With more than 3 million foreigners living in Thailand, the Thai government seemed to have dropped the ball earlier in the week when it comes to foreigners in Thailand being able to get Covid-19 vaccinations.
Thankfully, by today, it seems to have dawned on the government that it is highly beneficial for foreigners to have easy access to a Covid-19 vaccination along with Thais.
Especially if the plan is to have 70% of the population living in Thailand vaccinated, and thus have s0-called ‘herd immunity’, as soon as possible.
That is why Rungruang Kitpati, spokesperson for the Thai Public Health Ministry, announced today the plan is to vaccinate anyone in Thailand who wants to have a Covid-19 vaccination.
Whether they are foreigners or Thai.
The announcement comes after a large number of foreigners living in Thailand went onto social media earlier in the week to complain not only about the lack of information about foreigners being able to get Covid-19 vaccinations, but also about problems foreigners had registering for Covid-19 vaccinations.
That is why it has now been announced anyone living in Thailand, whether Thai or foreign, can get a Covid-19 vaccination if they want it.
Mandatory vaccinations are not currently being pushed, however, so it is entirely up to each individual’s choice. (continue reading below…)
How to prepare for a move to Thailand during Covid-19 pandemic
Currently, the vaccination eligibility for foreigners in Thailand wanting a Covid-19 vaccination is the same as the process for Thais.
In other words, the elderly, those with pre-existing conditions and those that are deemed most at-risk will be vaccinated first. Others that fall outside these parameters will have access to vaccinations later.
At the moment, however, most people are not able to get a Covid-19 vaccination in Thailand due to two reasons.
The first being a shortage of vaccinations, and the second being only those that are on the frontlines are currently being vaccinated due to the aforementioned shortage of Covid-19 vaccines in Thailand.
How can foreigners in Thailand get a Covid-19 vaccination?
As it stands at the moment, even though the government says foreigners living in Thailand can get a Covid-19 vaccination, in most cases this is not currently true.
This is due to foreigners not being able to use the Mor Prom medical app or Line account apps, which is what Thais are currently registering through.
This is expected to change quickly with the goal of early next month as a timeframe for foreigners in Thailand being able to register for the Covid-19 vaccination via the same channels used by Thais.
Either that or foreigners will be able to contact hospitals in Thailand directly, and make an appointment for a Covid-19 vaccination.
In other words, don’t panic too much about not being able to get a Covid-19 vaccination in Thailand, especially as the survival rate for people contracting the virus is at least 99.7% worldwide.
Instead, keep an eye on announcements about Covid-19 vaccination registration for foreigners in Thailand, and register as soon as vaccinations become available to you. (** Update: Information to do so is now available here).
If you want to, of course.
