ACT warns Health Ministry’s 603m-baht TMS purchase plan may repeat futsal scandal

On December 22, 2025, the Anti-Corruption Organisation of Thailand (ACT) issued a warning over the Public Health Ministry’s planned procurement of dual-coil Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) machines for hospitals nationwide, citing red flags that could indicate corruption and a repeat of the notorious futsal-stadium case.

ACT said its ACTAi monitoring system and whistleblower complaints suggest the ministry plans to procure 134 machines nationwide with a total budget of more than 603 million baht, and that the case could expose hundreds of hospital directors to investigations or legal action.

ACTAi said it received complaints asking it to examine the purchase of the medical equipment item officially described as a dual-coil Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation System (TMS) for neurological diagnosis and treatment, funded under the ministry’s fiscal 2026 budget. The procurement is being carried out via e-bidding for 134 units, with a reference price and budget cap set at 4.5 million baht per machine, totalling 603 million baht.

ACTAi’s latest review found 27 hospitals had published procurement plans for dual-coil TMS machines in the Comptroller General’s Department system. Of these, 12 hospitals proceeded with procurement, with varying stages shown in the system—from invitation announcements and contract drafting to purchase approvals, winner announcements and contract signing—appearing progressively since early October. The hospitals listed were:

• Nakhon Pathom Hospital
• Bueng Kan Hospital **
• Mae Sot Hospital
• Chumphon Khet Udomsak Hospital
• Krabi Hospital
• Loei Hospital
• Phrappokklao Hospital
• Naradhiwas Rajanagarindra Hospital
• Somdet Phra Yupparat Sawang Daen Din Hospital, Sakon Nakhon
• Phra Nang Klao Hospital
• Khon Kaen Hospital **
• Prasat Hospital, Buri Ram

Two hospitals later cancelled their procurements: Khon Kaen Hospital (cancelled on October 21, 2025) and Bueng Kan Hospital (cancelled on December 15, 2025).

Among the 10 hospitals that went ahead, ACT noted that in almost all cases, the winning bids came in only 5,000–20,000 baht below the reference price—just 0.11–0.44% lower. The exception was Phrappokklao Hospital, which signed a contract at 1.95 million baht, or 2.55 million baht below the reference price.

ACT said the Phrappokklao purchase raised questions about whether the reference price had been set far above market levels—possibly by more than half—and warned that, if wrongdoing were involved, the “change” or kickback potential could be as high as 2.55 million baht per machine, or about 341 million baht across 134 machines.

ACT also said it found discrepancies in the technical specifications, which was cited as a reason for Khon Kaen Hospital cancelling its procurement. The hospital’s system entry said the province found errors in the key technical details of the medical equipment, and that proceeding could cause damage to the state agency or affect the public interest.

The organisation also pointed to cases suggesting alternative procurement methods may be more cost-effective. It said hospitals outside the Public Health Ministry’s network have obtained similar equipment through leasing. For example, the Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University reportedly leased one TMS unit for five years (fiscal 2025–2029) via a specific procurement method, with a total rental cost of 3.64 million baht.

It also cited a case where Sirindhorn Hospital purchased a magnetic stimulation device for peripheral nerves for 750,000 baht, while Public Health Ministry hospitals reportedly bought similar equipment for as much as 1.5 million baht during fiscal 2024–2025.

“A key question is why different hospitals are procuring the same type of machine at very different prices,” a source was quoted as saying. The source added that several specialist doctors viewed leasing as advantageous because medical technology changes quickly, and said the procurement should be closely watched because it may be pushed through rapidly ahead of an election.

Mana Nimitmongkol, chairman of ACT, said many people were concerned the procurement could lead to investigations or prosecutions of large numbers of hospital directors, similar to the futsal case.

The dual-coil TMS system is used in treating a range of conditions, including depression, stroke rehabilitation and paralysis recovery, migraine, OCD, Parkinson’s disease and chronic pain, among others. ACT noted that there are several importers of such medical devices in Thailand, including Thai companies and Chinese joint ventures.

ACT added that identifying a single “nationwide winner” is not straightforward because Thai state procurement is carried out separately by each hospital or institution through the Comptroller General’s Department e-bidding system. As a result, no single company wins procurement for the entire country; winners are announced on a project-by-project basis for each hospital.

ACT also published a list of 27 Public Health Ministry hospitals that had announced plans to procure dual-coil TMS machines for fiscal 2026 (latest data as of December 19, 2025):

1. Chalerm Phrakiat Somdet Phra Thep Rat Ratchasuda Siam Boromrajakumari Rayong Hospital
2. Somdet Phra Yupparat Sa Kaeo Hospital
3. Somdet Phra Yupparat Sawang Daen Din Hospital, Sakon Nakhon
4. Somdet Phra Yupparat Det Udom Hospital
5. Nakornping Hospital, Chiang Mai
6. Mae Sot Hospital, Tak
7. Somdet Phra Chao Taksin Maharat Hospital, Tak
8. Kamphaeng Phet Hospital
9. Chainat Narenthorn Hospital
10. Nakhon Nayok Hospital
11. Phra Nang Klao Hospital, Nonthaburi
12. Phahol Pholphayuhasena Hospital, Kanchanaburi
13. Nakhon Pathom Hospital
14. Phrappokklao Hospital
15. Pattaya Patamakun Hospital
16. Khon Kaen Hospital
17. Bueng Kan Hospital
18. Loei Hospital
19. Maharaj Nakhon Ratchasima Hospital
20. Buri Ram Hospital
21. Prasat Hospital, Surin
22. Yasothon Hospital
23. Amnat Charoen Hospital
24. Krabi Hospital
25. Chumphon Khet Udomsak Hospital
26. Naradhiwas Rajanagarindra Hospital
27. Pattani Hospital