Anutin: There's no going back now - "Vax passport" needed not Thailand Pass to enter country

[webfact]

 

Thailand's media reported the latest pronouncements of health minister and DPM Anutin Charnvirayakul yesterday after he opened Mice Day 2022 at Icon Siam in Bangkok.

 

The minister said that now it has been decided to scrap Test and Go there is no going back.

 

In future the criteria for entering Thailand will be the internationally recognised method of Vaccine Passports.

 

He noted that he expected that to mean three shots against Covid-19 including the booster.

 

And insurance requirements would continue, reported Siam Rath. 

 

"We've tried to get everything sorted as quickly as possible," he said. "It's all about timing".

 

"Thailand is like a shop that has been closed for a while. Now we're open for business and we need to get the message out to everyone".

 

He said that the health service were coping with all eventualities and Thailand was ready for investors and tourists. 

 

-- © Copyright  ASEAN NOW 2022-04-27

 

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[RandiRona]

4 minutes ago, webfact said:

 

He noted that he expected that to mean three shots against Covid-19 including the booster.

<deleted>...Are they making rules as they go? Fully vaccinated doesnt mean booster....so dumb!

[TropicalGuy]

8 minutes ago, RandiRona said:

<deleted>...Are they making rules as they go? Fully vaccinated doesnt mean booster....so dumb!

It does or can if first two shots were the low- effective Sino vaccines.

[Will B Good]

33 minutes ago, webfact said:

In future the criteria for entering Thailand will be the internationally recognised method of Vaccine Passports

Serious question.....does this even exist?

 

Answering my own question....it is the yellow card/booklet that was all the rage last year....apparently.

[mtls2005]

2 minutes ago, Will B Good said:

Serious question.....does this even exist?

He's using a euphemism.

 

He means "proof of vaccination".

 

Paper, plastic, digits. All OK.

 

 

[Mr Meeseeks]

47 minutes ago, webfact said:

In future the criteria for entering Thailand will be the internationally recognised method of Vaccine Passports.

Like many African countries, you need a yellow vaccine passport to enter, showing the required vaccination. Previously these were Yellow Fever and Influenza for most West African countries. 

 

16 minutes ago, Will B Good said:

Answering my own question....it is the yellow card/booklet that was all the rage last year....apparently.

Possibly, I have used one of those to enter Africa showing proof of Yellow Fever and Influenza vaccines for over 25 years. 

[PremiumLane]

11 minutes ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

Like many African countries, you need a yellow vaccine passport to enter, showing the required vaccination. Previously these were Yellow Fever and Influenza for most West African countries. 

A lot of anti-vaxxers will ignore these facts and shout tyranny though. 

[Thailand]

16 minutes ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

Like many African countries, you need a yellow vaccine passport to enter, showing the required vaccination. Previously these were Yellow Fever and Influenza for most West African countries. 

 

Possibly, I have used one of those to enter Africa showing proof of Yellow Fever and Influenza vaccines for over 25 years. 

Not the same one. I believe the yellow "passport" proof of vaccination was issued by the Thai MOH last year is the one being referred to- or not, as the case may be!

[Tony M]

So, Immigration will have to check insurance certifiactes when passengers arrive ? Shouldn't be hard to produce those on your PC at home.  Or will they expect the airlines to check insurance when passengers board the aircraft overseas?

[BangkokReady]

1 hour ago, RandiRona said:

<deleted>...Are they making rules as they go? Fully vaccinated doesnt mean booster....so dumb!

Probably more like "Fully vaccinated with the last jab being within X months".  That seems more practical.

[ESLTeacher1989]

I really don't want to get a booster, especially after all the data coming out on Myocarditis ..................Omnicorn is so mild anyway compared to other variants, why are the Thai Authorities are so worried?

[Anton9]

6 hours ago, PremiumLane said:

A lot of anti-vaxxers will ignore these facts and shout tyranny though. 

Currently, International Health Regulations specify that a dose of yellow fever vaccine is valid for 10 years. Therefore, at present, travelers to countries with a yellow fever vaccination entry requirement must have received a dose of yellow fever vaccine within the past 10 years.

 

 

Totally the same vaccine

[asiacurious]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

In future the criteria for entering Thailand will be the internationally recognised method of Vaccine Passports.

 

He noted that he expected that to mean three shots against Covid-19 including the booster.

Three shots?  From what I've been reading from various virologists and immunologists, it should be more like like 3 shots within the previous 9-12 months.

 

The efficacy of vaccines against current the current covid variants appears to wane over time, and there is a very good likelihood that today's vaccines will be substantially less effective against future variants.

 

Just like regular passports which have a period of validity and expiration date, there should probably be expiration dates on how long any given shot should be considered valid.

