Reader Submission: No vaccination for farang….
(rurgrit / Shutterstock.com)
I would like to express my annoyance to all readers of Thailand blog, which I experienced today July 1. At the end of April, local loudspeakers call for everyone who wants to be vaccinated to come and register personally and with an ID card at the home of the village head.
There I will be registered and I will be notified that I will be vaccinated on June 1 with AstraZeneca. The vaccination will be done at home, something I already thought was strange. Didn't see anyone on that date, and after taking info from the person in charge, I get the message that I will be called up during the month of June and there will only be vaccinations in the hospital.
At the end of June, 6 people come home to fill in a form to still arrange my vaccination and I have to present myself in the Amphur of Phon, on July 1, 2021, so today at 7 am, vaccination unknown will be communicated on site .
After an hour of waiting and talking to some doctors (in Thai only) I am let in as number 10 and have to report to a desk where they check my ID card and tell me that I am farang and have to wait until I am called up , date later. At that moment people are busy vaccinating with AstraZenica and I ask to be given the chance anyway. Didn't Prime Minister Prayut state in the press that everyone, including the farang who has a permanent residence in Thailand, is equal to a Thai resident? So I ask the responsible person to explain what is going wrong.
At that moment the mayor of Phon enters in full regalia and I go straight to him and address him in my broken Thai and English, show my documents which they had already drawn up a few days earlier, and my ID card and my yellow family book.
Fortunately, my wife was nearby, comes to my rescue, addresses the mayor and is told that I will be summoned later (unidentifiable). When I tell him that Prayut has written that Farang will be equated with Thai as far as vaccinations are concerned, he turns and leaves me alone.
So from the end of April until now no vaccination for farang. Wait until we get infected and die then they will be rid of that annoying farang.
To be continued.
Submitted by Fons (BE)
Yes, this is unfortunately the trend that you experience in most places in Thailand. I also read that there are positive messages, so not all doom and gloom. But in general people just do what they want and interpret as they please. Maling to Prayut and associates. The Thai first. In Pattaya, one of the hot spots in terms of infections, it is not yet the turn of foreigners. We were overtaken in Chonburi by Bangkok and the surrounding area, where the vaccines are now being sent. I read in one of the comments that there was someone who was vaccinated when he showed his pink foreigner ID card. Here, when it comes to showing it (first-hand experience), people look the other way. Contempt at its finest. You are sent away like a little boy. Without a Thai smile, that is.
Dear members,
Wouldn't we all better enjoy what life has to offer us every day?
Corona is indeed a part of our lives today. But I will not let my life depend on this virus. Will I receive my injection today, tomorrow or in a few months? What does it matter.
Complaining, whining, being frustrated, we now know that this does nothing. The vaccination policy in Thailand is futile. So be it. Don't make it more difficult for yourself than it already is. Look at life on the bright side and we have more than enough sun here in our beautiful Thailand.
*** You can build something beautiful even with the stones that block your way ***
Fons, I understand your disappointment, but do you really have to respond with 'Wait until we get infected and die then they will be rid of that annoying farang.'?
If you regularly read this blog then you know that elsewhere in Thailand farang get an injection and in other places not, or later. But that's Thailand, Fons! The same goes for the requirements for your stamp; every Immigration officer explains the rules as he/she likes or as the wind blows today.
Phon, I think it's in Khon Kaen province, isn't the end of the world so try a larger town in the region, or approach a doctor at the local hospital through your wife/partner. It may be sensitive to the argument that every unpricked person is a running time bomb.
Maybe the EU should just stop vaccinating Thai EU residents and let them fly back to Thailand for a while.
Seems pretty short sighted to me. Thai citizens with mvv (BSn number and digid) are duly called for a vaccination in the Netherlands. This is separate from what is happening in Thailand and they can do nothing about it.
Is that because those Thai EU residents determine Thailand's policy?
Incidentally, it is the countries themselves that vaccinate and not the EU.
Fons' story is in stark contrast to the experience in Hua Hin. The Dutch were already vaccinated there on June 7 and I also know from friends in Cha am that they have already received their injection. It must therefore be due to the relationship between the countryside and tourist areas that foreigners are vaccinated. It is strange that when I enter my 13-digit tax number, the Hua Hin Hospital states that I did not show up the first time. The second vaccination has also been brought forward from 27 to 13 September.
Exactly the same here even my Thai wife already delayed twice. Would first happen on June 18, then it became June 25 and now we have to wait again. At the first registration they also asked for my data. The next day my wife already received a phone call that it couldn't go ahead for me. The last time she registered on June 25, she was asked again if I also wanted to be vaccinated? For the second time everything passed on again without hope of course. A downright farce.
