TAT officially announces vaccine website for foreigners
The Tourism Authority of Thailand officially announced today a website for foreigners in Thailand to register for their Covid-19 vaccine. The site – ThailandIntervac.com – was launched in an updated format on Monday by the Ministry of Public Health and serves as a national registration site to supplement the individual registration processes each province in Thailand was tasked with creating. It’s unclear if this will simplify the registration process or add to the confusion for foreigners.
The Ministry of Public Health still recommends foreigners start their quest for a vaccine at any local hospital that they have been treated at before and has a medical record for them. Failing that, the website will attempt to schedule appointments. As of now, registration is open for the first category of prioritization: those over 60 years old or with one of 7 recognized underlying health conditions.
Foreigners are all advised to register in advance for their vaccine, about 2 weeks before your desired appointment date, according to the Foreign Office of the Government Public Relations Department of the Office of the Prime Minister. The date and location of the vaccine centre should be able to be chosen on the website. Walk-in vaccination will not be available anywhere to foreigners.
The website is fairly basic so far, and critics have complained about the inexplicable 3-hour daily window for foreigners to register for their vaccine, as the website opens sign-ups at noon and closes the link at 3 pm each day. One interesting hint on the website is that while Sinovac and AstraZeneca are listed as “Available” on the page, the site also includes Moderna and “Johnsons & Johnsons” [sic] as vaccines but without availability, perhaps hinting at future options.
The site also lists details about the 7 qualifying underlying conditions and details on what documentation will need to be presented when foreigners arrive for their vaccine.
Currently, 3 vaccination locations, all in Bangkok, are listed as available for foreigners to get their vaccine: MedPark Hospital in Khlong Toei, and Vimut and Phyathai 2 Hospitals, both in Phaya Thai district. A fourth location in Sathorn is listed at Bangrak Vaccination and Health Centre but does not appear to be active yet.
Have you been successful in registering in ThailandIntervac.com? Please share your experiences in the comments.
SOURCE: TAT Newsroom
