Foreign ministry pullling out all the stops to get vaccine - Thailand belatedly set to join Covax scheme. Thailand has been widely criticised for not joining the scheme earlier - something done by several other countries in the Asian region that has aided their vaccine rollouts, notes ASEAN NOW.

Picture: Sanook

 

Sanook quoted the IT expert and spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as saying that the ministry were working hard all over the world to secure vaccine deals.

 

Thanee Saengrat said that his chief Don Pramudwinai - minister and DMP -  had ordered embassies and consulates throughout the globe to make representations to get more vaccine. 

 

This was being done in China, the USA, Japan, India, South Korea, Australia and Russia.

 

He also spoke of vaccine swap deals with several countries including one with Bhutan. Under these deals Thailand gets vaccine now and pays it back later.

 

Thailand is also finally preparing to join the Covax scheme and payments have been made to the WHO to facilitate this.

 

Thailand has been widely criticised for not joining the scheme earlier - something done by several other countries in the Asian region that has aided their vaccine rollouts, notes ASEAN NOW.