They didn't understand it at all. Those who want to protect their population against a virus by means of vaccinations should not take into account race, nationality, position or rank. You then vaccinate people who can become ill themselves but also infect others.
It is as if a farmer would only vaccinate his brown cows in the event of a circulating virus among cows, then maybe never the black and white ones. I think any vet would think that farmer is crazy.
Maybe that farmer thinks his brown cows are more important than the white and the black.
Before the epidemic, it won't matter which color cow you vaccinate first.
They won't make a difference if they've postponed your THAI woman too. There are currently not enough vaccines yet and not everyone wants to have all vaccines.
New Zealand and Australia have only just started and there they also have to wait for your vaccine. So your comment about race and nationality makes no sense.
You can only complain if it turns out that all Thai residents have been vaccinated and all foreigners have not. I know that many Dutch people and other Nationalities have already received their 1st vaccination. Sometimes they had to drive to a big city for that. But that's true. I wait quietly for my call, the hospital has registered me. I just keep my distance from others and feel fine and enjoy every day.
Due to the attitude of a number of people about the covid and vaccine, people would get stressed out and would be even more likely to go under.
Be wise enjoy, keep your distance and wash your hands. Eat healthy and take care of your vitamins then you can handle most things and above all you move every day, go for a walk for at least 30 minutes every day.
I would like to start by drawing all readers' attention to the corona figures that apply to Thailand. Type in the terms corona and Thailand on Google. Then compare the data with neighboring countries such as Cambodia and Vietnam, but also look at the figures for the Philippines and Indonesia. Be honest: how serious is the situation in Thailand that we cannot wait for next October. and later. Most unrest in Thailand is caused by contradictory reporting and by the media's preference to prioritize negative impacts. After all, stunting with the number of deaths is more spectacular and generates more attention. The same goes for saying that solutions are available. That is a daily practice in Thailand because deed is rarely added to a word. Everyone knows how to act anyway. Coming from the Netherlands or Belgium, everyone knows how to deal with a cold or flu virus. Then behave accordingly. Don't stand on your stripes in Thailand, don't confront authorities, don't pride yourself on your farang status. All of that backfires. Thai people usually have no answers to direct questions and the questions from farang about when and how to obtain a vaccination cannot be answered by any Thai at the moment because it is not available. In short: just show some patience.
here in cnx also postponed again. cnx = chiang mai…
pink card and everything was ok.
Saturday more info from the hospital.
I don't understand why the Dutch embassy is looking the other way in this crisis situation
example france, all french in cnx have now been vaccinated here this week through action by the french embassy.
Unfortunately, the Dutch embassy is insufficient for its Dutch citizens.
pay taxes in NL but only return service?
just wait and see…
In a crisis situation, the embassy would evacuate us to your own country. Where you ultimately pay your taxes. Do you think it's a crisis yourself, now what's stopping you from taking a return ticket for 500 euros.
And come back when the crisis is over.
I have not paid tax in the Netherlands for 14 years and I am not the only one.
I pay both income tax and VAT in Thailand.
The Thai attitude towards vaccinating ferang which
living here speaks very clearly. ONLY THAI PEOPLE.
Racism of the purest kind.
The ambassador should raise this
at the highest level and explain that in the Netherlands
and all other European countries the Thai fellow man
be vaccinated simultaneously in sequence
of age group or risk category.
That what is happening here in Thailand is completely unacceptable.
How would the Thai governments like us
all Thais would skip under the motto
ONLY FOR HOLLAND PEOPLE.
What can we, members of this blog, do about it? Right, nothing at all.
Get into your pen, report your frustrations to the embassy, that's what I call taking action.
Coming here to whine will not help you, you will only frustrate others.
Racism? If that is your opinion, you should leave immediately, because who would choose to live in a country where you are knowingly and systematically discriminated against because of your origins? There is a lot of mood making among those who are increasingly wallowing in a position of dependence. Very stupid behavior. There are too few vaccines in Thailand, not all Thais are vaccinated, sometimes you hear that farang have already had 2 vaccinations, so I think that the ratio of vaccinated Thai: Farang is not even that out of balance.
Hello everyone, here on samet everyone who wanted a vaccination has been vaccinated, including the farang. Also 2 times, so great.
I don't mind the principle of Thai first at all. Somewhere logical. It is not surprising that the injection dates are always postponed when you read how many vaccines have been purchased. And as more and more embassies start vaccinating their nationals, the willingness of the Thai authorities to vaccinate foreigners will decrease even further.
Stay safe and keep calm
Rob
I am considering emigrating to Thailand with my Thai wife.
