Officials investigate Thai model whose life’s a little too good to be on social welfare

[webfact]

Officials investigate Thai model whose life’s a little too good to be on social welfare

By Coconuts Bangkok 

 

 

A sexy male model looks as if he’ll be bounced from Thailand’s social welfare rolls after he enraged netizens by posting a snapshot of his welfare card — neatly placed under a G-shock watch and a fancy coffee that costs half of what Thai minimum wage earners make in a day.

 

Enraged Twitter users have been all over 26-year-old model Wachrin Tankuranan since Sunday, making his story the most popular hashtag on the web since. Irked by what sure seems like a freeloader, netizens have dug deep into the model’s Instagram account, where — whaddya know! — he has regularly photos photos of himself dining at fancy restaurants, using Apple gadgets, toting designer products, and drinking Starbucks coffees.

 

And yet he’s on welfare. In a country where the daily minimum wage ranges from just THB308 to THB310 (about US$10), depending on the province.

 

Full story: https://coconuts.co/bangkok/news/officials-investigate-thai-model-whose-lifes-little-good-social-welfare/

 

-- © Copyright Coconuts Bangkok 2017-10-30

[Misterwhisper]

Well, he might be drinking fancy coffees, but he obviously cannot afford a shirt on his back and no decent pair of pants either. Poor sod.

[DavisH]

What welfare? I didn't know Thailand had any (except a token amount given to pensioners here). 

[Kadilo]

What welfare? I didn't know Thailand had any (except a token amount given to pensioners here). 

"In early October, the government handed out welfare cards to seven million low income earners. To be qualified for social welfare, they cannot earn an annual salary of more than THB100,000 ($US3,000), have less than THB100,000 in their bank account, and cannot own any real estate.

The card contains a monthly budget of THB1,700-THB1,800 (about US$50) for Thais to pay for groceries, water bills, and transportation fees."

Seems they do now. .... ....but it's ok because all his stuff in the photos belongs to his friends not him and he really is poor :)


Sent from my iPad using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[Cadbury]

In a land that is awash with corruption and is second nature to many why does this come as any surprise? He has probably learned from the experts higher up the food chain.

The poor lad has to start somewhere and newbies have to start at the bottom and work their way to the top where the big time is.......like a lot of those who we already know.

[Daryle]

Selling one's ass, drug dealing or corruption all pay well. Take your pick!

Sent from my SM-T530 using Tapatalk

[observer90210]

First of all,  it is dishonest to live on welfare,  anywhere in the world, if you can afford the actual tech or food goodies currently in trend.......

 

Second, it is real stupid....real stupid to show off your scams on social media.....

 

Third, perhaps the whole setting was just a bit of immature "show-off" and maybe the goodies displayed, were "gifts" from some "well wishers" ...

 

However the whole setting seems a context to avoid....

[Just Weird]

3 minutes ago, observer90210 said:

First of all,  it is dishonest to live on welfare,  anywhere in the world, if you can afford the actual tech or food goodies currently in trend.......

 

Second, it is real stupid....real stupid to show off your scams on social media.....

 

Third, perhaps the whole setting was just a bit of immature "show-off" and maybe the goodies displayed, were "gifts" from some "well wishers" ...

 

However the whole setting seems a context to avoid....

It usually helps to read the link.

[Just Weird]

12 minutes ago, Father Fintan Stack said:

Another parasitical Thai man. 

 

No wonder all the women want to marry rich foreigners.

Apparently not (if you bothered to read the link).

[toofarnorth]

I thought for a minute that ricefield is behind my house and he is wearing my table cloth.

My wife said " You clazy ferlung "

[tifino]

 

 

unemployed Thai model, becomes model thai

 

 

it will be seen he's onto a good thing, and many will now try to copy...

[JemJem]

54 minutes ago, Father Fintan Stack said:

Another parasitical Thai man. 

 

No wonder all the women want to marry rich foreigners.

Well....this guy has got the good looks and possibly lots of money as well. So, I am pretty sure that there would be no shortage of Thai women wanting to date or marry him :)

 

And, by the way, I am quite sure that for example the heavy majority of hi-so Thai women prefer to get married to a Thai man, rather than to a foreign guy.

[Happy Grumpy]

It's all above board as all his stuff is in his butler's name. 

[InMyShadow]

First of all,  it is dishonest to live on welfare,  anywhere in the world, if you can afford the actual tech or food goodies currently in trend.......
 
Second, it is real stupid....real stupid to show off your scams on social media.....
 
Third, perhaps the whole setting was just a bit of immature "show-off" and maybe the goodies displayed, were "gifts" from some "well wishers" ...
 
However the whole setting seems a context to avoid....

What nonsense. Your suggesting people on welfare should sleep on the floor because they don't deserve a mattress, drink tap water because they don't deserve a coffee

If they diligently save and buy a smart phone they are rorting the system. Idiotic!!

[metisdead]

Inflammatory posts and replies have been removed.  some people should read the linked article rather than making spontaneous troll posts. 

[HooHaa]

3 hours ago, Kadilo said:

"In early October, the government handed out welfare cards to seven million low income earners. To be qualified for social welfare, they cannot earn an annual salary of more than THB100,000 ($US3,000), have less than THB100,000 in their bank account, and cannot own any real estate.

The card contains a monthly budget of THB1,700-THB1,800 (about US$50) for Thais to pay for groceries, water bills, and transportation fees."

Seems they do now. .... ....but it's ok because all his stuff in the photos belongs to his friends not him and he really is poor :)


Sent from my iPad using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

Ah, how kind of you to do others reading for them.

[SpicyMeatball]

Starbucks coffee?

He has no taste either.

