14 million register for cash handouts

[webfact]

14 million register for cash handouts

By The Nation

 

 

Some 14 million people have registered for the government's cash handout programme for those whose livelihoods are impacted by the Covid-19 outbreak.

 

The number is more than four times the government's initial estimate.

 

The Finance Ministry has assured every unemployed worker, freelance and non-permanent employee Bt5,000 cash every month for three months. The number of people who have registered has exceeded the ministry's initial estimate of three million people

 

The director-general of the Fiscal Policy Office, Lavaron Sangsnit, said on Sunday that as of 11.30am, the number of people who had registered had reached 14 million.

 

Registration on www.เราไม่ทิ้งกัน.com (we do not leave anyone behind) opened on Saturday evening but the website crashed soon after opening due to the huge traffic.

 

The website will remain open for registration and will not be closed down soon, so people should not rush to register, he said. He assured that everyone affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and business shutdown will get cash handouts. Employers and farmers would not be eligible as there are other relief measures designed to support them. Workers covered by the Social Security Fund are not eligible as they can get unemployment benefits from the fund.

 

The system will screen eligible persons within seven days, he said.

 

Initially, the Finance Ministry had estimated that three million people would be eligible and proposed a budget of Bt 45 billion. 

 

Meanwhile, the Finance Ministry plans to borrow at least Bt200 billion. Some economists estimate the cost at as high as between Bt800 billion to Bt1 trillion

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30385022

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-03-30

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[Grumpy John]

3 million then it becomes 14 million! Wow!   Kind of shows how out of touch with reality the government is!  You could blow it off if 3 became 4 or 3 became 5 but 14 million is crazy given the amount of data the government collects every year.  Or....maybe the data isn't being put to use??? 

[fishtank]

Every Thai I know has registered even if they are not affected.

Edited March 29, 2020 by fishtank

[scubascuba3]

On Facebook 100s of posts about Thais not being able to register with the website not working properly......anyway if they eventually get the money at least they can eat

[Laughing Gravy]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Meanwhile, the Finance Ministry plans to borrow at least Bt200 billion. Some economists estimate the cost at as high as between Bt800 billion to Bt1 trillion

Thai mathematics ceases to amaze me. Even using a calculator and it just doesn't add up.

 

[Lacessit]

17 minutes ago, fishtank said:

Every Thai I know has registered even if they are not affected.

Permit me to doubt rural Thais with no  officially registered jobs, will get any benefit.

[christophe75]

39 minutes ago, fishtank said:

Every Thai I know has registered even if they are not affected.

Indeed. It's a joke. Sometimes whole families registered... even students... !

 

I'm sure some have tried to register their... pets.

 

There is a rumor among thais : "like previous handouts the gvt will not check"...

 

This is much scarier than the virus... The gvt should pay attention... If they continue to play "godlike" with the life of millions of people, it will end badly.

 

Unfortunately... as usual... the worst is certain.

 

Look at the "competition" (i was right) : the governor of Phuket declared on his own... a total lockdown.... !

 

This insanity must stop.

 

And quick.

[mrfill]

Looks like about 10 million will get left behind...

[Shocked]

It's like a lotto, register and see if you win. ???? 

[SABloke]

Well, it's not FREE money as some people believe. The money is coming from your SSO account and will be deducted from your retirement eventually. 

 

But more importantly: Where is all the money? Minimum SSO contributions are 400 Baht a month (Even if everyone only paid minimum, they'd be collecting 67 Billion a year?) And why is the scheme going to "maybe" cost over a trillion baht 15k x 14 million = 210 Billion. 

 

Maybe I misread something along the way? 

[EvetsKram]

My wife has a small salon,  forced to close down but she is unable to get on there to register.  It pisses me off reading here about all the phoney claims getting lodged

[fforest1]

I have some Soi dogs near my room that I think need registering....

[fforest1]

7 minutes ago, SABloke said:

Well, it's not FREE money as some people believe. The money is coming from your SSO account and will be deducted from your retirement eventually. 

 

But more importantly: Where is all the money? Minimum SSO contributions are 400 Baht a month (Even if everyone only paid minimum, they'd be collecting 67 Billion a year?) And why is the scheme going to "maybe" cost over a trillion baht 15k x 14 million = 210 Billion. 

 

Maybe I misread something along the way? 

1 Trillion minus 210 billion = 790 billion left over........Which will be needed for overhead cost.......Overhead cost.... Wink wink nudge nudge........

[ronaldo0]

I can imagine a lot of these claimants are just looking for money and don’t actually need it . If they are going to check through the claims then it will be next year before people needing it actually get it !

[canopus1969]

57 minutes ago, EvetsKram said:

My wife has a small salon,  forced to close down but she is unable to get on there to register.  It pisses me off reading here about all the phoney claims getting lodged

She’s lucky as married to you a foreigner but what of the small businesses who do not have the support/income from a foreigner

[mfd101]

1 hour ago, EvetsKram said:

My wife has a small salon,  forced to close down but she is unable to get on there to register.  It pisses me off reading here about all the phoney claims getting lodged

Perhaps she could just wait an extra day or three?

