Thailand prevails! Country named as "Biohub" by impressed WHO - Anutin praised

[webfact]

Picture: Thai Rath

 

Thailand's DPM and health minister Anutin Charnvirakul - who spent much of the pandemic under intense pressure - was all smiles in Geneva yesterday as the kingdom received glowing praise from the World Health Organization and its director general Dr Tedrom Ghebreyesus, notes ASEAN NOW.

 

Thai Rath reported that Anutin and the WHO have agreed that Thailand should be declared a BIOHUB.

 

They pictured Anutin and Dr Tedros shaking hands in a picture lifted from Facebook.

 

Anutin was in Switzerland attending the 75th congress of the World Health Assembly.

 

Anutin said that Thailand's Covid response had employed "soft power using Thainess - smile first, wai first and that will make a hard task appear much easier".

 

This showed how far the country had come from the early days of the pandemic when Anutin got embroiled in a spat with a non-mask wearing foreigner, had his own mask wearing issues and presided over delays in the procurement of imported and locally produced vaccine, notes ASEAN NOW.

 

All that was in the past as Anutin said that Thailand had been lauded for its Covid-19 response after a WHO team was sent to the country to discover how they did it. 

 

Thailand was praised for preventing disease, its vaccination program, medical treatment for infected people and strong health care system.

 

So much so that the country is now the first to be named in a joint collaboration with the WHO making the country a BIOHUB for collecting existing pathogens, study and research and development of drugs and vaccines. 

 

Keep up to date with all things Thailand - Join our daily ASEAN NOW Thailand Newsletter - Click to subscribe

 

Thailand is the first country in the world to enter such an agreement because "we are the most ready", according to the minister.

 

Meanwhile this was confirmed by Dr Tedros on Twitter who thanked Anutin for his efforts in ensuring that 70% of the population was vaccinated.

 

This was a key aim since vaccines became available during the pandemic.

 

In addition Dr Tedros said that Thailand was committed to vaccine equality and welcomed the country's cooperation in sharing knowledge about its universal health insurance scheme (the so called Gold Card).

 

ASEAN NOW further notes that there was much consternation among Thai watchers that the country would not treat everyone equally. 

 

This proved unfounded as foreigners in the kingdom lined up alongside Thais for their jabs. 

 

Most even getting their vax for free. 

 

-- © Copyright  ASEAN NOW 2022-05-26

 

- 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.

 

Get your business in front of millions of customers who read ASEAN NOW with an interest in Thailand every month - email [email protected] for more information

[worgeordie]

10 minutes ago, webfact said:

and the WHO have agreed that Thailand should be declared a BIOHUB.

Not the group.... but they must know Thailand loves to be a HUB ,of

everything ,so very fitting.

regards Worgeordie

[Thailand]

This is a joke surely?

it was a complete cluster<deleted> by the ptb for many months.

[SmartyMarty]

Confirmation that the WHO is not qualified for its job responsibility.

[mania]

On 5/26/2022 at 7:48 AM, webfact said:

They pictured Anutin and Dr Tedros shaking hands in a picture lifted from Facebook.

Truth is Dr. Tedros is probably saying that was an unfortunate sna<deleted> for you when you couldn't get into Switzerland

previously as your snake oil vaccine was not recognized

[Denim]

On 5/26/2022 at 7:48 AM, webfact said:

Anutin and the WHO have agreed that Thailand should be declared a BIOHUB.

A centipede on wheels could not have as many hubs as Thailand.

 

 

[internationalism]

thailand is below world average excess deaths, with 113 per 100k, but well above new zealand with -35, taiwan -18, australia 7, malaysia 8, singapore 11, japan 33, south korea 54. 

https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/coronavirus-excess-deaths-tracker

 

very few foreigners have received vax from thai supplies, despite registering on many vax programs designated for them. They had only their chance because of foreign donations (pfizer from the usa 1,5mln, AZ from the UK 410k, france for it's citizens and their families) from the end of August.  That's why private moderna 9mln doses was snapped in July 2021, with another many millions sold in August.

 

Some foreigners have left Thailand before that time, to seek vax at their home countries and some of them coming back to phuket sandbox. Thousand $ spend on airfare, quarantines, covid tests and hotels to get vials $7 per shot.

That was time of raging Delta, when people were dying at homes, because hospitals were full. 

 

Isolation of mild and even asymptomatic infections is highly debatable tactic, because it was straining hospital system hence making excess deaths from causes the other, than covid. That was corrected only in February 2022, when hospital system was overloaded again with omicron cases.

