Expats are included in Thailand’s vaccination plan

[TotallyOz]

I listened to the live broadcast and heard this with my own ears. And, I know no one speaking from a government podium would ever lie to me.

Article:

Expats are included in Thailand’s vaccination plan, a spokesperson from the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration said today, clarifying recent reports that said Thais have priority in the first phase of inoculations. The spokesperson says comments were taken out of context and, in fact, foreigners have already been included in the first phase of vaccinations.

We’d like to confirm that Thailand’s vaccination strategy is based on ensuring accessibility to all those who require it, regardless of their nationality.

We’d like to reiterate that Thailand continues to include foreign residents in its vaccination program and some foreign residents have been inoculated in the first phase already.

A Ministry for Public Health spokesperson had recently told the Bangkok Post that doses are currently reserved for Thais who are at high risk of infection or who are living in an area where there is a severe outbreak. He said foreigners need to wait until there is a clear vaccine policy announced by the government, according to the recent report in the Bangkok Post. The CCSA spokesperson says comments made on the vaccinations for foreigners were “taken out of context in the media.”

https://thethaiger.com/news/national/expats-are-included-in-thailands-vaccination-plan-phuket-to-start-registration

https://fb.watch/5jihvzZMcF/

[TotallyOz]

https://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/crimecourtscalamity/2021/05/06/officials-say-foreigners-in-thailand-will-get-vaccine-jabs-someday/

Notice no dates are ever given for lowly expats.

[TotallyOz]

Richard Barrow's transcript:

We would like to confirm that Thailand's vaccination strategy is based on insuring accessibility to all those who require it regardless of their nationality. Comments on this regard have been taken out of context in the media. We know that. So we would like to reiterate that, Thailand continues to include foreign residents in it's vaccination program and foreign residents have been inoculated in the first phase already. But due to the limited number of vaccines we had procured in the beginning of our vaccine rollout we had to prioritize in order to prevent death and protect those who are most vulnerable to contracting the COVID-19, to protect our health systems as well. And therefore vaccinations in the first phase prioritized medical personnel, front line workers, the elderly and those with serious underlying diseases as well as those living within the high-risk zones such as border areas.

 

The first phase has already commenced and it started at the end of February and it is still ongoing until the end of May. Foreign residents in this particular risk group have already been inoculated such as migrant workers and migrant health volunteers. Now that Thailand has been successful in procuring more vaccines in the second phase of inoculation, which is going to start in June and will run until the end of this year, we have expanded within this phase vaccine coverage to include the general public and people working for the public sector including the diplomatic community and international organizations as well as foreign residents in Thailand based on their membership in the risk groups.

 

Now, lots of questions about the Mor Prom mobile application system. We know that the Mor Prom system currently does not accommodate registration for foreign residents for vaccination but the registration will commence in June and therefore the Ministry of Public Health is now working on the best method including through a possible mobile application or contacting hospitals directly to facilitate registration for foreign residents as soon as possible.

 

We're constantly working on improving all platforms and means for registration to ensure ease of access and function. So please do continue to give us responses and comments about how these platforms work or do not work. We will all take this on board.

 

And efforts are also being made to avail of private sector vaccines using vaccines purchased by the public sector. And this is because vaccine producers usually will not sell vaccines directly to the private sector but rather only through governments. And therefore public entities such as the Governments Pharmaceutical Organisation or the GPO can act on behalf of the private sector as among one of the options.

 

So if this is successful, vaccines will also be made available for purchase during the second phase. More information for this option will be shared as soon as possible and as the private sector secures the vaccination procurement and we will help distribute this information as soon as possible too. And therefore we ask for your patience and understanding and appreciate your comments as well as questions which we have taken on board. This will help us improve the work to ensure that all the people currently living in Thailand are safe from COVID-19.

—————

https://www.facebook.com/richardbarrowthailand/posts/326752898810980

[reader]

From Thai Enquirer

Vaccines to be extended to resident foreigners from June

The Thai government will provide Covid-19 vaccines for foreigners living and working in Thailand by June, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Friday.

“The policy is to provide the vaccines to every group, regardless of nationality, but since there are a limited number of vaccines at the beginning, there is a need to allocate them to the people who needed them the most first,” said Thanee Saengrat, the ministry’s spokesman.

He said these first priority groups include medical workers, elderly people, those who have any of seven chronic diseases, people living in known clusters, people living in the border areas and foreign health volunteers.

However, the “Mor Prom” (Doctors Ready) platform for people to register for a jab still cannot register foreigners. The government is working on other channels for non-citizens.

Thanee said that once the locally made AstraZeneca’s vaccines started to roll out in June, the vaccination programme will start to cover foreigners that are working at embassies, international institutions and foreigners legally resident in Thailand, based on their health and willingness to be vaccinated.

For Thai people looking to travel abroad to get a Covid vaccine in the United States, the ministry had warned that they should double check the vaccination programme in each location before travelling.

“The vaccination policy in each state is different,” Thanee said. “Thai people travelling to be vaccinated in the Unites States should study the vaccination program of each state carefully,” he added.

