Laos to request Covid jabs for illegal Lao workers in Thailand

Lao labour authorities will hold talks with Thai officials about ways to enable Lao nationals with jobs in Thailand, but without work permits, to access free Covid-19 vaccinations.
A senior official from the Lao Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare said that about 8,000 Lao citizens working in Thailand had so far been given free Covid-19 vaccinations, with all of them having a passport or a work permit.
The vaccinations were administered on October 26-28 as a gesture to mark the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Laos and Thailand.

They were provided at walk-in vaccination centres in Bang Sue district, Bangkok, where Lao nationals were given their first dose of the Sinovax vaccine or a second dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
The vaccinations were provided after Thailand announced it would join the COVAX Facility - a worldwide initiative aimed at ensuring equitable access to Covid-19 vaccines.
Now, Lao authorities will ask their Thai counterparts to provide free Covid-19 vaccinations for Lao nationals working in Thailand illegally, as well as for those wishing to continue working in Thailand legally.
The ministry says all Lao nationals in Thailand, whether or not they have a work permit, should be able to get free vaccinations in Thailand and that Thai authorities should ensure that employers take responsibility for helping their employees to get vaccinated under the health policy to ensure equitable access to Covid-19 vaccines.
However, people over the age of 60, including migrant workers, must wait until further notice to find out whether they are eligible for vaccinations.
It is thought that about 71,000 Lao workers in Thailand who do not have work permits have not come forward for vaccinations because they are concerned about their illegal status.
Laos’ Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare said it plans to hold online talks with Thai officials in charge of labour management to address the problem of undocumented workers.
The ministry will suggest that Lao nationals working in Thailand illegally are given Covid-19 vaccinations and that Thai authorities assist those who want to return to Laos as well as those who want to work in Thailand legally.
Lao Ambassador to Thailand Mr Seng Soukhathivong commented on the situation to Thai reporters after some Lao workers were given vaccinations through cooperation between the Lao embassy and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration.
The successful provision of free Covid-19 vaccinations for Lao workers indicated the strong friendship and cooperation between Laos and Thailand, he said.

By Phetphoxay Sengpaseuth
(Latest Update November 1, 2021)