More mask factories opened, boosting production output to 4.2m daily

[webfact]

 

More mask factories opened, boosting production output to 4.2m daily

 

   

BANGKOK (NNT) - Since the COVID-19 outbreak many private companies have opened their face mask factories, delivering surgical masks to medical professionals. By the end of this month, 28 factories will be producing a maximum of 4.2 million surgical masks each day.

 

The Department of Internal Trade’s (DIT) Director General Wichai Phochanakit, announced today that six new surgical mask factories have been opened, in addition to the 11 factories operating since before the COVID-19 outbreak, meaning the number of factories producing surgical masks in Thailand now totals 17 factories, with a combined production output at 3.5 million items per day.

 

Currently, 12 more factories are in the process of opening. These new factories have received investment promotion packages from the Board of Investment of Thailand (BOI), and will help increase the production output rate of surgical masks by another 700,000 pieces each day.

 

It is expected that by the end of July, there will be 28 surgical mask factories operating in Thailand, with a total production output of 4.2 million masks per day, which would be enough to meet the present demand by the general public.

 

According to the DIT chief, the general public has now changed to using more of reusable cloth face masks, which helps reduce the demand for single-use surgical masks needed by medical professionals.

 

Hospitals in Thailand now have a 2-month supply of surgical masks in stock, with a factory recently opened by the Charoen Pokphand Group (CP) now supplying surgical masks free of charge to hospitals.

 

Meanwhile, the export of surgical masks produced in Thailand will continue to be restricted for another six months, or until 3rd February 2021, according to the latest announcement from the Central Commission on Prices of Goods and Services published on the Royal Gazette. Exporters can still however make an export request, which will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

 

-- © Copyright NNT 2020-07-07

 

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[Mavideol]

if that's the case, increased production/competition, we should expect prices coming down or in Thailand is the contrary

[DrTuner]

Soon there's going to be piles of the stuff stored somewhere gathering dust. How long do the simple surgical masks keep? 2-3 years?

[Deli]

If wearing a mask is mandatory, they should be provided foc by the Government to everybody in the country

[webfact]

Daily mask production hits 4.2m, surplus building up

By THE NATION

 

 

The daily production of face masks in Thailand has risen to 4.2 million after more new factories were set up, said Internal Trade Department director-general Vichai Pochanakit.

 

Chinese producers have also resumed exporting raw materials to make the masks.

 

The government currently buys 3 million masks daily from 16 registered factories, of which 1.8 million are provided to the Public Health Ministry and 1.2 million to the Interior Ministry.

 

Vichai said this means there is a daily surplus of 1.2 million masks. Asked by the Cabinet to seek ways of managing the surplus, the department had talked with related agencies and forged an agreement for the government to buy the surplus and sell them to the needy organisations including airlines.

 

He added that the Public Health Ministry has stockpiled more than one month’s supply of masks.

 

The committee for procuring medical supplies to prevent the outbreak has resolved to extend the ban on exporting masks from June to February 3, 2021.

 

Exempted from the ban are masks that filter out chemical substances, those those produced under Board of Investment's tax incentives for export, and those exported to embassies of foreign countries.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30390909

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-07-08

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

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[A1Str8]

I am big on environmental protection. Been using the same disposable mask for 3 months. 

[RichardColeman]

So unless China infects the world with some new disease, they will all be unemployed probably in 18 months 

[ukrules]

I will refer to this thread from January :

 

https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1146095-no-chance-of-facemask-shortage-minister-says/?do=findComment&comment=15010945

 

Edited July 7, 2020 by ukrules

[Bender Rodriguez]

there were none when needed and now thai style, copy & paste business till the market is flooded

 

will CP get their money back ?

[Cake Monster]

A surplus is starting to build because so many people now are not using them.

They think there is no need / or a Covid problem

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

22 hours ago, webfact said:

According to the DIT chief, the general public has now changed to using more of reusable cloth face masks, which helps reduce the demand for single-use surgical masks needed by medical professionals.

 

People here shifted to using/wearing cloth masks because for the longest time, you couldn't easily find the disposable hospital kind anywhere, despite some initial government sales promises. Just like you still can't find the better N95 masks, at least legitimate ones, at any kind of reasonable price.

 

When I look online these days still, most of the masks being offered are listed as being imported from China by sellers there.... not locally produced and locally sold masks... Why?  I suspect, there's plenty of those "case by case" export permissions being granted because there's money to be made.

 

 

[Pilotman]

Following the plastic bag issue, polluting the seas, killing whales and littering the countryside, humans have found another thing to pollute the world with, disguarded masks. Good one.   

Edited July 8, 2020 by Pilotman

[akampa]

Bought a 5 mask packet for 45 baht at local market, cheap as chips ????

Edited July 9, 2020 by akampa

[CGW]

On 7/8/2020 at 11:08 AM, Pilotman said:

Following the plastic bag issue, polluting the seas, killing whales and littering the countryside, humans have found another thing to pollute the world with, disguarded masks. Good one.   

Indeed, in the rush to "force" people to wear a near useless "mask" no thought whatsoever has gone into safe disposal of these potentially lethal, CO2 re breathers, toxic capturing miracle masks!

[G950]

2 hours ago, akampa said:

Bought a 5 mask packet for 45 baht at local market, cheap as chips ????

I have noticed the price coming down a lot too. You can also buy masks in 7/11 and a number of other places too. In March they were not seen in any stores and you could only buy them online for 2 or 3 times current prices.

[DrTuner]

On 7/8/2020 at 11:08 AM, Pilotman said:

Following the plastic bag issue, polluting the seas, killing whales and littering the countryside, humans have found another thing to pollute the world with, disguarded masks. Good one.   

Not much plastic in those I think.