I read more and more about expressions of "xenophobia" from Thailand towards foreigners.
Recently there were strange statements from Thai officials about "dirty" Westerners who would have brought Covid to Thailand. That, combined with the double pricing policy for entrance fees, the complicated and sometimes unreasonable visa conditions, the farang-unfriendly property law, etc., makes me start thinking: if I'm not welcome in Thailand, why should I go there? live?
If you are walking around with such prejudices in your head, I can advise you not to emigrate and to stay in Belgium.
There are already enough Farangs living here who like to highlight all the disadvantages of life in Thailand on a daily basis. I always ask myself what obliges those people to stay here?
Emigrating is a major decision. If you don't do this with a positive mindset, don't start. Complaining and complaining afterwards is hell for yourself and for the people in your immediate environment.
There are, despite all this, quite a few members who are perfectly happy here. You don't hear them whining here because they haven't gotten an injection yet. They take full advantage of life, the disadvantages of their new homeland will be a concern to them.
By the way, is it so perfect in Belgium/the Netherlands? Feeling happy and being happy depends on your own personality – the country you live in is of secondary importance.
Yet B.Elg is not entirely wrong and he mentions a number of facts. Foreigners have been called “ai farang” by a minister, there is a two-price system for access to parks and so on, as a foreigner you cannot acquire property on land, and there are more examples where foreigners are arguably disadvantaged compared to how Thai people are treated in the Netherlands or Belgium. The biggest obstacle that Thailand has put up is their visa policy. You can stay for a maximum of one year, you have to apply for an extension every year, you are not simply insured for health care, and if things go wrong, you cannot simply return. You are right when you say that feeling and being happy depends on your personality, but the fact is that Thailand does not ask for it or contribute to it. B.Elg's question why he wants to live in Thailand thus becomes/is pregnant.
Look before you leap. It's all exaggerated as it's hyped in Thailand. They say the sun shines behind the horizon and if you have the attitude to find everything right and look the other way, so you have chameleon behavior, then you can certainly ground here. This is not due to the many Thai residents who are also living and are busy getting further from day to day. If you value human rights, it is best not to go here, other than on vacation, because the population desperately needs tourism. I do understand your order with a Thai wife who will want to go to her family, although I know enough Thai women in the Netherlands who will no longer do that. This way everyone makes their own assessment and strength when making your choice. In hindsight my choice was wrong and I will always be reminded of that.
I can still see the comments before me on this blog saying that Thai health was so good.
Some went so far as to think that it was all much better than in the frog country they had happily left.
Only when the first reports circulated that it could take a while with the vaccination in Thailand, many of those who found everything much better in Thailand were suddenly so much Dutch that they suddenly thought that the Dutch government / consulate should be ready now stand to vaccinate them.
In comparison, I can still report that I have already had both my vaccinations in Europe for 2 months, and that my Thai woman, who is slightly younger, regardless of nationality, will receive her 2nd vaccination next week.
Fortunately, both with Biontech Pfizer, and not with the sinovax mess from China.
Hi John
Since you know how well things are arranged in the Netherlands.
Can you explain it to all Dutch people who have almost no chance of a vaccine.
That the Netherlands is giving away 750.000 vaccines to Suriname for free.
But their own compatriots who live outside the Netherlands prefer to just let the pipe go.
I understand that retired Dutch people are a cost item.
While giving away hundreds of thousands of vaccines for free is good advertising.
Which costs little.
You just have to look at it professionally.
Look at France (and there are more countries) there they just think of their own people.
But I will be called a racist again.
And I find it normal that Thailand thinks first of its own population.
We are guests here.
I think it's ridiculous that they stop vaccinating in the hospital.
How many Dutch people have "gone the pipe"?
Thailand does not necessarily vaccinate their own people first. Considering the many who have already been vaccinated. There are currently shortages. They were also there in the Netherlands at the start of the vaccination campaign. Thais are also sent home again and their appointment canceled or rescheduled. You will see that it will get better in a few weeks.
Thailand is still a safe country when it comes to covid.
Register for a vaccination. Take advantage of it if you can.
And realize that sometimes something is said by a Thai executive out of unfamiliarity. If they don't know for a moment, they will quickly say that it is not for a foreigner.
The death toll then:
Thailand: 2080 out of 69 million inhabitants = 0.003 %
The Netherlands: 17.748 out of 16 million inhabitants = 0.11 %
France: 111.000 out of 68 million inhabitants = 0.16%.
Where should people now be 'more afraid' of dying from Covid?
And where are people really more afraid?
There are 57 million Thai in Thailand, how many have been vaccinated? 4%, 2.76 million!!
