Jamie_Lambo wrote: ↑Sat Jan 30, 2021 9:39 am

phuketrichard wrote: ↑Sat Jan 30, 2021 8:33 am agree
life in phuket sans tourists is grand, cant think of anyplace i'd rather be "stuck"

hows life in Phuket mate? it doesnt seem to have been effected much with covid, are bars n restaurants still open etc? life pretty normal?

THAILAND: Health authorities have dismissed the possibility of applying the World Health Organization (WHO) vaccine passport regulation for international travelling as there is still no proof any vaccines are totally effective in preventing Sars-CoV-2 transmission.

All countries should follow the WHO’s 2005 International Health Regulations when it comes to traveling from one country to another, he said. The best international agreement on travelling during the COVID-19 pandemic is still a 14-day quarantine, he said.

He was responding to calls for Thailand to adopt the vaccine passport regulation for use on travellers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Earlier last week, the Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking (JSCCIB) urged the government to consider issuing a COVID-19 vaccine passport to Thais who are vaccinated against COVID-19 for use as a certificate when travelling to other countries.

The Thai government won’t procure Covid-19 vaccines through the World Health Organization-backed Covax program for now because the conditions are too strict. The move may put the country at risk of getting delayed vaccines at higher prices.

Under the program, Thailand would be charged extra for booking and it would have limitations on the producers and delivery period. Covax also requires a minimum purchase of 10% of a country’s population for a fast order with conditions and costs, Nakorn Premsri, director of Thailand’s National Vaccine Institute, said in a statement late Saturday.

Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said that all residents in Thailand, including foreigners could even be given the vaccination free of charge.

“The 63 million doses of the vaccination are enough to cover the public, and it’s within our capacity to provide free vaccinations,” Anutin said.
“Our policy is to not leave anyone behind and we must inoculate anyone at risk of spreading the virus, not only Thais. So the vaccines will cover everyone that resides in Thailand.”

Anutin said that 200,000 doses of the Chinese CoronaVac will arrive in Thailand later this month, followed by a supply of the AstraZeneca vaccine, Bangkok Biz News reported.

Thailand will then begin domestic production of 61 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine. Officials have indicated that production of the vaccine will begin around May or June.
By the end of April, a further 2 million doses of the Sinovac will arrive in Thailand, which will be given to those deemed most in need, such as front line health care workers and those with underlying health conditions.