August vaccination plan: 80% of Bangkok residents; open to general public, expats

Thailand has opened its mass Covid-19 vaccination campaign to the general public who are at least 18 years old, including foreign residents. Priority is still given to those who are 60 and above, and those who have one of the specified underlying conditions that puts them at risk of severe infection if they were to contract Covid-19.

By the end of the month, the Thai government plans to have 80% of Bangkok residents vaccinated against Covid-19 as well as 70% of those in the other 28 “dark red” provinces, according to Ministry of Foreign Affairs deputy spokesperson Natapanu Nopakun, who gives the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration briefing in English.

“And from yesterday onwards, the Ministry of Public Health has adjusted the vaccination plan, extending it, of course, to those who are in the general public.”

So far, 17.8 million doses of the Covid-19 vaccine have been administered in the Thai government’s immunisation campaign. Early on in the campaign, priority was given to Phuket and Koh Samui, tourist islands said to be of “economic significance.” Vaccinations were accelerated on the two islands to prepare for the July reopenings to overseas travellers under the “Phuket Sandbox” and “Samui Plus” travel schemes.

With the latest wave of the virus hitting record highs, and the emergence of the Delta variant, the Thai government shifted its focus to vaccinate vulnerable groups in high-risk areas, particularly in Bangkok, the epicentre of the recent wave.

Vaccination plan for August 2021

• 80% of residents in Bangkok, Thailand’s epicentre of the latest wave of Covid-19.
• 70% of residents in the other 28 “dark red” provinces are under maximum and strict control.
• 50% of residents in other provinces.

Expat vaccinations

As of Saturday, around 12,000 foreign residents vaccinated against Covid-19 under the Thai government’s campaign including elderly expats, those with underlying conditions, teachers, diplomats and those involved with international organisations, according to Natapanu.

Out of the 1.5 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine donated to Thailand by the United States, 150,000 doses have been allocated to foreign residents.

The website, expatvac.consular.go.th, launched yesterday allowing expats throughout Thailand to register for their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine which would be Pfizer, AstraZeneca or Sinovac.

Those 60 years old and above, as well as those with one of the specified underlying conditions, are still given priority. Those who have already registered in the previous phase are still in the system and will have an appointment scheduled soon, according to Natapanu.

The site run by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Public Health had an apparent data breach yesterday after its launch where names, emails and registration numbers were exposed, a glitch similar to the previous registration site ThailandIntervac.com.

Despite the glitch, nearly 17,000 foreigners registered for a Covid-19 vaccine through the site, most under 60 years old, according to Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Tanee Sangrat.

At 9PM Aug 1, 16,935 registered w/ expatvac, 13,884 are under 60 yrs old, and only 3,051 are 60 and over. Of those registered, 64 are pregnant and 946 are in 7-health conditions grps. Many more are being processed and pending required docs. TQ on behalf of MFA Expatvac Team. pic.twitter.com/ckXqtjlJFw

— Tanee Sangrat (@SangratTanee) August 2, 2021