The Internal Trade Department’s mobile retail outlets, offering face masks at bargain prices, were overwhelmed with customers who formed long lines at each of the 21 locations in Bangkok where the mobile outlets were set up.

Many of them queued patiently for their turn to snap a single pack of four masks at 10 baht per pack, which is far cheaper than prices offered by online traders, as face masks all but disappear from the market.

Similar sales will be held tomorrow (Saturday) at 21 other places in and around Bangkok.

Officials from the Internal Trade Department were sent to 11 mask factories, beginning today, to check their stocks and daily output, after the Central Committee on Pricing of Products and Services fixed the maximum price of each mask at 2.50 baht, effective from March 9^th.

Commerce Minister Jurin Laksanavisit said that hospitals and health offices will be given priority in the allocation of face masks, averaging 700,000 per day.

Garment factories have been told, by Industry Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit, to produce about 30 million cotton face masks for free distribution, at 3 per person, to members of the public.