[YetAnother]

3 hours ago, Cadbury said:

In a land that is awash with corruption and is second nature to many why does this come as any surprise? He has probably learned from the experts higher up the food chain.

The poor lad has to start somewhere and newbies have to start at the bottom and work their way to the top where the big time is.......like a lot of those who we already know.

i see, so as he rises in the 'food chain', we can expect to see his name again; accused and accused and allegedly and allegedly and , just maybe, something will stick

[Cadbury]

1 hour ago, YetAnother said:

i see, so as he rises in the 'food chain', we can expect to see his name again; accused and accused and allegedly and allegedly and , just maybe, something will stick

Yes it will stick for sure....just so long as he keeps acting like the smart-ass little turd that he is. One day there will be a serious knock on the door. Then he can put on his colour co-ordinated undies and try to charm his way out of what they ever want to throw at him.

[orchis]

look for the sugar daddy

[atyclb]

5 hours ago, JemJem said:

Well....this guy has got the good looks and possibly lots of money as well. So, I am pretty sure that there would be no shortage of Thai women wanting to date or marry him :)

 

And, by the way, I am quite sure that for example the heavy majority of hi-so Thai women prefer to get married to a Thai man, rather than to a foreign guy.

Tend to agree with you. Even if he is not wealthy given his looks and trim fit condition lots of upscale gals would be interested. At upscale bkk malls have seen fashion shows and swimsuit shows using Thai male models and tons of Thai hotties could not stop hooting. This is not to say if the Thai visa pensioners did the same show prancing on the catwalk the same hotties would not hoot even louder.

[Kadilo]

7 hours ago, HooHaa said:

Ah, how kind of you to do others reading for them.

I aim to please. 

[observer90210]

12 hours ago, Just Weird said:

It usually helps to read the link.

It also helps to think for oneself, and push thought a bit further.

[webfact]

Ugly reaction after Facebook ‘model’ posts photos showing welfare card juxtaposed with luxury items

By THE NATION

 

 

FACEBOOK USER “Wachrin Tankuranun” has apparently attracted unwanted attention after he posted a photo of an expensive wristwatch, a cup of iced coffee and his government-issued welfare card on the popular social media site.

 

The photo went viral and drew negative comments about how a welfare-card holder apparently was living an extravagant lifestyle, including possessing an expensive watch and drinking expensive coffee.

 

 

Under the photo, he wrote: “I’ve got the card. My status has changed. I’m really poor.”

 

A photo on his Instagram account showed him wearing footwear with an accompanying box bearing the Louis Vuitton brand.

 

 

Thai nationals applying for welfare cards are supposed to be jobless or earn less than Bt100,000 per year, not to have bank accounts and not to have assets such as government bonds or real estate.

 

Only those who meet the qualification criteria are eligible for the card, which entitles them to monthly government subsidies for transport, groceries and cooking gas.

 

 

The subsidies are intended for low-income people, making Wachrin’s photos on Facebook appear to reveal violations in his application for the card.

 

In response, Comptroller-General Department director-general Suthirat Rattanachote said the Fiscal Policy Office (FPO) would examine whether Wachrin met the qualifications for the welfare card in the light of photos appearing to depict a luxurious lifestyle.

 

The FPO would notify the department of its findings and the department would revoke the card if it were concluded that he did not qualify as low income, she said.

 

Earlier media reports stated that Wachrin was a popular model on Facebook, which raised questions about whether he fit the qualifications to receive financial welfare from the government.

 

Wachrin’s Facebook wall shows photos of him in sexy poses as well as images depicting a high-rolling life, including him riding a big motorcycle. 

 

 

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30330429

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-10-31

 

Some of those who commented on the photos wrote that he was not actually that popular and the photos might be misleading about the success he had achieved.

[canopus1969]

Well he's successful, now - for 15 mins  

[Bangkok Barry]

 

Really, how stupid do you have to be to take pride in showing everyone online, including the authorities, that you are cheating the system. Unbelievable. Amazed he even has brains enough to breathe.

[Suzy]

This is happening all over the place. A friend of mine is a shop owner and has complained about the large number of affluent Thais arriving in their expensive cars to claim their poverty purchases.

[Pib]

Below Thai PBS article provides a more accurate/detailed description of  what the new welfare card provides. 

 

Basically, unless you are able to take advantage of the transportation allowances the allowance is Bt200 to Bt300 per month for necessity goods at select stores.  I have three close (and poor) in-laws who I see weekly who got the card...one of them showed me their card this weekend...kinda looks like a hybrid between the Thai ID Card and a credit/debit card.  Their cards have the Bt300/month allowance for the necessity goods. 

 

And one of my in-laws told me the story of how a couple of poorer in-laws didn't even get a Bt300/mo allowance but Bt200/mo instead.

 

http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/government-says-less-half-11-million-low-income-earners-come-collect-welfare-cards/

 

Quote

 

Government says less than half of the 11 million low income earners come to collect welfare cards| September 30, 2017 | (662 views) | 

By Thai PBS

 

The government yesterday (Sept 29) said that less than half of the 11.67 million qualified low-income earners have came to pick up their welfare smart cards to get monthly subsidies from the government for purchases of necessary goods, for bus and train travels, and for power and cooking gas bills.

A total of 14.1 people have registered as low income earners, but 2.53 million were disqualified.

According to the Comptroller General’s Department, although less than half of the 11.67 million welfare cards were collected by qualified income earners, the cards will be valid for use on scehule on October 1.

 

 

[tominbkk]

Are people really 'enraged'?  Gimme a break.

[HooHaa]

looks  to me like he is doing product endorsements. 

 

his whole life is an advertisment.

he was just too stupid to keep his welfare card out of the picture.

 

i suspect a couple thousand baht wont make much of a difference at all in the long run, but he still looks like a douche either way.