BANGKOK, 10 April 2020:
Bangkok has installed vending machines with cloth masks in several train stations, as a result of the requirement that all passengers cover their faces while commuting to stop the propagation of the Covid-19.
The masks, made by prisoners of the Department of Corrections, can be purchased for 25 baht a unit.
“We want to avoid physical contact and stop the spread of the virus. Buyers will feel more comfortable and secure when buying (the masks) on the machines,” said Wasin Vannapruges, director of marketing for Airport Rail Link.
This elevated train line, managed by the public company Thai State Railroad, connects the country’s main airport and the centre of the capital and will have three station outlets.
The marketing director said the company will not make a profit from sales and is considering installing a machine in each station.
The machines, located near ticket counters, can be used before accessing the train platforms and consist of two parts: one section in which payment is made and the other where the product is collected.
Since March 25, the Thai Ministry of Health has imposed the mandatory use of face masks for all travellers on the five subway and elevated train lines in Bangkok to stop the spread of the virus.
Despite wearing masks not being mandatory in Thailand, citizens are accustomed to sporting them when they are sick, going back to even before the Covid-19 pandemic began.
– EFE