First batch of 35 baht ATKs from the GPO on sale today
To combat the rising prices and scarcity of antigen test kits as the Omicron variant and Covid-19 fears spread throughout Thailand, the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation announced the purchase of 3.5 million ATKs to be sold at 35 baht each, with millions more in the works. This morning, the first batch of ATKs went on sale at GPO branches and were met with overwhelming demand.
People lined up at the GPO headquarters and their 7 smaller branch offices around Bangkok to get their hands on a cheap Covid-19 ATKs. 3 million tests are currently available for sale with various other orders now in different stages of procurement.
To deal with the overwhelming demand, the head office of the GPO is making available 1,000 daily queue tickets that customers can purchase from 8 am. Every person with one of these tickets is allowed to buy one box for 70o baht that contains 20 ATKs. The other small branches of the GPO around Bangkok will have just 100 queue tickets available in each location.
For companies and agencies that are trying to stock up, the GPO set a cap at 30 boxes of ATKs per month, essentially one box per day, and have instructed agencies and businesses to send an email in advance expressing their intentions to purchase large quantities.
individuals are stocking up on ATKs so that they are able to self-test any time they feel they may have been exposed to Covid-19, and also because more and more employees are requiring regular testing to keep their office places safe.
On Monday, the GPO will begin selling ATKs online on their website GPO Planet, but for now, the tests can be found at these GPO pharmacies (location links provided by Coconuts):
- Downtown: Ratchathewi brach in front of Ramathibodi Hospital (0-2203-8847, 0-2203-8849)
- Downtown: Yot-se branch next to Huachiew Hospital (0-2222-5931, 0-2225-6367)
- Charan Sanitwong branch across the river in Bangkok Noi (0-2412-9377)
- Pathum Thani province: Thewet branch near Simummuang Market (0-2412-9377)
- Nonthaburi province: Ministry of Public Health, 1st floor, Bldg. 2 (Dept. of Medical Services) (0-2951-0925, 0-2590-6034)
- Victory Monument: Tropical Diseases Hospital (0-2354-9061)
- Chaeng Wattana Government Complex (0-2143-8768)
SOURCE: Thai PBS World and Coconuts
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