Then another sloppy 5 million(?) farang?
My wife is a Thai officer and she has no idea when, how or with what she will be vaccinated.
Every day she comes into contact with people.
Stop complaining for a while.
I've put my vaccination on hold, don't feel like being treated with Jansen or Astra.
With a government here where it doesn't matter if you die or not. Which looks at your age and as you get older, your economic value decreases.
If you get covid and they have to choose, they choose the young person to hospitalize.
By the way, do you know that you can still get covid AFTER you've been vaccinated!
Here in the Netherlands, 29 elderly people in a home, vaccinated with Pfizer. 12 have contracted covid.
You would think that the chance would have been very small, but no.
The only difference is that they survived. Covid is better fought in the body, that's all.
Peter said “By the way, do you know that you can still get covid AFTER you have been vaccinated!”
Yes, that is generally known and the pharmaceutical companies have also said that the effect of the vaccine is not that you cannot become infected, but that you do not become ill or become less ill and have a much smaller chance of dying. With an effectiveness of around 95% for Pfizer and Moderna vaccine. Sinovac appears to be less effective.
Unfortunately, there are people who hear that vaccinees are infected and then roar “vaccination is pointless!”
There were 2020 inhabitants in Thailand in 68.977.400 - source Wikipedia
Of these, almost 10.000.000 were vaccinated yesterday – source NNT
So not 4% but roughly 7%
All in all, not too bad, actually quite an achievement.
Official COVID-19 update in Thailand on Thursday
* 264,834 people infected (+5,533)
* 210,702 discharged from hospital (+3,223)
* 52,052 hospitalized
* 2,080 deaths (+57)
Imported Cases – 12
Domestic cases – 3,788
Proactive case finding in communities – 1,689
Cases found in correctional facilities – 44
Number of people who received vaccines:
1st dose: +200,685
2nd dose: +54,307
Total: 9,927,698
#newcases #coronavirus #covid19 #ministryofpublichealth #update #โควิด19 #พบผู้ป่วยเพิ่ม #ข่าวด่วน
No cat gives any credence to infection rates or disease rates in Thailand. It is suspected that the actual Covid19 infections are a multiple of the so-called "official" figures, wherever they come from. So all calculations, comparisons and inferences based on such figures make no sense. It only helps to increase the ambiguities
Peter, more than 70 million people live in Thailand and more than 10 million of them have been vaccinated up to today. That gives 15% of the resident.
I was also vaccinated this week without having been registered in advance. Just walk in and proceed to registration, medical certificate, and blood pressure measurement. I think I had 100 men/women in front of me, but after 2 hours I had my shot with photo, vaccination paper, 3 sandwiches and a pack of drinks.
May we know where that was? Maybe more people can get in there and walk through
Dear Ruud NK,
Almost 70 million people live in Thailand (https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.TOTL).
10,2 million injections of the intended 100 million have now been given.
4,50 million people (6,4%) have only had 1 shot and 2,86 million people (4,0%) have had 2 shots.
https://www.facebook.com/KhaosodEnglish/posts/4466216143397283
I can't get rid of the impression that apparently a lot of NL and B who did not yet have the opportunity or the chance to come and live in Thailand or for whom it was not within their capabilities are now secretly venting their frustration. They seem to be having fun that for once they are better off in Europe than in Thailand. At the moment that is more or less true, but I don't think it's neat at all to try to saddle the expats here with a feeling of guilt that you wanted it that way.
I also read those comments from time to time, not neat indeed, but are there many? I get the impression that this gloating is mainly motivated by the rather coercive way in which only a few writers seem to 'demand' their vaccine. And not so much aimed at all Dutch people living in Thailand.
Personally, I would have loved to spend the past year and a half in Thailand. Still largely safer than the Netherlands. The slow vaccination is a pity, but I don't think it's an insurmountable problem.
Nice is not it? With delay comes adjustment and in the end it may no longer be necessary at all or make no sense. I'll wait. The longer the better.
Already vaccinated with Astra Zenica here in Phuket. No problems or waiting times.
I registered on May 27 with the then still working Mor Prom App. After some searching I had a first vaccination appointment on August 3 in a hospital 20 km from our house. However, we were called on Friday June 4 that the appointment was brought forward to June 7 due to my age (65 years) and the fact that I take high blood pressure pills. So that Monday I received an AstraZeneca injection and an elderly Belgian friend had also driven there on the gamble and he also received an injection at the end of the morning because Thai people did not show up.
Awesome. There you have it. Very positive news.
Together with my Dutch neighbor we were vaccinated with the Astra Zenica vaccine on June 7th.
