07 Jun, 2021
PHUKET: More than two weeks after the Thai Ministry fo Foreign Affairs announced to the world in English that foreigners, and specifically expats and retirees staying the country, will from today (June 7) be able to register to receive a state-provided COVID-19 vaccination, Phuket officials have remained silent on whether or not expats living on the island may in fact register from today.
Natapanu Nopakun, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Information and Deputy Spokesman of the Foreign Affairs Ministry, on May 21 announced, “Thailand attaches importance to the vaccination of everyone in Thailand according to the level of risk, regardless of nationality.
“We practice what we preach. No one is safe in Thailand until everyone is safe, everyone is vaccinated,” he said.
“Foreigners will be able to register at the hospitals where you have your own health records by using their passport or social security number,” Mr Natapanu explained.
“This is going to be effective across the country,” he said.
“Aside from being able to do this at a hospital that already has your health records, it can be done at other designated hospitals, other designated centres as determined by the Ministry of Public Health,” he added.
However, Phuket officials have never publicly announced that expats in Phuket will be able to register in accordance with the announcement broadcast in English from Bangkok on May 21.
Mr Natapanu has since recognised that provinces are allowed to operate their own registration procedures.
Phuket officials have maintained that all people in Phuket must register through the Phuket Must Win web portal(www.?????????????.com) in order to receive a state-provided vaccination, though the system was ‘temporarily suspended’ while officials checked people not registered as living in Phuket being registered through the system.
For foreigners in Phuket, it has been a stop-go-stop experience, with officials announcing that foreigners can register through the portal, then later confirming that only foreigners issued work permits may register, as was allowed last month.
As of midday today (June 7), Phuket officials have not made any announcements that expats not working in Phuket may register to receive a state-provided vaccination on the island, not even with a post in Thai language through the official Facebook channels.
The Phuket Must Win web portal continues to feature its “Vaccinations for expats or migrant workers” option on its home page.
However, The Phuket News has yet to see any formal confirmation that the option is now accepting registrations for non-working expats in Phuket through the formal channels: the Official COVID-19 Information Center Phuket (operated by the Phuket office of the Ministry of Interior); the Phuket Provincial Public Health Office (PPHO); or the Phuket office of the Public Relations Department (PR Phuket).
