5 million Moderna vaccines for Thailand, half of expectation

[Stonker]

6 hours ago, Faz said:

So is driving without a licence, or wearing a helmet on a Motorcycle.

This is Thailand we're talking about...remember.

 

6 hours ago, Faz said:

..... I'm guessing the private hospitals will now be in turmoil with a lot of disappointed foreigners on their hands.

I think the problem for Thailand, which Moderna just highlights, isn't so much some "disappointed foreigners" but a lot of disappointed Thais up-country.

Thailand's always been divided  (haves vs have nots / red vs yellow / town vs country) but never so much as now with the prioritising of vaccinations depending on location, with the priority for government vaccines going to the cities and the wealthy tourist heavy areas - on top of that now, though, even the privately sold vaccines are also going to the urban rich as the vaccines are only available in a few city hospitals and the rural poor are being priced out of the market with private vaccines up from 3,000 baht to nearer 5,000. And to add insult to injury, the young urban rich who've already had two government vaccinations are being invited to buy a third Moderna booster, while many rural poor over 60 haven't even been able to register for a vaccination let alone have two.

There are good arguments for prioritising vaccinations by location depending on outbreaks, but only if you're in the right location.

There's always been a lot of antipathy to certain elements from the rural poor, as well as a lot of acceptance of 'karma', but it's only very recently that some of it's noticeably changed to open and outright animosity if not hatred.

[Stonker]

10 hours ago, Tina said:

Please tell me where and how to register for Moderna. Thanks

@Tina, you need to go to the Line app and add 'THGinfo' as a 'friend', or you can go to the Thonburi Hospital Group website and click on a link there, but you'll be wasting your time as you'll just get a message (in Thai) that their registrations are closed.

The nearest THG hospital to me is over 200 kms away so for me it's never really been an option, but it's possible that although THG say all 5 million doses are theirs that other hospitals may also get some and allow registration once the vaccines arrive.

Sorry, I know that doesn't really help.

[Faz]

1 hour ago, Stonker said:

I think the problem for Thailand, which Moderna just highlights, isn't so much some "disappointed foreigners" but a lot of disappointed Thais up-country.

Excellent post Stonker, spot on.

I live in the boonies NE of Thailand.
The registration process has been very well organised by the local Government hospital and a sheer willingness to vaccination as many, as soon as possible ..... if only they had the vaccines to do so.

We have two private hospitals, one being from the Bangkok hospital group who inform they are not getting involved, the other being from the Thonburi group. They started taking registration two weeks ago with a limit of 1,500 applicants, which they reached within 12 hours of starting. Only a small handful of foreigners managed to register, the rest were all Thais. They stated the cost would be 3,800 baht for both doses.

Because of the bad publicity and reports about the Sinovac vaccine, many, many Thais are abstaining from the government vaccination scheme and are well prepared to pay privately for a different choice.
That's in the boonies, no idea what the consensus of opinion is in the big cities.