Thailand approves $3 billion in relief measures to ease virus impact

[snoop1130]

Thailand approves $3 billion in relief measures to ease virus impact

 

FILE PHOTO: A view of an empty square ouside CentralWorld shopping mall, which usually is crowded with tourists during a Songkran festival, after the government banned this festival amid fears of the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Bangkok, Thailand, April 13, 2020. REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand’s cabinet approved 98.7 billion baht ($3 billion) in relief measures on Tuesday to help mitigate the impact of the coronavirus outbreak, which is driving the country towards recession.

 

Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy could lose more than $40 billion and up to 10 million jobs due to the pandemic.

 

The government agreed to increase the number of workers receiving cash handouts to 14 million from 9 million, deputy government spokeswoman Rachada Dhnadirek told Reuters.

 

That will increase its total handout by 75 billion baht. Each worker receives 15,000 baht.

 

The government will also cut or waive electricity bills worth 23.7 billion baht for 22 million households.

 

The government has announced a series of steps worth billions of dollars to limit the impact of the outbreak. It plans to borrow 1 trillion baht to finance the measures.

 

Thailand has a total of 2,811 cases and 48 deaths.

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-04-21

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

- Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

[petermik]

"It plans to borrow 1 trillion baht to finance the measures" where,s all the 230+ billion US dollar foreign currency reserves the government reportedly had

[impulse]

One for the peasants, one for me...

 

One for the peasants, 2 for me...

 

One for the...  Ah, screw the peasants.

 

[fishtank]

How about paying the 5,000 baht a month as was promised?

Bastards.

 

[holy cow cm]

Yeah. Help me Obi-wan-"Chin"- obi. You are our only savior overlord lender for help.

 

Let's hope they don't dare go to the Chinese for a loan. If that happens I am building higher walls and installing catapults. 

[ronaldo0]

By the end of this month crime and suicide will increase rapidly . I don’t know one person who has been paid the money promised despite them being approved to receive it !!

The government here seems to have just abandon everyone . Do they not realise people have kids that need fed , nappies etc . Utter disgrace !!

But hey all the fat cats are fine in their well paid positions so doesn’t matter ! ????

[rudi49jr]

16 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Thailand approves $3 billion in relief measures to ease virus impact

Did the cabinet and all the generals look into their own wallets and count the loose change they had in there? Because I’m quite sure they could come up with a lot more than $3 billion if they did that.

Edited April 22, 2020 by rudi49jr

[sammieuk1]

After a committee appoints a sub-committee to appoint a working committee then a sub-working committee there will be nothing left and will need a committee to find out where it has gone????

[ozz1]

Show me the money where's the foreign reserves when you need them  after under estimating after the 5000 baht debacle maybe they need another committee to look into it  or just ask more billionaires for some handouts the poor people will get screwed anyway

[andersonat]

On 4/21/2020 at 7:15 PM, petermik said:

"It plans to borrow 1 trillion baht to finance the measures" where,s all the 230+ billion US dollar foreign currency reserves the government reportedly had

 

The "$230+ Billion" belongs to/is owned by/is controlled by The (nominally independent) Bank of Thailand, *not* by The Thai Government. 

 

  --  The Government would *first* have to get involved in some legal/financial "jiggery-pokery" before it could get it's hands on the money.

 

 

[rbkk]

On 4/21/2020 at 8:30 PM, impulse said:

One for the peasants, one for me...

 

One for the peasants, 2 for me...

 

One for the...  Ah, screw the peasants.

 

It appears that it is the farmers, again, who are latest to get screwed. Their relief package (15,000/30,000 p/m) seems to have fallen by the wayside. 

Perhaps it has been cancelled to pay for the extra 5 Million people who are  now due to receive the 5,000 baht handout. (9m up to 14 Million) It's now 9 days since they said next week to the farmers.......

[rbkk]

https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1159763-agriculture-ministry-urges-bt5000-handouts-for-farmers-as-global-food-shortages-loom/#comments Here is another scheme...5,000 baht x 6 months from their own Ministry....now silence. No compassion for the poorest people in Thai society from P & Co.