Convenient Covid-19 testing – say hello to ATK vending machines

In Thailand, you can find a range of items in vending machines including instant noodles, snacks, drinks, CBD-infused coffee, condoms, SIM cards, electronic gadgets, and even ice cream. In the coronavirus era, face masks and Covid-19 tests have been added to the list.

Vending machines filled with rapid antigen Covid-19 test kits has been set up outside a hospital in the northern province Nan, offing the two ATK for 100 baht. The vending machines allow people to purchase a test any time of the day. The vending machines have been placed in front of Nan Hospital 1 and Nan Hospital 2.

The director of Nan hospital decided to install the ATK test vending machines so that visitors could test themselves before seeing patients to reduce the spread of Covid-19. The vending machine stocks 600 test kits a day, so there is a high potential to catch cases of the virus before they enter the hospital.

Producers of the vending machine, Saint Med Company, plan to install 50 ATK test vending machines in government hospitals around the country by the end of March 2022. The company estimates they will sell 30,000 tests every day through the machines and aim to make a profit of 1.8 billion baht by the end of the year.

While you can order ATK test kits online, you have to wait for them to arrive, so most people in Thailand buy their ATK tests from pharmacies, supermarkets or get tested at a hospital. However, going into a public place if you have symptoms of the virus could risk spreading the highly-transmissible air-borne coronavirus to others.

SOURCE: Nation Thailand | Matichon