News Forum - Government to prevent price gouging on Covid-19 test kits

[Thaiger]

With the Omicron variant rapidly spreading across Thailand, the need for Covid-19 testing not just once but frequently has become more and more vital. Antigen test kits have become a crucial tool f0r easy and fast home testing and the availability of ATKs in pharmacies across the country, even being stocked in 7-Eleven now, is a monumental step in encouraging self-testing that can quickly identify and contain Covid-19 outbreaks. But now the government is recognizing that the increased demand for testing amid surging Covid-19 daily infection numbers has caused the prices being charged for these vital ATKs to spike as […]

The story Government to prevent price gouging on Covid-19 test kits as seen on Thaiger News.

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[HolyCowCm]

Does this also include gouging and skimming before they get to the open markets?

[longwood50]

It must be a requirement around the globe that if you work in the government you have to be tested as borderline mentally challenged in order to serve.  The government mandates the fact that tests are required without any regard to how many tests are available and then is shocked when the price goes up.  Did they never hear of the law of supply and demand.  If you have a limited supply and/or the demand goes up so does the price.  By mandating that every restaurant worker must be tested daily and every customer must be tested before being allowed to enter the government created an inflated demand for the testing kits.  That resulted in supplies of the testing kits to be depleted and those with them find that they can sell at higher prices.  That phenomena should continue until the manufacturers and suppliers increase the number of test kits to meet the new demand. 

[MikeW]

The government needs to set an example and stop the price gouging of foreigners at national forests and parks 

[Jason]

Hmmm.....I did say this would happen...about three days ago. If you don't look to countries like mine to see what has happened there as a precursor, then you are bound to repeat the same behaviour. Wise up!!

[Jason]

So is the Thai Government going to make rapid antigen tests free???

[Poolie]

15 minutes ago, Jason said:

So is the Thai Government going to make rapid antigen tests free???

No. It's going to prevent price 'gouging' which means that they'll stop vendors selling them over-priced.  It's in the headline.

[Poolie]

59 minutes ago, MikeW said:

The government needs to set an example and stop the price gouging of foreigners at national forests and parks 

Irrelevant.

[Rain]

Personally, I don't know anyone or know of anyone here that would be terribly obsessed to have in their possession any such home testing kits. Why? 

 

[Graham]

I do hope they made sure they ordered plenty from their Chinese cousin or whatever so they got a good discount. 555

[Cabra]

20 minutes ago, Rain said:

Personally, I don't know anyone or know of anyone here that would be terribly obsessed to have in their possession any such home testing kits. Why? 

My friend and her daughter both work at different hospitals (in administration) in Bangkok, and they have a couple kits on hand. It's also not unusual for families with school children who want to at home testing on hand. I actually have one kit at home now (after buying 2 at the pharmacy for 120 baht each, at the insistence of my girlfriend because she was feeling ill -- negative BTW).

[Stonker]

42 minutes ago, Rain said:

Personally, I don't know anyone or know of anyone here that would be terribly obsessed to have in their possession any such home testing kits. Why? 

A number of people I know around me (there are only Thais) had them prior to their relatives coming home for New Year, and tests were done free at the main provincial hospital for a few days for anyone coming home before they went anywhere else.

It's not perfect, but it's better than nothing.

Anyone testing positive was re-tested, then if they tested positive again they had a PCR test.

[Guest1]

5 hours ago, longwood50 said:

It must be a requirement around the globe that if you work in the government you have to be tested as borderline mentally challenged in order to serve.  The government mandates the fact that tests are required without any regard to how many tests are available and then is shocked when the price goes up.  Did they never hear of the law of supply and demand.  If you have a limited supply and/or the demand goes up so does the price.  By mandating that every restaurant worker must be tested daily and every customer must be tested before being allowed to enter the government created an inflated demand for the testing kits.  That resulted in supplies of the testing kits to be depleted and those with them find that they can sell at higher prices.  That phenomena should continue until the manufacturers and suppliers increase the number of test kits to meet the new demand. 