[simple1]

1 hour ago, SABloke said:

Well, it's not FREE money as some people believe. The money is coming from your SSO account and will be deducted from your retirement eventually. 

 

But more importantly: Where is all the money? Minimum SSO contributions are 400 Baht a month (Even if everyone only paid minimum, they'd be collecting 67 Billion a year?) And why is the scheme going to "maybe" cost over a trillion baht 15k x 14 million = 210 Billion. 

 

Maybe I misread something along the way? 

From the OP...

 

Workers covered by the Social Security Fund are not eligible as they can get unemployment benefits from the fund.

[Isaanbiker]

3 hours ago, fishtank said:

Every Thai I know has registered even if they are not affected.

Do you believe that married to a foreigner excluded them?

 

To be honest, I'd have thought the number would be higher! 

 

   As long as they don't have a job, or a very low income, why not?

 

    Wife, son, parents in law registred. And once we're back in the village we'll spread the word.

 

   Many villagers do not know what to do. Will take my notebook to help some of them. 

 

    

Edited March 30, 2020 by Isaanbiker

[cyril sneer]

I hope the lottery remains suspended during these payouts

 

The majority of families I know in isaan would spend the full amount on tickets

[AhFarangJa]

My wife has had to close her bar. she tried all day yesterday to register without success. 

[SABloke]

50 minutes ago, simple1 said:

From the OP...

 

Workers covered by the Social Security Fund are not eligible as they can get unemployment benefits from the fund.

I missed that part, but it is still not entirely clear. You only get unemployment benefits if you were working full time and lost your job. My wife, for example, pays into the fund but is not employed by a company (she's a freelancer). 

[smedly]

31 minutes ago, SABloke said:

My wife, for example, pays into the fund but is not employed by a company (she's a freelancer).

you mean "self employed" and pays her "National Insurance"

[KhunBENQ]

5 hours ago, fishtank said:

Every Thai I know has registered even if they are not affected.

Here the daughter seems to know that she is not eligible.

I asked about it and no chance.

They want to screen the applications within seven days.

So maybe the number will melt down significantly.

[Scott Tracy]

All Thais should register. Those that are not eligible will be sifted. Just because 14 million have registered doesn't mean that 4 million are eligible. Simples.

[Alidiver]

4 hours ago, SABloke said:

Well, it's not FREE money as some people believe. The money is coming from your SSO account and will be deducted from your retirement eventually. 

 

But more importantly: Where is all the money? Minimum SSO contributions are 400 Baht a month (Even if everyone only paid minimum, they'd be collecting 67 Billion a year?) And why is the scheme going to "maybe" cost over a trillion baht 15k x 14 million = 210 Billion. 

 

Maybe I misread something along the way? 

You missed the point that the recipients do not pay taxes, they are part of the grey economy so it is free to them.

[RocketDog]

5 hours ago, christophe75 said:

Indeed. It's a joke. Sometimes whole families registered... even students... !

 

I'm sure some have tried to register their... pets.

 

There is a rumor among thais : "like previous handouts the gvt will not check"...

 

This is much scarier than the virus... The gvt should pay attention... If they continue to play "godlike" with the life of millions of people, it will end badly.

 

Unfortunately... as usual... the worst is certain.

 

Look at the "competition" (i was right) : the governor of Phuket declared on his own... a total lockdown.... !

 

This insanity must stop.

 

And quick.

Which particular insanity? 

The only way to stop all of them is massive global depopulation. 

 

Oh wait. Maybe that's happening already. 

????

[Almer]

6 hours ago, fishtank said:

Every Thai I know has registered even if they are not affected.

We know 5 + my wife who all are freelancers now with no work all retuned as a "FAIL"

Does anybody know anybody who has yet to receive a " pass" ?

[Almer]

1 hour ago, Scott Tracy said:

All Thais should register. Those that are not eligible will be sifted. Just because 14 million have registered doesn't mean that 4 million are eligible. Simples.

Ha ha, this is like a population census, the gvnmt will have shed loads of data.

[NoshowJones]

"Freelance"?? You mean all these freelancers and bargirls returning to their Isaan homes are going to get 5000 Bt per month for three months?

If the bars open again and there are more freelancers on Beach Road in say 3 weeks, they will be getting that extra money over and above there normal fees for about the next couple of months. 

[SpanishExpat]

Som nam na! They get what they deserve. It was clear that much more would register. Now they will get double and triple-checked. Maybe I am the only one thinking like that, but the whole crises may lead that many Thais overthink their lifestyles. 2 days less "chivid sanook" per month and saving that money (even if it`s just 300-500 Baht per month) for tougher times.