Vending machines selling Covid-19 rapid antigen tests have been launched in northern Thailand.

The Nan Hospital in Nan province has set up a pair of automatic antigen test kit (ATK) vending machines to reduce Covid-19 contact risks and reduce staff workload.

The hospital has placed the machines in two locations - one in front of Nan Hospital 1, and the other outside Nan Hospital 2 in the city’s community health centre.

Users can easily operate them by pressing the screen and inserting a 100 THB (2.29 GBP) note as payment. The machine will then dispense two self-administered ATK test kits.

Dr Pongthep Wongwatcharapaiboon, Deputy Director of Nan Hospital, said: ‘There are more than 300 people infected every day. The Ministry of Health encourages people who are in doubt or at risk to get themselves checked with the test kits.

‘We came up with this idea after noticing that hospitals had problems providing timely services for patients who need to get tested. Our hospital can provide the facility for people in need with the vending machines.’