 

Another issue with thai statistics is very low level of testing. The first ATK tests for the general public were imported only in July 2021, with only 9mln they were very expensive at 200-300b and impossible to find. I was able to get them only around September, when price fall to a reasonable 100b Lepo test (which later turned out of poor quality and withdrawn from the health service). Those ATK's were given away free in UK, in Europeans supermarkets for 75cents so 30 baht.

Edited May 26, 2022 by internationalism

[rbkk]

1 hour ago, internationalism said:

very few foreigners have received vax from thai supplies

 

1 hour ago, internationalism said:

.......from the end of August. 

Here is the other side of the story.

I've had 4 vaccines (2xAZ / Moderna booster / Pfizer booster) My 1st AZ was on the 7th June 2021. All have been free at my local Govt. hospital. I was registered at my local hospital prior to Covid-19.

 

Same with my visa extensions. I've had 11 Covid-19 visa extensions back to back. No problems at my local immigration office at all.

 

My point being: if you qualify, there is a system for you.

[internationalism]

from what can be gathered from reading forum at that time the great majority were not able to register on morprom system and were turned away when trying to register at their hospitals - they were told vax is only for thai, even despite their age, chronic illness or plan to travel internationally.

From around April 2021 I have registered on many vax programs opened for foreigners. Nothing materialised out of it, as I was not priority case. Finally I had to travel to Pattaya for donated pfizer. In my home country I had chance to get a jab half year earlier.

Covid visa extension is a different story, not related to vax, but I remember in August 2020 immigration warning people that there won't be any more covid extensions and many left, probably in tens of thousands. They have reversed this trent only when Prayuth intervened against immigration, but it was too late, just days before deadline, not many tourists wanted to wait it out to the last days (there were not that many air connections at that time yet).

 

Problem with vax (as well as with immigration), it's not consistent across the country. Sure system is corruption, circumnavigating rules. I bet there were expats relocating to Phuket, Samui just in order to get their timely vax, taking advantage of preferential treatment for sandboxes

Edited May 26, 2022 by internationalism

[rbkk]

3 minutes ago, internationalism said:

from what can be gathered from reading forum at that time...

And herein lies the problem? What was being reported on a foreigners forum (from touristy areas) is not the same as what was happening on the ground in Thailand. I personally wrote on 2 different occasions about the availability of all the vaccines to ANY nationality as a walk-in. No appt. was necessary from anywhere in Thailand. The Surin Elephant festival even had an outdoor vaccine unit set up at the admission gate (Nov 2021?) The local hospital also did an outreach program to the villagers who had transport problems (offering Moderna full or booster options as well as AZ /Sinovac). If you were amongst the locals as opposed to touristy areas the options were there.

 

14 minutes ago, internationalism said:

Problem with vax (as well as with immigration), it's not consistent across the country.

Agreed.

[Rockhound]

Wow!  Seriously?

[Guderian]

And not one of them wearing a face mask indoors! Clearly, there's one set of rules for the bigwigs and another set for the peons like us.

[daveAustin]

Yes, compete joke. Ask them how many per day they were testing! As for WHO, I put more faith in The Who or Dr Who as an organisation touting health, esp that I-can-be-bought Tedros Ghebreyesus. Pathetic. 

 

[internationalism]

I think reading forum is the best source for what is happening in across thailand in expat community (much less of tourists, who rather congregate on fb and the other social media in discussion groups in many different languages). 

there is really no any other info about covid and vax program for foreigners, with ministry of foreign affairs and consulates issuing only random communications and never disclosing data. Often official data is distorted on purpose, like this one from dr Anutin, who even is able to fool WHO

 

[pagallim]

10 minutes ago, Guderian said:

And not one of them wearing a face mask indoors! Clearly, there's one set of rules for the bigwigs and another set for the peons like us.

The photo is in Geneva, Switzerland, where as with most other countries the wearing of masks is no longer compulsory.

[The Hammer2021]

It's a pity the people of Thailand  were not praised not one individual  in the leadership - of doubtful credentials

[michaelgoulden]

And would you beleive it,

No masks nessasary for that meeting.

[micmichd]

4 hours ago, internationalism said:

thailand is below world average excess deaths, with 113 per 100k, but well above new zealand with -35, taiwan -18, australia 7, malaysia 8, singapore 11, japan 33, south korea 54. 

https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/coronavirus-excess-deaths-tracker

 

very few foreigners have received vax from thai supplies, despite registering on many vax programs designated for them. They had only their chance because of foreign donations (pfizer from the usa 1,5mln, AZ from the UK 410k, france for it's citizens and their families) from the end of August.  That's why private moderna 9mln doses was snapped in July 2021, with another many millions sold in August.

 

Some foreigners have left Thailand before that time, to seek vax at their home countries and some of them coming back to phuket sandbox. Thousand $ spend on airfare, quarantines, covid tests and hotels to get vials $7 per shot.

