Thais, not foreigners, get jab priority

Thai people will always be given priority for Covid-19 vaccines, the Ministry of Public Health said yesterday, denying reports that some expats living in the kingdom would also be allowed to register for free jabs.

The ministry said while the government wanted take care of everyone living here, it had no plans to give free vaccines to expats due to very limited vaccine stocks, so Thai people would be the first to get it.

"The vaccines right now are only reserved for Thai people who are now at a high-risk level or living in the severe outbreak areas," said spokesman Rungrueng Kitphati. "They [expats] should wait for a clear policy from the government.

"In the future, the country will provide more alternatives for vaccines so they could have a chance of getting it. Please don't worry.

''There will soon be a surplus of vaccines so it will not be difficult to get them."

On Monday, some expats announced on social media that they had successfully registered to get the vaccine via the Mor Prom Line application.

@joecummings wrote on Twitter he had booked to have his vaccination at McCormick Hospital in Chiang Mai in June.

However, the ministry was quick to deny that the government had any plans to give free jabs in June and July to foreigners aged over 60 with underlying health issues.

So far, 1.498 million people in priority groups have been inoculated, including public health officers, frontline workers and people in high-risk areas.