There was a queue at the local hospital in Sawang Daen Din. At 15 km. from there, in Charoen Sin, I went to register. First let us register in that hospital and then wait!
Unfortunately I received the message that I could not be helped until Wednesday! My Thai wife did everything possible but no pleas helped!
We went back home...... until we were called an hour later and asked us to come for the vaccine! After all, numerous registered citizens had sent their cat! At 10:55 AM I was vaccinated! Friendly and perfect!
Didn't have any side effects!
To make the story even better: My wife had to visit the Sawang Hospital for a check-up and a ceremony was taking place there with the respective mayors of Sawang Daen Din and Sakon Nakhon. My wife, 54 years old and a 59-year-old lady, also tried to receive the Astra Zenica vaccine there. An hour later both were vaccinated outside!
This is not all organizationally correct, but we were just very lucky.
My wife is listed to get the second shot on Sept 7th and I on Sept 27th.
Photos are in our possession and the App also provides proof of our first vaccination on both our devices!
Fairy tales still exist!
Do we get messages like this every day now? Not normal what I read the last few days: “Racism! Take back the Thai citizens of Europe! Xenophobia! They want all the farang to die!” That frustrated tone and choice of words do this beautiful and informative site no good.
There is always a comparison between Thailand and the Netherlands, but that is of course not fair. The Netherlands has had a relatively high number of infections and deaths for a long time and has only been emerging from the crisis in recent months. Thailand, on the other hand, was relatively unaffected, but is now facing some adversity: too few vaccines and increasing infections. And looking at the size of the population, it's still not too bad, right? Because come on, we're not talking about the bubonic plague here! Be a little careful, wash your hands well and keep a smart distance and you really won't have a problem. That vaccination then comes just a few months later.
And besides, many Thais also run into the same problems, don't they? They too experience confused policy regarding vaccinations and have to wait continuously. A little more respect and a little less gut feeling would be a bit neater and fairer.
In my place where I live, I have never seen anyone at the door of the village hospital or the village chief.
The next time they have a money-raising campaign, they will know where to find Janneman for one thing or another.
My stepson went to a birthday party for the mother of a friend of his two weeks ago.
The family has a clothing factory.
There were around 100 guests including the local bobooos, do you think the applicable Covid rules were applied there.
Only when entering the local Lotus etc. do you have to stick to the rules again tempscan gel face mask etc etc etc.
Just as described earlier, the sun will rise again in Thailand tomorrow, and who will live then who will care, I don't worry so much anymore about the whole Corona hysteria, I'm going to die anyway.
Jan Beute.
I signed up for two lists of private hospitals.
I didn't hear anything from the first one and when I contacted them I got a meaningless answer.
With the second I neatly received a registration number after registration. And I don't have a pink ID card. But registration with passport number.
For both, it concerns the Moderna vaccine that would be given in October.
Well, I prefer to pay with, perhaps, a certainty that I will get the vaccine anyway. within an 'acceptable' period. And a vaccine that is accepted in Europe if I were to travel there.
Hope brings life.
Perhaps the administrative cult has the same attitude as immigration….not uniformly so, not here or there, for the record, my Lao partner was vaccinated with astra yesterday, MUST make an appointment a month in advance, appointment with qr code date and go, I'm going on the 15th as agreed.
keep trying but try to make arguments without introducing Prayuth, making and issuing a QR appointment form is standard I'm told……make something up but leave politics out of it
success
Not a problem in Mahasarakham
I received a message last week if I wanted to come by for vaccination.
(I had already registered 2 weeks earlier)
In the university hospital it was well organized
It was very busy there but more than an hour later we were outside again,
And me with my first vaccination, my second vaccination will follow in September.
My wife unfortunately has to wait until the end of July because AstraZenica was gone.
Cost ? Zero
Complaints? No
Greetings
A few months ago we were already approached with the question if we wanted to be placed on a list. But my wife and I politely declined. Here in Ubon there has been herd immunity for a long time because R is less than 1 and that is because people often live outdoors, overflowing with vitamin D, live in maximally ventilated houses, have been exposed to viruses from livestock all their lives, are less fat on average than the people in Bangkok and also suffer little from air pollution. Flu and colds are unknown phenomena here. Yet they also want to vaccinate 70% of the people in Ubon with a vaccine only approved for emergency situations. Foolishness at its peak.
I myself am 48 years old and yesterday vaccinated with AZ here in Chiang Rai, everything went smoothly.
Davy, what hospital did you get the vaccination at, and what did you pay?
I ask because my partner there in CR is looking for a vaccination option - I myself am temporarily in NL and I get the vaccinations here at the GGD.