[StayinThailand2much]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

And insurance requirements would continue, reported Siam Rath. 

So, one will still have to apply for the Thailand Pass, or how is this supposed to work? Will IOs have to learn French or Swedish to read foreign Covid-insurance policies?

[StayinThailand2much]

Damn. Have to put my Thailand trip on the back-burner till authorities can figure it out...

[Mr Meeseeks]

58 minutes ago, Thailand said:

Not the same one. I believe the yellow "passport" proof of vaccination was issued by the Thai MOH last year is the one being referred to- or not, as the case may be!

I am talking about the exact same one, my current one was issued from the Thai Red Cross in Lumphini 15 years ago.

[Mr Meeseeks]

To clarify, this is the vaccine passport I have used for 15 years, prior to that I had a similar book issued in Singapore.

 

[asiacurious]

2 minutes ago, StayinThailand2much said:

So, one will still have to apply for the Thailand Pass, or how is this supposed to work? Will IOs have to learn French or Swedish to read foreign Covid insurance policies?

They could always require people to purchase only policies issued by companies in Thailand.

 

Or the government could charge a Covid Health Insurance Fee to every non-citizen arriving in the country.  Forget about the 300 baht Amazing Thailand fee they've been trying to charge - now there's a 3,000 baht Healthy Thailand fee.  Just like insurance from a private company, those fees could be used to pay for the medical care of any foreigners who need hospital care due to Covid. 

 

If they're going to continue with requiring any kind of insurance, this would be the easiest way to do it, though once the government starts taking in money that way, they're likely never going to want to give it up.

[kotsak]

1 hour ago, mtls2005 said:

1 hour ago, Will B Good said:

Serious question.....does this even exist?

He's using a euphemism.

 

He means "proof of vaccination".

 

Paper, plastic, digits. All OK.

An euphemism would be too much for his brain, it may cause an aneurysm 

[Will B Good]

2 minutes ago, kotsak said:

An euphemism would be too much for his brain, it may cause an aneurysm 

....or an Anutinrysum........bit of reach?

[webfact]

Government in no rush to end ‘Thailand Pass’ scheme, boosters may be required

 

 

Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said that Thailand must proceed cautiously before scrapping the “Thailand Pass” scheme, as is being demanded by the private sector, to make sure that there will not be a new outbreak of COVID-19 once all pandemic-related travel restrictions are removed.

 

To scrap the “Thailand Pass” scheme, Anutin said that the government must take into consideration the global COVID-19 situation and vaccination requirements.

 

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He noted that two vaccine shots may not be sufficient and a booster jab may be required for overseas arrivals, as well as COVID-19 insurance coverage to ensure that tourists can pay for any treatment should they become infected, without placing an additional financial burden on the state.

 

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/thai-government-in-no-rush-to-end-thailand-pass-scheme-boosters-may-be-required/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2022-04-27

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

- Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

[Henryford]

1 hour ago, BangkokReady said:

Probably more like "Fully vaccinated with the last jab being within X months".  That seems more practical.

So if you don't have a jab every 6 months you are no longer vaccinated?

[whereyougo]

Listen to all the Karen's ????

What are you all going to whine about when it's all scrapped? 

 

[islandor]

1 hour ago, PremiumLane said:

A lot of anti-vaxxers will ignore these facts and shout tyranny though. 

You can bet on it, and they will be correct in doing so imo. Seems to be way too many sheep on this platform. Todays "facts" may well be tomorrows nightmare.  

[BangkokReady]

3 minutes ago, Henryford said:

So if you don't have a jab every 6 months you are no longer vaccinated?

The antiwhatevers reduce over time so, potentially, after a certain amount of time has elapsed since your last dose of vaccine, you might not have enough protection for people to consider you to be adequately protected.

[Brigante7]

Bye bye Thailand, I hope your tourist industry goes tits-up.

 

 

 

Brigante7.

[crazykopite]

Two shots required to visit most countries around the world as well as insurance but not a $10,000 covid insurance package someone high up is making a lot of money out of these schemes had a lady friend who flew out of Bangkok Monday evening she went to a clinic and paid 2,000 baht for a PCR test get the clinic did not inform her that the country she was visiting no longer required a PCR test meaning she was robbed of 2,000 baht 

[actonion]

There's no going back now he says,

 

I remember him saying exactly that  having opened every thing up before closing it all down again

[tingtong]

2 hours ago, Will B Good said:

Serious question.....does this even exist?

 

Answering my own question....it is the yellow card/booklet that was all the rage last year....apparently.

Simple plenty countries scraped that early now outdated idea of a vaccine passport, eg in EU, have doubt they can or willing to even produce one if needed....

 

 

[John Drake]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

And insurance requirements would continue,

Nope. Nope. Nope. Ain't gonna let that scam go.