You have never heard about, that in Thailand things that people need for there daily live, at least some of it, like pork and chicken, basic white rice,  some veggys and, of course, the cheap coconut  cooking oil, the government need to be informed about price changes and have to agree? This is not the west, this is not the communism, but some kind, it is a mixture. They even stop exporting food, now, to relax prices, to try to prevent even more higher prices for the citizen in Thailand. And of course, last week the test were 2 for 99, somewhere, now it is one for 150, almost everywhere.

And cheaper offered and ordered tests even on lazada 'are packed' (so you can't cancel any longer) but won't make it to delivery, because they can make more now, in their sec. or third online shop. You will get a refund in 2 weeks time, automatic from lazada, b/c the seller is not acting. 

 

Edited January 8, 2022 by Guest1

[Guest1]

4 hours ago, MikeW said:

The government needs to set an example and stop the price gouging of foreigners at national forests and parks 

There is no gouging for foreigners.

Just lower prices for their own!

;-)

[HolyCowCm]

These mandatory daily tests for staff and workers will become too high for most to do.

[PQBC]

4 hours ago, Rain said:

Personally, I don't know anyone or know of anyone here that would be terribly obsessed to have in their possession any such home testing kits. Why? 

A weekly ATK test for both parents and child is a requirement for my daughter to attend her school in person.

[Graham]

Why bother now, they have done jack shit about the continual gouging of PCR tests (which is still going on).

[longwood50]

16 hours ago, Guest1 said:

You have never heard about, that in Thailand things that people need for there daily live, at least some of it, like pork and chicken, basic white rice,  some veggys and, of course, the cheap coconut  cooking oil, the government need to be informed about price changes and have to agree

I don't have the faintest idea what you are trying to say.  The law of supply and demand is not just something for the WEST.  When you have lots of people who want to buy a product whether that is white rice, chicken, pork, or anything else the price goes up because the seller can choose to sell to whoever is willing to pay the most.  When supply goes up, and the farmer has too many chickens, pigs, white rice, the price goes down because farmer has to lower the price to sell the excess. 

In this case the government created a "bubble"  They mandated that every restaurant owner and customer get tested.  There are only so many tests available.  So those who have the test kits can demand a higher price for them.  

If the government wanted to mandate testing it should have first made sure that there was an ample supply of test kits available.  Otherwise the result of the prices going up should have been as obvious as the nose on a person's face. 

 

[gundam0315]

get tested daily and have your mandatory monthly booster shots.  You heard it here first.

[palooka]

On 1/8/2022 at 4:01 PM, Poolie said:

No. It's going to prevent price 'gouging' which means that they'll stop vendors selling them over-priced.  It's in the headline.

A bit like they prevent price gouging on lottery tickets.

[palooka]

6 hours ago, longwood50 said:

If the government wanted to mandate testing it should have first made sure that there was an ample supply of test kits available.  Otherwise the result of the prices going up should have been as obvious as the nose on a person's face. 

This Thailand you are talking about. "Made sure" of anything in Thailand especially by the Government is pure fantasy. 

[Rain]

Haven't seen anything yet.

Wait tell a real Zombie Apocalypse comes upon us. 

[palooka]

5 hours ago, gundam0315 said:

get tested daily and have your mandatory monthly booster shots.  You heard it here first.

Maybe an idea for Anut for those dirty Farlung, Thais simply don't have the money, a lot earn about 8,000+ a month so where will they get the 4,000+ a month for testing as for monthly booster shots for some 70 miilion Thais alone is fantasy, they struggle to get a million a month and that was with very doubtful numbers.

 

[palooka]

Just now, Rain said:

Haven't seen anything yet.

Wait tell a real Zombie Apocalypse comes upon us. 

Not another one from China. Sometimes think you have the inside running on these things.

[palooka]

22 hours ago, Guest1 said:

last week the test were 2 for 99, somewhere, now it is one for 150, almost everywhere.

Should have stocked up, or were those the expired ones.