GPO insists one-baht masks are not old stock

GPO insists one-baht masks are not old stock

Public angry that government is selling masks for 2.5 times more than what GPO is charging

Staff sell face masks at 25 baht for 10 pieces to members of the public near Government House on Friday, the first day masks and bottles of hand sanitiser were offered for sale. (Photo by Chanat Katanyu)
Staff sell face masks at 25 baht for 10 pieces to members of the public near Government House on Friday, the first day masks and bottles of hand sanitiser were offered for sale. (Photo by Chanat Katanyu)

The Government Pharmaceutical Organisation (GPO) insists that the face masks being sold to members of the public at one baht apiece are new ones, not old stock.

Dr Withoon Danwiboon, the GPO director, said the green face masks being sold by the state agency to the public and hospitals across the country came from new stock that was refreshed every day.

The GPO has about 5 million masks on hand and will keep producing them if demand remains high, he said.

He made the clarification in response to a comment from a government spokeswoman who was defending the 2.50-baht cost of the masks being sold under another government programme. Those masks cost more because they were new and massive demand was pushing up costs, said Ratchada Thanadirek, adding that the GPO could sell for less because its masks were from "old stock".

The public can obtain face masks at the eight GPO branches twice a day, at 8am and noon. Masks are limited to 10 pieces for each buyer, said Dr Withoon.

Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul also took to Facebook to confirm that the GPO masks were new. He said he had asked the agency to sell the masks at cost to help people protect themselves. 

The low cost made some consumers suspicious and others angry, since the government itself was selling masks at 2.50 baht each.

On Friday, the government set up its own stalls at Government House selling face masks at 25 baht per set of 10, limited to one set per buyer, amid rising anxiety about the coronavirus outbreak and lingering air pollution.

Ms Ratchada said the Commerce Ministry was facing higher costs to procure new masks, as well as transport costs for about 120,000 face masks sent to be sold at Thong Fah (Blue Flag) low-price shops. They will be available from Saturday, also at 2.50 baht each.

She insisted the government was not profiteering, adding that the GPO was able to charge just one baht each as its masks were from old stock.

The government has already put face masks and alcohol-based hand sanitiser on the state price control list as part of an effort to deal with the virus outbreak.

Many local stores are sold out of face masks, and prices vary widely for those that are still available. 

A Bangkok Post staffer reports being quoted a price of 55 baht for a box of 50 basic green masks by a drugstore in Thung Khru district of Bangkok on Jan 29.

Two days later, a parent reported buying a box of 50 masks at a store in Sampheng at 80 baht. He went back the following day and the price was 400 baht.

Many sellers are now switching to smaller plastic-wrapped packs of 15 masks. Near Victory Monument, opposite Rajavithee Hospital, those packs were selling for 150 baht, or 10 baht per mask, last week.

On Saturday, people began lining up at the Commerce Ministry at 6am for sales of face masks that were supposed to start at 9am.

However, their anticipation turned to anger after they were told that sales would not start until after Commerce Minister Jurin Laksanawisit presided over an opening ceremony at 10am.

The ministry was making 200,000 face masks available for sale, with another 500,000 masks being sent to 820 Thong Fah shops across the country.

Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has posted a message on his Facebook account to explain that the face masks being sold at the GPO are new ones.

Do you like the content of this article?
COMMENT (32)