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Where can I get a free Covid Booster shot as stated in Bangkok Post today?


cliveshep

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Hi fellow Pollution Chokers and coughers. As if rank poisonous air that the Government are disinclined to face up to and deal with - unlike the "boil the water to get rid of the salt" advice from Uncle Tu previously no help is forthcoming from him or any of his cronies in actually doing something concrete to deal with the chronic bad air in BKK (or anywhere else for that matter!).

 

BUT there might be a glimmer of hope for some on the Covid front. Predictably the 150% Covid infection spike that followed Songkran (we all said "told you so" to deaf ears) has led to the Government allegedly offering from tomorrow, May 1st, until August, free Covid booster shots at State run hospitals for all persons living in Thailand. Now Bangkok Post  do have a bit of a reputation for getting it wrong or misleading us in their articles so can the good folk on here offer any confirmation on that snippet because my wife and I would love to gedt boosted as our shots are now almost a year past. 

 

And we are in Khlong Sam Wa, NE of Minburi, so any info on where to go if obese and aged farangs are included in this bounty from an otherwise incompetent shower trying to run (ruin) the country. They are also apparently offering free flu jabs to old timers and fatties etc, not sure if one has to register for those though?

 

Thanks all for help, and let us all pray that the country gets a completely new government elected this month, with no military connections and no more Army Coups to screw things up. You never know - there just might be flying pigs!

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Free not available any more certainly on Samui now for couple of months. Have to pay at the local government hospital for astra or Pfizer. (MY FIRST SIX WERE FREE So can't really complain.

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You can do it at Central World on Fridays and Saturdays currently:

 

https://thainews.prd.go.th/en/news/detail/TCATG230428142559018

 

It opens ar 12:00 entrance is located inside the mall 5th floor next to Central Department Store

You can enter the mall when it opens at 10am go up and get a queue number and chill until 11:30 or so when they start to call numbers

Overall was done by 12:20

- note not available to tourists but should be fine on long term visas

 

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On 5/1/2023 at 11:06 AM, norbra said:

Klong Sam wa hospital is on the list, their web site gives days and times available for free pfizser jab

KIhlong Sam Wa Hospital are crap, my Thai wife went for a booster last year as all advice was get boosted after 3 months. THEY said no, 4 months, come back when the 4 months are up which then was in another 2 weeks, Great, 1 week later boosters were discontinued so she never did get jabbed. This was after paying 3600 baht for her to the Government who took almost a year to give her the two shots of Moderna I had paid for.  THIS time Khlong Sam Wa are open Tuesday and Thursday for 1 hour only, maximum 60 people per day. So they are a waste of time. My wife queued fruitlessly for several hours before as her queue number was in the 900's and only then was told NO! 

 

So we went to Lat Krabang to 2nd floor Robinson's Mall, easy to queue, only doing Moderna so they did my wife free and no problem but for me - NO again excuse being I had Pfizer before and they could not access my records. BUT then the supervisor when pressed agreed that in any event and in spite of Government intentions they would not jab any farang anyway. The woman in front of my wife had already had 7 shots, 2 plus 5 boosters (but none for the farang).

 

Here we go again!

 

So there is a hospital at Minburi at the Suwintawong/Ramintra junction, open daily for one more week, doing Pfizer and also accepting farang on a walk in basis so Wednesday I'm going there.

 

Edited by cliveshep
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With the recent surge in COVID cases and hospitalizations, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has been on a big marketing push for COVID vaccines lately -- though unfortunately, mostly all in Thai language announcements.

 

They've been promising they'll have the vaccines available at BMA run hospitals and at their district health centers throughout the city -- though usually only on certain days and times each week.

 

The CentralWorld and MBK options explained above are easy, clearly explained, and will have the newer bivalent vaccines available, though they won't be the closest options to the OP's home location.

 

Edited by TallGuyJohninBKK
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Thanks TallGuyJohninBKK but have checked with Minburi Hospital and they'll jab this farang with the latest Pfizer and they are only a few miles away anyway. Going on Wednesday as wife is taking her sisters back to Robinson's tomorrow in Lad Krabang so they can get jabbed. All free unlike some hospitals who charge for "service" apparently. 

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When anyone's going to a Thai government venue to get a COVID vaccine, you always want/need to bring your passport for ID (or perhaps Thai pink card if you have one) and any document history you have of prior vaccinations in Thailand.

 

The document history of prior vaccinations typically will have the specific ID number for you that the MoPH uses to track you and keep records of your vaccination history, in part for determining when you're eligible for a new shot.

 

Four months since your last prior COVID shot has generally been the Thai MoPH's standard for booster eligibility.

 

 

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48 minutes ago, cliveshep said:

KIhlong Sam Wa Hospital are crap, my Thai wife went for a booster last year as all advice was get boosted after 3 months. THEY said no, 4 months, come back when the 4 months are up which then was in another 2 weeks, Great, 1 week later boosters were discontinued so she never did get jabbed. This was after paying 3600 baht for her to the Government who took almost a year to give her the two shots of Moderna I had paid for.  THIS time Khlong Sam Wa are open Tuesday and Thursday for 1 hour only, maximum 60 people per day. So they are a waste of time. My wife queued fruitlessly for several hours before as her queue number was in the 900's and only then told NO! 

 

So we went to Lat Krabang to 2nd floor Robinson's Mall, easy to queue, only doing Moderna so they did my wife no problem but for me - NO again excuse being I had Pfizer beforee and they could not access my records. BUT then the supervisor when pressed agreed that in any event and in spite of Government intentions they would not jab any farang anyway. Thw woman in front of my wife had already had 7 shots, 2 plus 5 boosters (but none for the farang).

 

Here we go again!