He said most US states only provide vaccines to foreigners studying or working there. Only some states are providing vaccines for visitors.

https://www.thaienquirer.com/27237/vaccines-to-be-extended-to-resident-foreigners-from-june/

[TotallyOz]

"Thanee said that once the locally made AstraZeneca’s vaccines started to roll out in June, the vaccination programme will start to cover foreigners"

Again, sorry, but no date. They will begin...they plan to...the intention is...

But, in the end, never anything specific!

[reader]

From The Thaiger

Expat vaccination in Thailand likely to be delayed

An official from the Bangkok Metropolitan Association says foreigners may face a slight delay in receiving their Covid-19 vaccines. Panruedee Manomaipiboon, director of the BMA’s health department says while the Health Ministry aims to vaccinate everyone living in Thailand, foreigners may have to wait until August.

“As I have said before, the Health Ministry plans to vaccinate Thais first. We will try our best to vaccinate Thais within 2 months, namely June and July, and then try to open foreign resident registration in August.”

https://thethaiger.com/coronavirus/expat-vaccination-likely-to-be-delayed

[spoon]

2 months to vaccinate all thais? 

[TotallyOz]

It truly is a shit show. No one seems to know what is happening.

[vinapu]

1 hour ago, reader said:

 

“As I have said before, the Health Ministry plans to vaccinate Thais first.

I wonder whether virus knows that and will behave accordingly

[Ruthrieston]

August in Thai time means October if we are lucky! Form a queue "smelly farang".....

[10tazione]

19 hours ago, vinapu said:

I wonder whether virus knows that and will behave accordingly

It does! According to virologists everyone wihtout vaccination (except hermits) will catch the virus sooner or later, it's just a question of time.

[Patanawet]

The way that I understood the live statement was that within a week or two Thais will be able to drop in at malls etc. closely followed by farang, just as soon as the UK Track and trace Trace system has helped them set up a world beating app.

 

[Guest]

A competent and responsible government would vaccinate all people legally residing in Thailand in order of medical priority.   That is typically based on age, occupation or local infection rates, but not discriminating by nationality.     Just the same as in most other civilized countries.

I'm not sure what the percentage of non-Thai nationals residing in Thailand is, but expect it's too small to even think about the bad PR that comes from favouring Thai nationals ahead of other people legally residing in Thailand. 

 

[Patanawet]

2 hours ago, z909 said:

A competent and responsible government would vaccinate all people legally residing in Thailand

Legally AND illegally.   The virus doesn't inspect visas.

[vinapu]

1 hour ago, Patanawet said:

Legally AND illegally.   The virus doesn't inspect visas.

While you are right,  chances of illegals coming forward to get vaccinated are minor for fear of getting nabbed  that way

[macaroni21]

Last December when the cluster broke out in Samut Sakhon, I saw a news report that said the government was extending tests to all potentially exposed persons regardless of immigration status. In that fishery port, many workers were Burmese. While I cannot fully remember the details now, the outline of the news story was that people needed only present a phone number to identify themselves (and to obtain test results) and that no questions would be asked about nationality or visa status.

Whether the people at risk were trustful of such government statements would have been a totally different matter, of course.

Furthermore, it is one thing for top officials to announce politices, it is quite another for the lower ranks to carry them out in the way that is intended. All it takes is for a few overzealous swabbers and testers to demand to see papers for news to spread in the community that the government's assurances are not to be trusted.

In other words, it is not hard to design policy to include overstayers, etc in testing and vaccinnation programmes; it can be very hard to realise the plan.

[PeterRS]

22 hours ago, macaroni21 said:

In other words, it is not hard to design policy to include overstayers, etc in testing and vaccinnation programmes; it can be very hard to realise the plan.

The sad fact is that the market at Samut Sakhon was a covid disaster just waiting to happen. Successive governments have been perfectly well aware of the thousands of Burmese who work there and that a great many are illegals. Successive governments have promised they would take action to clean up the problem and successive governments have done absolutely nothing about it! Despite the fact that there were thousands working there and despite the example of Singapore which suddenly found a huge cluster of thousands of cases amongst (legal) workers from poorer countries, no testing programme was put into effect months before the outbreak was discovered. This was definitely a case of the government authorities taking their eye off the ball - probably deliberately. The rich elite who control the market are probably in the same pot as the senior army man who ran the Thai Boxing tournament several days after large gathterings were declared illegal, one that made the very first outbreak more difficult to control.

Like the police officers who ran the illegal gambling dens which were found to be responsible for part of the second wave in January, the chances of anyone being held accountable in this country is virtually zero.

 

[reader]

A report from Thailand

Overseas Americans Are Desperate To Get COVID-19 Vaccines

Audio story from National Public Radio's Morning Edition:

Millions of Americans live abroad in places where vaccine rollouts are slow and cases rampant. They're pleading with the U.S. government to send surplus shots overseas. The answer so far is no. But now the White House has taken notice.

https://www.npr.org/2021/05/18/997783450/overseas-americans-are-desperate-to-get-covid-19-vaccines

[Guest]

On 5/16/2021 at 4:22 AM, macaroni21 said:

In other words, it is not hard to design policy to include overstayers, etc in testing and vaccinnation programmes; it can be very hard to realise the plan.

