Coronavirus (Covid-19)Thailand

Those under 60 years old can make vaccine appointments at end of month

Stock photo via Pixnio

Those residents between 18 and 59 years old can now plan on registering for a Covid-19 vaccine at the end of the month. The deputy government spokeswoman, Rachada Dhnadirek, made the announcement, giving the date of May 31 as the opening day for those in that age group to register through the Mor Prom app, Line chat, or at hospitals. She says the Public Health Ministry is also designing a registration platform for expatriates in the country. Rachada says walk-ins will also be allowed at some vaccination centres.

After 28 new Covid-19 clusters hit Thailand’s capital of Bangkok, The Public Health Ministry says it is planning to vaccinate 5 million people by the end of July. The capital yesterday saw the highest number of daily new infections at 1,843 out of the nationwide high of 9,635. The unusually high amount of infections comes after 12 prisons in Thailand were found to be infected with Covid, accounting for 6,853 of the daily new infections. So far, the Department of Corrections has reported 10,384 Covid-19 cases in Thai prisons.

Last week’s outbreaks at the Bangkok Remand Prison and Central Women’s Correctional Institution, with nearly 3,000 inmates infected, human rights groups called for the release of inmates who were incarcerated on minor charges or awaiting trial for minor or non-violent offences. Justice Minister, Somsak Thepsutin, says around 50,000 inmates who are incarcerated on minor drug charges will be released next month and placed under house arrest with electronic monitoring bracelets. The department is continuing proactive testing this week and all prisons must file a weekly report outlining the number of Covid-19 cases as well as the number of those who have recovered from a coronavirus infection.

Today in Thailand, the public health ministry has announced 2,473 new infections and 35 Covid-related deaths. The number of active cases continues to rise. Yesterday, the state recorded 35,055 people still under care in hospitals or field hospitals, with most of those infected remaining asymptomatic.

SOURCE: Bangkok Post

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Ann Carter

Ann Carter is an award-winning journalist from the United States with over 12 years experience in print and broadcast news. Her work has been featured in America, China and Thailand as she has worked internationally at major news stations as a writer and producer. Carter graduated from the Walter Williams Missouri School of Journalism in the USA.

10 Comments

  1. Thai logic lesson: Foreigner tourist held in ASQ spending no money, aside from lining the pockets of a few Bangkokian HISO, welcome. But….Expat professionals making net , ( of whom there are thousands advising and managing industry and commerce and without whom Thailand would collapse) ) with decades of proven support for Thai tourism, with 40 to 50 times the average Thai monthly salary, ( $20K USD/ EU +++ p/m is not a high salary) as well as paying income tax…not welcome.

    Makes perfect sense that government should stop high salary professionals from receiving vaccinations and spending in luxury hotel resorts, new automobiles and homes while waiting for the booze and whore crowd to return to the Red Light Island.

    Right now, I know that most high power executives have stopped spending….zero. Nor de we think that a brisk walk in the mall to spend our 70K ( Let’s spend together) incentive is enough to pander to our interest…as is showing up in the polls.

    If certain people want to play the race card with their politics, then we can play the race card with our wallets. It’s not This who pay Four Seasons prices. Who does government think does? It costs minimum B50,000 for a weekend…the guests aren’t Thai.

    Thai workers will benefit by vaccinating foreigners respectfully as equal contributors. If not, then the 100,000 jobs government expects to create by reopening tourism will not be best type but rather 90,000 women on their backs and 10,000 bartenders.

  2. Don’t get too excited. They are talking about being able to “book” an appointment. You have to laugh at how being able to book an appointment is seen as progress. Set up a website and let the whole country “book” one. Doesn’t mean you will get a vaccine any time soon. Still, it looks like progress and that’s all that matters…

  3. @Nigel, for once we’re in complete agreement – it’s a farce.

    If all over 18 are eligible to “book an appointment” that would mean around 100 million appointments for 100 million doses.

    Thailand doesn’t have 100 million doses. Thailand doesn’t have 10 million doses.

    Even if it did, it can’t prioritise them now and give “appointments” as it doesn’t know either when the doses will arrive or when there will be an outbreak like Klong Toey, who will buy the 6 million or so Moderna doses so not need an appointment, nor has it yet decided on priorities – age, vulnerability, trade, Bangkok, Buri Ram, or sandbox.

    Australia’s having a pretty poor vaccine rollout, only managing a little over 300,000 a week which at that rate will take them until mid-August 2023 (yes, 2023) to get through the 40 million doses needed for the adult population, but at least they’re not wasting time and effort by asking people to “register” to get an appointment in a year’s time or more.

    It’s just a farce, and the only excuse I can think of for it has been that registration has been so poor so far that they’re in danger of having vaccines but no-one to vaccinate and so dropping even further behind the rest of Asean in the vaccination race.

    I can’t think of any other possible reason for it.

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