 

So there is a hospital at Minburi at the Suwintawong/Ramintra junction, open daily for one more week, doing Pfizer and also accepting farang on a walk in basis so Wednesday I'm going there.

 

Serirak Triage is time consuming,my last visit I sat at three different desks,

5 staff members with my previously provided details entered again on 4 different computer systems.

Edited by norbra
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This is one of the latest announcements from the BMA that talks about the details of their health center availability in the top two red color sections, and then their BMA hospital locations in the bottom green sections. Can use Google Translate via the camera on a mobile phone to translate into English.

 

2069489758_2023-04-29BMAvaccinesitesinfo.thumb.jpg.3b468616fdd3c4219232bc828f18ccc1.jpg

 

The hospitals listed in the green section include:

 

BMA (Klang) Central Hospital

Vajira Hospital

Ratchaphiphat Hospital

Sirindhorn Hospital

Charoenkrung Pracharak Hospital

Bang Khun Thian Elderly Hospital

Luangpho Taweesak Hospital

Taksin Hospital

Khlong Sam Wa Hospital

Bangna Hospital

Ladkrabang Hospital

 

The details listed for Khlong Sam Wa Hospital say Thursdays, 1-2 pm only... not exactly the most expansive offer.  The others seem to have much broader time and day offerings.

 

 

 

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Had three jabs free at my local Community Government Hospital. Later told they were out of stock and awaiting deliveries. They said they would telephone when available. Gave up waiting and went unannounced (walk in) to my Regional Hospital. After a phone call to check whether I was entitled, received free Pfizer (on 24 February 2023). 

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15 minutes ago, The Fugitive said:

Yes, that's the Regional Hospital.

Much appreciated I,ll give them a try, my last jab was 14 months ago and a close neighbour  very recently had covid.

Edited by sapson
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Another one for Bangkok, first I've heard/seen of this location:

 

"The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration is offering free Covid booster shots at the ICS Lifestyle Complex opposite the Iconsiam shopping centre."

 

https://thethaiger.com/news/national/nhso-seeks-funds-for-additional-flu-vaccine-doses-amid-rising-covid-19-cases

 

So you can add the above location  to the previously announced vaccination center activities at CentralWorld and MBK....

 

Now if only BMA would compile and publish a list of all of their current COVID vaccination sites in English, which they seem unable to do.

 

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And another BKK location:

 

"People who carry high risk of developing severe symptoms after contracting the new coronavirus, namely seniors over 60 years of age, pregnant women, and patients with chronic diseases, are invited to get a free booster shot of the Covid-19 vaccine at Public Health Service Center 6 (Women’s Culture Association Building) in Dusit district."

 

...

People who have never received the Covid-19 vaccine before can get a free shot at 69 public health service centres in Bangkok every Wednesday from 9am to 3pm (except public holidays). Although pre-registration is not required, people are advised to book their shot via QueQ application to reduce waiting time."

 

https://pr-bangkok.com/?p=113544

 

339239253_2023-05-01BMAvaccinations.jpg.072e4e67330f54491fac3d3e12f90467.jpg

 

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=628057979357140&set=a.306407308188877

 

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8 minutes ago, digbeth said:

For Bangkok(BMA) run place they have been charging foreigners since January

 

I went to a MoPH sponsored site in BKK a couple months back (Institute of Dermatology) and there, they were distinguishing between long-term expats (who got the vaccine for free) and tourists/visitors (who had to pay).

 

I haven't used a BMA specific site for COVID vaccines thus far, but I'm wondering if perhaps they might be following the same policy as MoPH and distinguishing between long-term expat residents vs tourists?

 

 

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2 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

I went to a MoPH sponsored site in BKK a couple months back (Institute of Dermatology) and there, they were distinguishing between long-term expats (who got the vaccine for free) and tourists/visitors (who had to pay).

 

I haven't used a BMA specific site for COVID vaccines thus far, but I'm wondering if perhaps they might be following the same policy as MoPH and distinguishing between long-term expat residents vs tourists?

 

 

The BMA hospital I saw (Bang Na) seem to charge burmese workers for the vaccine, so other long term residents might be treated the same?

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25 minutes ago, digbeth said:

The BMA hospital I saw (Bang Na) seem to charge burmese workers for the vaccine, so other long term residents might be treated the same?

The Burmese might well not be considered by the Thais as long-term residents, since they don't hold things like annual retirement or marriage visas/extensions.... Instead, more like short-term, temporary workers. 

 

Also, I'm pretty sure there have been recent posts by members here of using places like the BMA vaccination center at CentralWorld, and no mention of being charged.

 

 

Edited by TallGuyJohninBKK
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11 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

The Burmese might well not be considered by the Thais as long-term residents, since they don't hold things like annual retirement or marriage visas/extensions.... Instead, more like short-term, temporary workers. 

 

Also, I'm pretty sure there have been recent posts by members here of using places like the BMA vaccination center at CentralWorld, and no mention of being charged.

 

 

Outside of their hospital they might not have brought cashiers and receipt printing setup conpared to hospitals that has cashier counters too, so most location in malls like ICS and Central World are effectively free? 

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4 minutes ago, digbeth said:

so most location in malls like ICS and Central World are effectively free? 

As far as I know, they're still doing the two categories system of charging and not charging...

 

When I went to IOD a couple months back, they initially talked about charging me a fee. But when I showed them my Thai MoPH vaccination history and retirement extension, they quickly dropped that entreaty, and my shot was free, as all of the MoPH ones I've received here in the past two years have been.

 

But this  is Thailand, so there's always the prospect that someone somewhere is going to misinterpret what the government's policy actually is.

 

Edited by TallGuyJohninBKK
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