The only area to watch is taking care not to pursue policies which encourage more even more illegal immigration.  If that point were solved, of course it would make sense to vaccinate everyone in Thailand.     So definitely vaccinate everyone legally in the country and think carefully about the pros and cons of vaccinating illegals.

[spoon]

1 hour ago, z909 said:

The only area to watch is taking care not to pursue policies which encourage more even more illegal immigration.  If that point were solved, of course it would make sense to vaccinate everyone in Thailand.     So definitely vaccinate everyone legally in the country and think carefully about the pros and cons of vaccinating illegals.

https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/myanmar-people-fleeing-conflict-wont-be-pushed-back-by-thailand.html

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-Ocha pledged Friday to UN Special Envoy to Myanmar, Mrs. Christine Schraner Burgener, that Thailand will not push back people fleeing from conflict in Myanmar.

Prayut gave the guarantee during the meeting at the Government House with Burgener Friday morning. He also took the opportunity to congratulate Burgener, whom he met previously when she served as the ambassador from Switzerland (2009-2015), and lauded her diplomatic ability, which led her to be tasked with overseeing the situation in Myanmar.

Prayut said that Thailand will do everything possible to ensure that the situation in Myanmar moves in the right direction. On humanitarian assistance, he said that the country has long been providing such assistance to neighboring countries. “We will not push back people fleeing conflicts if they face danger,” he emphasized.

[billyhouston]

Oddly enough, in my experience, members of the Thai Army, not the top brass, are more sympathetic to those rebel armies fighting the Burmese Army than they are to the Burmese Army. Not only do they not interfere with the activities, in Thailand, of the EAOs but do, on occasion, actively support them. (The leader of one of the biggest EAOs is actually a Thai citizen.) I don't think the top brass would approve. On the other hand the BIB choose to make life difficult for anyone in Thailand who supports an EAO.

[reader]

From MSN / AP

China vaccinates its people in Thailand

BANGKOK (AP) — Chinese citizens living in Thailand began being vaccinated on Thursday as part of China's global campaign to inoculate its nationals living and working abroad.

China recently donated 500,000 vaccine doses, and Thailand agreed in turn to inoculate Chinese nationals as it slowly rolls out shots for its own citizens to contain a coronavirus surge that has sickened tens of thousands in the past two months.

Yang Xin, minister counsellor at the Chinese Embassy, said Beijing's “Spring Sprout” program would benefit tens of thousands of Chinese in the country. An estimated 150,000 Chinese citizens live in Thailand.

China has so far supplied millions of vaccine doses to the country, most of which Thailand purchased.

The Thai government has said it will vaccinate Thais before inoculating most other foreigners, regardless of risk factors or age.

In downtown Bangkok, a Chinese volunteer with a white mask, transparent shield and blue gloves stood in front of a red banner reading “Spring Sprout Action” flanked by the flags of China and Thailand at a vaccination center.

Groups representing Americans living in Thailand sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken last week asking the government to supply some of the millions of unused vaccine doses available in the U.S. to inoculate American citizens in Thailand.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/china-in-global-campaign-vaccinates-its-people-in-thailand/ar-AAKbBB3

[spoon]

31 minutes ago, reader said:

From MSN / AP

China vaccinates its people in Thailand

BANGKOK (AP) — Chinese citizens living in Thailand began being vaccinated on Thursday as part of China's global campaign to inoculate its nationals living and working abroad.

China recently donated 500,000 vaccine doses, and Thailand agreed in turn to inoculate Chinese nationals as it slowly rolls out shots for its own citizens to contain a coronavirus surge that has sickened tens of thousands in the past two months.

Yang Xin, minister counsellor at the Chinese Embassy, said Beijing's “Spring Sprout” program would benefit tens of thousands of Chinese in the country. An estimated 150,000 Chinese citizens live in Thailand.

China has so far supplied millions of vaccine doses to the country, most of which Thailand purchased.

The Thai government has said it will vaccinate Thais before inoculating most other foreigners, regardless of risk factors or age.

In downtown Bangkok, a Chinese volunteer with a white mask, transparent shield and blue gloves stood in front of a red banner reading “Spring Sprout Action” flanked by the flags of China and Thailand at a vaccination center.

Groups representing Americans living in Thailand sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken last week asking the government to supply some of the millions of unused vaccine doses available in the U.S. to inoculate American citizens in Thailand.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/china-in-global-campaign-vaccinates-its-people-in-thailand/ar-AAKbBB3

This is how u should do it. If u want your citizen overseas to be taken care of, make some vaccine donation!

[billyhouston]

Anybody who thinks that this is about China taking care of its citizens is delusional.

[spoon]

5 hours ago, billyhouston said:

Anybody who thinks that this is about China taking care of its citizens is delusional.

Well, regardless of their intention, id give credit when its due. I dont care if its china or israel or russia or even vatican city, if they want their citizen overseas to be vaccinated or being prioritized, especially in a developing country that are struggling themselves, making a vaccine donation is the way to make the country more willing to help your own citizen there.