goals. But plans can change

[mtls2005]

Does anyone have a recent breakdown on the exact quantities per vaccine?

 

This is the most recent one I have, and it's only through 31 Aug.

 

 

[spidermike007]

It is not about the vaccines. They are of the lower quality. It is about Thailand being the zombie in the room now. Most nations have a lower infection rates than Thailand, per capita, and most nations have falling rates too. With the poor vaccination effort here, and the lower quality of the vaccines, the incoming tourists are taking all the risks. The Phuket sandbox proved that, with 99% of all infections coming from non foreigners. Hah! Gotcha! 

 

The bad leaders were highly successful in scaring the people into submission, and whipping them up into a state of utter panic of the Zombie Apocalypse. Hence, the hesitation. The nation is ready. Open up, and let the people get back to work. 

[mommysboy]

49 minutes ago, Cherrytreeview said:

Except herd immunity is most likely 85% plus not 70%.

 

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/24/health/herd-immunity-covid-coronavirus.html

And in Blighty (UK) it's touch and go at 80%, with 95% of old uns double jabbed and a considerable proportion of the unvaccinated with natural immunity.  Over 90% are estimated to have antibodies.

[RafPinto]

Covid booster jab uptake 'is too slow to stop overcrowded hospitals this winter' amid fears of waning  immunity - as cases soar by 30% to 45,140 a day after lab WRONGLY told tens of thousands they were negative

 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10101561/Covid-booster-jabs-need-sped-medical-units-swamped-winter.html

[Karma80]

 

1 hour ago, mfd101 said:

So Thailand is at 35% 'fully vaxed' (of which a large proportion with Sinovac).

 

Oz is just opening up for the second time (post-Delta) with 70% double-vaxed (age 16 up). Won't open completely till 80% is reached.

 

Go figure.

Australia is it's own seperate basket case with different varieties of basket weaving depending on each state.

[DLock]

That's terrific...but where are those Moderna I ordered and paid for months ago.

[mommysboy]

26 minutes ago, DLock said:

That's terrific...but where are those Moderna I ordered and paid for months ago.

Yeah, and my second jab that was due 7 days ago.  

[hioctane]

5 hours ago, Cherrytreeview said:

- 6 to 12 months behind rest of world on vaccination

- didn't join covax when asked

- closed for over 6 months with no clear plan to reopen

- another high season lost

- dependant on a tourism sector that accounts for 20% of GDP that may never return

 

Hate to see what your definition of failure is.

 

 

 

 

 

6 months behind but ahead of most ASEAN nations. It didn’t help that the West exhausted the early supply of vaccines.

[Will B Good]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

 

.............. and Thai music was playing through loudspeakers.

That would discourage me from having the vaccine more than any lunatic on YouTube.

[Cherrytreeview]

8 minutes ago, hioctane said:

6 months behind but ahead of most ASEAN nations. It didn’t help that the West exhausted the early supply of vaccines.

It didn't help Thailand didn't bother ordering any early like western nations.

Then didn't join covax when they could have.

Unlike the UK that established a vaccine task force and spent millions on chosing a selection of likely candidates and then buying them proforma.

That's why the UK and civilised countries got supply. Putting their money down.

Thailand, of course, thought they were immune from covid and would wait it out to get a BOGOF deal when there was oversupply.

Unfortunately, Delta arrived and exposed Thailand's cheap charlie approach.

It's unfortunate for many of TVF's Thai huggers that I'm here to point them in the direction of the facts.

 

[DogNo1]

What is herd immunity?  Can it be achieved with COVID?   What about re-infections and break-through infections?  Immune people can't be reinfected.

[peter zwart]

If the half yearly or yearly booster rule will be effective you can forget about mass tourism. For what ive heard, more and more people will refuse to take these boosters. That means that this will be a group that wont (or can't) go for long distance holidays. 

[Isaan sailor]

Too much SinoVac.  Not enough AZ. Very little Pfizer. And no Moderna yet.

[The Hammer2021]

8 hours ago, steven100 said:

good job by Khun Prayut and the government.       Thailand will open up again very soon.

Sarcasm is the lowest firm of wit!