Senior Thai officials are mulling incentives to encourage about 11 million as yet unvaccinated Thais to get inoculated against COVID-19 this month.

The measures, which include a ban on people who have not been vaccinated from entering public places, are to be submitted to the Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) for approval.

Government Spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana said today (Friday) that Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has instructed the Ministry of Public Health to speed up the vaccination campaign, to achieve the target of 100 million doses of vaccines being administered by the end of this month, after it was discovered that there are still 11 million of Thailand’s population of 70 million who are yet to receive their first vaccine dose.

These people pose a risk and the prime minister does not want a new wave of the COVID-19 pandemic to emerge, said Thanathorn, adding that he urges people who are yet to be vaccinated, especially the elderly and patients suffering from chronic diseases, to get at least one vaccine jab.

87.65 million doses of vaccines have been administered to date, which is about 12 million short of the target to be achieved by the end of this month. A vaccination campaign is being launched to get unvaccinated Thais and foreign migrant workers inoculated.

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration is currently providing free vaccinations to both Thais and foreigners at the Thai-Japanese youth centre in Din Daeng. Mobile vaccination units have also been sent to communities for elderly or bed-ridden people who are unable to leave homes.