That was time of raging Delta, when people were dying at homes, because hospitals were full. 

 

Isolation of mild and even asymptomatic infections is highly debatable tactic, because it was straining hospital system hence making excess deaths from causes the other, than covid. That was corrected only in February 2022, when hospital system was overloaded again with omicron cases.

 

Another issue with thai statistics is very low level of testing. The first ATK tests for the general public were imported only in July 2021, with only 9mln they were very expensive at 200-300b and impossible to find. I was able to get them only around September, when price fall to a reasonable 100b Lepo test (which later turned out of poor quality and withdrawn from the health service). Those ATK's were given away free in UK, in Europeans supermarkets for 75cents so 30 baht.

I'm a foreigner, and I got my vaccinations (incl. booster) for free in Thailand. 

[vivananahuahin]

No mask there in 2 weeks we will read some important news about incubation, about all these people shaking hands and drinking together, funny world...

[rbkk]

23 hours ago, vivananahuahin said:

No mask there in 2 weeks we will read some important news about incubation, about all these people shaking hands and drinking together, funny world...

Last time he couldn't get a visa for Switzerland. This time let's hope he doesn't bring back any MonkeyPox with him. The Thai foreign minister recently returned to Thailand with covid-19 acquired on his travels. 

 

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40015751

Edited May 27, 2022 by onthedarkside
corrected weblink

[hotchilli]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Anutin said that Thailand's Covid response had employed "soft power using Thainess - smile first, wai first and that will make a hard task appear much easier".

????

[hotchilli]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

This showed how far the country had come from the early days of the pandemic when Anutin got embroiled in a spat with a non-mask wearing foreigner, had his own mask wearing issues and presided over delays in the procurement of imported and locally produced vaccine, notes ASEAN NOW.

 

All that was in the past as Anutin said that Thailand had been lauded for its Covid-19 response after a WHO team was sent to the country to discover how they did it. 

Swept under the carpet, forgotten about, in the mist of time... etc etc etc

[internationalism]

38 minutes ago, micmichd said:

I'm a foreigner, and I got my vaccinations (incl. booster) for free in Thailand. 

a very large part of expats have received their first vax from donated vials from the usa, UK and others starting from end of August.

Later on boosters thai contracted , when there was already surplus. 

Thai medics, who were vaxed with donated pfizer, had to pose for photos with portrait of dr Anutin with caption "Thank you Anutin for vaccination". That was exposed and ridiculed with photoshoped picture of Biden.

Thai authorities were not telling their citizens and to foreigners from where their vax come. Opposite, they tried to mislead this info.

 

Also I think that there was not a large booster intake, as omicron danger was low and many considered their 2 initial once good enough.

I had my booster in europe and my health application is not allowing me for the second booster, not offering any date to chose.  Personally I would prefer the second generation booster, they yet to be imported to thailand

 

 

Edited May 26, 2022 by internationalism

[hotchilli]

3 hours ago, rbkk said:

My point being: if you qualify, there is a system for you.

Here is another side to the story... my point.

August 2021 I went next door to a municipality building being used for 1st vaccine round..

I was the only foreigner there and upon showing my UK passport I was turned away 2 times being told we don't do foreigners, only Thais, even though I had the documents needed.

Eventually a friend of a friend contacted their friend who was a nurse at the station.

She arranged to meet me there and walk me through ignoring "Hitler at the door"

Sometimes the system works sometimes a person get in the way of systems.

[Millcx]

Don’t make me laugh by reading rubbish

[Chosenfew]

World Hell Organization is corrupt.

[khunjeff]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

there was much consternation among Thai watchers that the country would not treat everyone equally. 

 

This proved unfounded as foreigners in the kingdom lined up alongside Thais for their jabs

The consternation was actually quite well founded; for the first several months of the chaotic vaccination program, they did not treat everyone equally, and it was extremely difficult for most foreigners to get inoculated.

 

As noted by others here, foreigners only began to be vaccinated in large numbers once vaccines had been donated by the US and other countries. Boosters are now indeed being given on a completely equal basis without regard to nationality, but that doesn't change what happened earlier on. 

[Rhys]

Two questionable health officials in agreement about how to continue their so called expertise..

 

[vandeventer]

53 minutes ago, michaelgoulden said:

And would you beleive it,

No masks nessasary for that meeting.

When you think it's over that's when it bites you in the ass. Most of my friends have or had covid and most have long covid. Going to a funnel later today for a nice old guy who died from long covid.

[rbkk]

17 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

I was the only foreigner there and upon showing my UK passport I was turned away...

At that time the way to get the door open was /is with a Thai ID number. Issued to those with a Yellow House Book/ Pink Card which shows a closer connection with Thailand.